To Kill A Mockingbird

Reading Log #2
Valerie Welch
A resonating part in the book is the trail. Partially because its the !ost recent part o" the
book # read$ but also because the trial is a huge deal. %e! and &cout took up about "our pages
describing 'hat people 'ere doing in the to'n center$ 'ho 'as associating 'ith 'ho$ the type o"
people present$ the 'eather$ and (ust the "act that e)eryone ca!e to see this trial. *#t 'as a gala
occasion. There 'as no roo! at the public hitching rail "or another ani!al$ !ules and 'agons
'ere parked under e)ery a)ailable tree. The courthouse s+uare 'as co)ered 'ith picnic parties
sitting on ne'spapers$ 'ashing do'n biscuit and syrup 'ith 'ar! !ilk "ro! "ruit (ars., This is
ho' the narrator -&cout$ # think. describes the scene o" the to'n center be"ore the beginning o"
the trial. And the portrayal goes on "ro! there. # think the author did this in order to sho' the
i!portance o" this trial to the to'n$ and ho' /V/R012/ kne'$ *Atticus is a nigger lo)er.,$
e)en though it said the court appointed hi! to be To! Robinsons la'yer. Another scene$ or
couple pages$ that ha)e stuck into !y !ind are those o" Mrs. 3uboses dying !o!ents. #!
starting to think that she 'as rude to %e! and saying !ean things about Atticus just to !ake hi!
upset enough to do so!ething bad. #n this case he 'ent to her "ront yard and destroyed e)ery
"lo'er and plant in sight. Then kno'ing that Atticus 'ould !ake hi! return to apologi4e$ she
no' had a reason "or hi! to do 'hat she said$ 'hich 'as read to her e)eryday a"ter school. &he
!ust)e kno'n she 'as li)ing her last couple !onths$ and being read to 'hile in bed !ust be a
pretty nice 'ay to go. The *parting gi"t, that Mrs. 3ubose gi)es to %e! is )ery peculiar. #ts
al!ost her *trophy,$ so to speak$ "ro! their battle. &he gi)es hi! a &no'51n5The5Mountain
6a!ellia "ro! her garden in the "ront yard. 7e *"ailed, to destroy all o" the!$ e)en though that
one probably (ust gre' back. Mrs. 3uboses action annoyed %e! and "ro! then on he acted !ore
gro'n5up. Was it her death that did this8 1r !aybe ho' she could act cruel e)en though she had
already died8 #t 'as probably (ust a co!bination o" the t'o. Then again !aybe Mrs. 3ubose (ust
'anted to gi)e %e! so!ething that re!inded hi! o" her. *Atticus said$ *%ust be"ore your
escapade she called !e to !ake her 'ill. 3r. Reynolds told her she had only a "e' !onths le"t.
7er business a""airs 'ere in per"ect order but she said$ 9Theres still one thing out o" order.:
&he said she 'as going to lea)e this 'orld beholden to nothing and nobody.,, &o !aybe she
'anted to do right by %e!$ and not lea)e 'hile he 'as still upset 'ith her.
&o!ething surprising and unusual to !e is the *!ad dog, "reak out that happens.
*6alpurnia listened$ 9# kno' its ;ebruary$ Miss /ula May$ but # kno' a !ad dog 'hen # see
one. Please hurry !aa!<, *A' %e!$ its ;ebruary., is 'hat &cout says in response to %e!s
se!i5"ranticness to get ho!e and tell 6al about Ti! %ohnson -the dog.. Whats the signi"icance
o" the ti!e o" year and the occurrence o" a *!ad dog,8 And 'hy did e)eryone "eel the need to
"reak out8 7a)e there been past situations like this one8 /)eryone cro'ded around the dog and
'aited "or so!eone to do so!ething. # guess # shouldnt say cro'ded because e)eryone kept a
large$ a'k'ard distance a'ay "ro! the dog. Then Atticus shot it$ but he 'as reluctant to do so. #
dont get that. Mrs. Maudie later e=plains that Atticuss boyhood na!e 'as *1l 1ne shot,. Why
does he not talk about it8 7e also tells %e! that he doesnt like guns. Maybe there 'as an
accident 'ith a gun8 #ts all a bit odd$ but its de"initely so!ething Attcius doesnt 'ant to talk
about.
3uring the trial$ 7arper Lee uses a 'eird tone o" )oice and 'ord usage "or 'hen Mayella
/'ell 'as speaking. And by 'eird # !ean$ its !uch !ore southern and idiotic sounding then
'ith !ost o" the other people in the story. The sa!e 'ent "or 'hen Mr. /'ell 'as talking. &he
probably did this to sho' that they are both less educated as e)eryone else. >ut e)en in !y o'n
head # do their )oices !uch di""erently then e)eryone else. Thats ob)iously done on purpose by
the author$ but thats pretty po'er"ul 'hen you can !ake so!eone act out a character e=actly the
'ay you 'anted the! to.