Did Boo Put those Gifts in the Tree?...

To Kill a Mockingbird

Today in class we read from page 43 to page 53. It was almost summer in the beginning of chapter 4 and you know who is coming, Dill. Both Jem and Scout were excited for Dills arrival, however  before that moment came something interesting happened. Scout was released from school 30 minutes before Jem and once while walking back home, right in front of the Radleys house there were two oak trees. while Scout passed she saw something in the hole of one of the trees. she saw gum! Two pieces of fresh gum without a cover and she ate it. When Jem arrived to the house he saw Scout chewing the gum and asked where she had grabbed it from and told her about the Tree. At first he didn't believe her and told her to throw away the gum because it could be poisonous. Another thing we learn is that Calpurnia and Scout´s relationship is improving. And we see the tree again in the chapter when Jem and Scout are coming from school again Scout spotted something shiny in the tree and Jem finally believed her because he had seen it too. They run back to their house and check what the little box has inside. It contained two polished Indian-head pennies. Scout and Jem were planning on returning them to the owner because they might have been very important to them (the owners of the coins). They ask people but I'm betting they did not ask the Radleys. We also discover that a kid prefers to walk a mile then go next to the Radleys house. 

     This chapter was briefer than the other ones. but I get the sense that Boo put the gifts out in the tree hole to test the kids. He might also know that Dill was coming back and that Dill was obsessed with him and if Scout and Jem told him all about it he would try to investigate more. He might also make a plan to get Boo to come out. Or Mr. Radley could of put the coins in there to see if the kids in Maycomb returned them back to him even if it was the last thing they would want to do. I'm guessing that if they even come near to ask if the coins were theirs Atticus would be by their side. The people might also start rumors if Scout and Jem tell them about the things they found in the tree hole. They might say something similar to Jem that Boo or the Radleys are trying to poison them and kill them. This shows the ignorance of the people in Maycomb. Even Jem is assuming things without knowing if they are true. 

Unappricative Scout Finch

Scout had a fairly bad day at school today. She was told by her teacher that she can no longer read at home wither her father because it puts her too far ahead of the class. She then decides to take her anger out on Walter Cunningham by beating him up at recess. Her brother, Jem sees this and tells her to stop and invites him over for lunch. During luch Scount is being rude towards her guest and Calpurnia, their nanny/chef scolds her and makes her eat in the kitchen., scout does not like this and talks to her father about it. She asks him to fire Calpurnia and he says that he will never do this. When Scout gets back to school, her teacher, Miss Caroline, claimes she saw a mouse, turns out it was lice. The lice came from Burris Ewell. She asks him to go home and clean himself, to which he says that he will not be coming back. He has only appeared for the first day of school for three years in a row. Scout then finishes her day at school and goes home. After dinner when her fater says that it is time to read, she tells her father she does not want to go to school anymore and tells him abou how Burris only shows up for the first day of school every year. Atticus tells her that the Ewells are a special family and get to bend the laws. The chapter ends by Atticus and Scout making a deal that they can continue to read every night if she will continue to go to school. 

I believe that Scout needs to find something to take her anger out on and focus on, instead of beating up poor Walter. I also think that Scount needs to realize how much Calpurnia has influenced her life and made her the person she is today. Calprunia is basically Scouts mother or closest she has to a mother. I understand that Scout is young, but she should still appriciate her a little more that she does, I mean she asked her father to fire her because she did one thing she didn't like. I also feel kinda bad for Burris in a way. He lives a really sad life and I don't think it is his choice to live like this. Scout also needs to appriciate the fact that she gets to go to school at all. I mean I get it, not many people like it, and don't wanna go, but during this time she really is rally lucky and should appriciate it more. Overall I believe Scout needs to apprciate everything in her life more than she does, but she is young so I understand. 

Cunningham Family

I feel so bad for the Cunningham family, because they are so poor. I think that Walter's parents must be something, because they teach their kids not to accept anything that they can't pay back. I think that they way they raise kids is way different from the way I was raised. They are raised to not accept anything that they couldn't pay back, meanwhile, I would have taken that quarter for myself, and not even worry about paying her back. I would maybe do it eventually, but not right away. Sometimes, I wish I was raised by those parents, so I could be a better person.

When Walter Cunningham came over to their house, Scout was so rude to him. I understand why he poured all of the molasses on his food, because he never gets anything sweet. When coming over to the house he was contemplating if he should go or not, because he didn't know if it was something that he had to pay back, which it wasn't. I just feel bad for him, because he has to live without sugar and sweets, but I almost have sweets everyday. I feel really bad in what Walter has to go through with no sweets, and having to deal with people who are ignorant against him.

Atticus's Morals

   Atticus Finch so far is a man of high moral standard. From the first three chapters so far we have heard so much positive things about him. He is described as a tolerant man and even tries to teach it to Scout who somewhat understood it. Scout in this chapter is pretty ignorant of the ways of the Cunningham family. I don't know about anyone else, but if molask was the only time I was getting something sweet I would bathe in it. His description of tolerance is very understanding and though sounds weird at first thinking about it, it makes sense. If you step in someone's skin and move around in it you will see things from their perspective.
  This shows just how good a parent he is for trying to instill into them tolerance at this young an age. He even did a case for the Cunninghams which we did not get the full details for, he could  not pay Atticus back to which Atticus was very kind towards him about saying he did not have to do it. Though Atticus knew they would pay him back somehow not in money but in other ways because he trusted them because they never take anything they can not repay someone back in. Which is why Walter before he even hit adolescent would not take a quarter because he knew he could not repay the teacher back. There are a lot of characters in this story though Atticus seems to far to have the highest morals being more tolerant of others even if he dislikes them like the Ewells. Though Jem understands social situations more especially in reading a situation or what someone means when they give a vague answer. One example of this is when Dill said his dad was alive, but not with him, Jem knew what he meant while scout was coming off intrusive in asking him until Jem tried to give her a hint. Another example is the Cunninghams being a poor family never getting anything sweet, but she rather than trying to understand him just called him out on it making him feel embarrassed to which Atticus later attempted to explain to her by saying you got to get in someone's skin and move around in it to understand them. This is his explanation and Scout seemed to somewhat understand it and we will find out in the next situation that may arise just how much she took it to hurt if she did at all.

School Problem

So we start with Scout going to school for the first time and she has a teacher Miss.Caroline and things didn't go as planned for the first day.Both started off the school year with a bad start because at first Miss.Caroline didn't like that Scout can read and write,she should be proud of her that she is ahead.And the worst part is that she shamed Scout by whipping her in front of the class which got her really embarrassed and wasn't nice of her because her classmates laughed at her.Another thing that I didn't blame Scout was when she offered Walter a quarter to buy food because she thought that he had forgot to bring his lunch.But actually Walter is very poor and he can't afford to bring lunch and he won't accept the quarter that Miss.Caroline offered him because there is no way he could pay her back,he would rather starve than rather owe money to someone.And Miss.Caroline doesn't know that is going on like why doesn't he have a lunch or why he won't accept the quarter and pay her back tomorrow.She is having a rough day because of all the stress and she even cried when Burris Ewell said mean things to her and things aren't going well right now for her.Burris Ewell only comes to school for a couple of days and later on he doesn't show up for the rest of the year.
       
So far I kind of like this chapter because Jem and Scout did a good thing inviting Walter for lunch because he never gets to eat anything.A funny part that I like is when Scout was punching Walter because Scout is a girl and Walter is a boy.I feel bad for Miss.Caroline because things aren't working out for her,she is stressed out.First she doesn't understand why Walter a very poor boy can't accept her quarter to buy lunch and second Burris Ewell said  mean things to her that made her cry,moving on I like of Scout and Atticus made a deal,Scout keeps going to school and her dad will keep reading to her because she didn't want to go to school and if she didn't her dad Atticus would go to jail.But I hope things get better for Miss.Caroline because she is the one going with serious stress and not been respected by some of her class(Burris Ewell).I like how Walter didn't accept the quarter from Miss.Walter because he know if he takes it he won't be able to pay her back,most of us would of taken it.And that he would rather starve than rather be in debt,owing money to someone.

Scout's School Experience

Scout went to school for the first time, and things didn't end up quite as she expected. Miss Caroline, Scout's teacher, got mad at Scout for being able to read and write. Miss Caroline also got mad when Scout tried to help Miss Caroline with understand why Walter won't take the quarter. Scout explained that Miss Caroline was shaming Walter since he doesn't have enough money to pay her back. Miss Caroline even "whipped" Scout when Scout tried to explain why Walter won't take the quarter. I feel bad for the kids like Walter in Maycomb. Walter doesn't even have enough to bring a lunch to school. What is even worse is that Miss Caroline doesn't understand why Walter doesn't have a lunch or why he won't take the quarter. Even though Walter is very poor, his family and him never take anything that anyone offers them if they know they won't be able to pay it back. Walter and his family are very noble, because they would rather starve then be in debt to someone. One time, Atticus helped Walter's father, Mr. Cunningham, by being his lawyer, and Atticus told Mr. Cunningham not to worry about paying him. Mr. Cunningham didn't have any money to give Atticus, so he paid Atticus with all he had, which was vegetables, firewood, etc. I think this is amazing that the Cunninghams would rather starve then be in debt, and that they make sure that they pay someone back with whatever they have, even though they are very poor and have very little.

Scout meet her first grade teacher, Miss Caroline, and got into trouble with her. Miss Caroline has had a rough first day of teaching. She has cried twice on first day of teaching due to all the stress and due to one of the students. I feel very bad for Miss Caroline because she has gotten off on the wrong foot with her teaching. She gets mad at Scout for being able to read and write, but I don't get why. Miss Caroline should be happy that Scout is ahead of the group. I think that Miss Caroline should have tried to get to know each kid and family at least a little bit before she started her first day of school. Then she would understand why Walter didn't want to take the quarter and why he didn't have lunch. She would have also understood how Burris Ewell acts. Burris Ewell went into her classroom and started saying very bad things about her. She didn't know that the Ewell family only comes to school for the first day, and then don't come back. They are also very rude, just like Burris was very rude to Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline ended up crying after Burris said mean things about her. When Scout got home she talked about how she didn't want to go to school, but she made a compromise with Atticus that she would go to school if Atticus kept reading to her.

The First Day of School

So far, To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book. I got to see some summer rivalry between Jem and Dill, as well as a very egotistic teacher. In my opinion, Miss Caroline should talk to Atticus, who is Scout's father, about the whole reading situation. She can get to know his job and that he is well educated, and to see his own point of view on the reading situation. When Scout gets scolded by Miss Caroline by learning how to write in cursive, she gets mad at Calpurnia  because she taught her this. Overall, the time before lunch was not a good time for Scout.

Before she went off to lunch, Scout got stuck in a conversation between Walter Cunningham and Miss Caroline. Walter did not want any money because his family has no money, so he cannot pay her back. This was another act of ignorance by Miss Caroline. She thought she was doing something nice, and the kids were just being rude, but she just didn't get to know the families before the year started. After lunch there was a much worse event that occurred. Burris Ewell, whose family is not so great, gats mad and starts swearing at Miss Caroline. Other people come in to stop, but it is no no use. Miss Caroline breaks, and Burris leaves.

When Scout gets home, she tells Atticus about the whole reading situation, and Atticus advises for a compromise. If Scout would go to school, Atticus would still read. he also explains that the Ewells have been a disgrace to Maycomb for 60 years, or three generations, and that special rules have been established for them only. Lastly, Atticus tells Scout that if you truly want to know someone, you have to step into their shoes and walk around in them for a little bit. He is basically saying that if you want to know someone, you have to live their life for a little while to understand their situation.