Miguel Arredondo
6/12/14
#302
BOOK: To Kill a Mockingbird
AUTHOR: Harper Lee
TASK: Response Journal
BACKGROUND: Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, writes about her experience and the events that took place in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The time period of 1929-1939 was a fretful time in American history known as the “Great Depression,” leaving many Americans unemployed with the crash of the stock market. The Scottsboro Trials had taken place during Lee’s childhood in 1931. In this trial, nine black teenage boys were falsely accused of the rape of two white girls. The case had various appeals, though one of the girls changed her testimony stating that no rape had occurred, five of the nine boys were given rape charges. …show more content…
Calpurnia is an African American, living and working as a housekeeper for the Finch family. She serves as a mother figure to Scout and Jem providing guidance, endearment, and discipline as shown in the quote, “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us… but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t.” (Lee 24). In the novel she is one of the few blacks that can read and right, teaching Scout how to as well. Calpurnia lives a double life, changing the way she talks when she is with the black community so she does not seem higher than …show more content…
Scout is considered a tomboy and smart for her age, having been taught to read and right by Calpurnia. Though having learned from Atticus that fighting is not always the answer, Scout’s short temper gets the best of her having beaten up Walter Cunningham and also having punched Francis Hancock “split[ing] [her] knuckle to the bone on his front teeth.” Having Aunt Alexandra live at the Finch house for a while, helped Scout recognize that being a lady has some value. At the end of the novel, Scout had saved Boo by reminding Heck Tate if he brought Boo into the light it would "'be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird.'" (Lee
6/12/14
#302
BOOK: To Kill a Mockingbird
AUTHOR: Harper Lee
TASK: Response Journal
BACKGROUND: Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, writes about her experience and the events that took place in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The time period of 1929-1939 was a fretful time in American history known as the “Great Depression,” leaving many Americans unemployed with the crash of the stock market. The Scottsboro Trials had taken place during Lee’s childhood in 1931. In this trial, nine black teenage boys were falsely accused of the rape of two white girls. The case had various appeals, though one of the girls changed her testimony stating that no rape had occurred, five of the nine boys were given rape charges. …show more content…
Calpurnia is an African American, living and working as a housekeeper for the Finch family. She serves as a mother figure to Scout and Jem providing guidance, endearment, and discipline as shown in the quote, “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us… but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t.” (Lee 24). In the novel she is one of the few blacks that can read and right, teaching Scout how to as well. Calpurnia lives a double life, changing the way she talks when she is with the black community so she does not seem higher than …show more content…
Scout is considered a tomboy and smart for her age, having been taught to read and right by Calpurnia. Though having learned from Atticus that fighting is not always the answer, Scout’s short temper gets the best of her having beaten up Walter Cunningham and also having punched Francis Hancock “split[ing] [her] knuckle to the bone on his front teeth.” Having Aunt Alexandra live at the Finch house for a while, helped Scout recognize that being a lady has some value. At the end of the novel, Scout had saved Boo by reminding Heck Tate if he brought Boo into the light it would "'be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird.'" (Lee