Perspective of Tom Robinson
Today was my court case. I was a little nervous, because I was pretty sure I would loose just because I am black. When I got to the court house, there were a lot of people there. I had seen a lot of these people before, but I defiantly wasn't expecting such a big crowd. I was not thinking that I would cause so many people to come into the court case. There were so many people standing up and outside because of the limited number of seats. The court room was pretty big. The balcony was for the rest of the black people to sit, but there were some white people up there too. I was oblivious to the fact that all these people were here to watch me, the defendant in a court case about rape. I thought they were all here to just hear about the "rape," but they were here to see me loose (even though i haven't lost yet).
The first person up in the witness stand is sheriff Heck Tate. "He said that he heard Bob Ewell running and calling his name. When he found Bob, he asked him what was wrong, and he said that Tom Robinson was in his house raping his daughter, Mayella Ewell. " That is not the correct thing that happened. He's making up lies. Heck is excused from the witness stand.
Bob Ewell is called up. His side of the story says "I was coming home, and I saw Tom Robinson in my house all over my Mayella. I heard her scream so I went inside, and when I got in, he ran out the front door, I tried running after him, but couldn't catch him. Mayella had bruises mostly on her right side, a black eye on her right, and choke marks around her neck. So I ran to find Mr. Heck Tate, and I ran and found him, and showed him Mayella." After he told his story, Atticus asked him many questions. He asked him if he knew how to write, and he said sure he did. Atticus had Bob write his full name clearly on a piece of paper. Bob Ewell is left handed. A person who gets beat up mostly on their right side has probably gotten beat up by a lefty.
Atticus continues questioning Bob Ewell, and gets a few more hints slowly that I am not guilty. Mr. Ewell gets accused of not calling a doctor right after he found out that his daughter was raped. Mr. Ewell is dispelled from the witness stand, and Mayella is called up next. She says "I was outside watering my geraniums, and Tom Robinson walked by as he does everyday. I ask him to chop up a dresser that I have, because he does some chores for me for no charge. I say that I would give him a nickle for doing some things for me. I was going upstairs to get the money, and he followed me in and when i turned around, he was on top of me on the floor. He raped me, chocked me, and beat me. I was yelling, and my dad came home, and saw Tom on top of me. Tom ran away, and my dad asked me what happened. I told him everything, and he went to go get the sheriff." Before she told her story, she was crying. She didn't want Atticus to interrogate her like he did to her dad. After she told her story, she was fine. Atticus also asked her many questions. He asked her where her siblings were, and she said she gave them each a nickle to indulge themselves with ice cream from town. It had taken her a long time to save up that money, but she did it, and gave it to her siblings.
Mayella was excused from the stand, and I was called up. I told them the true story "I was walking to work, and I passed by the Ewell house as I do everyday. Mayella called me over and told me she had something to do for me. She said it was inside, and so i followed her in. she said she needed me to get something for her from up high on a dresser that she couldn't reach. I stood on the chair, and got it down for her. when I was coming down, she started hugging and kissing me. I didn't do anything to her I swear, and didn't hurt her. I tried to pull her away from me, but I didn't hurt her. She was kissing me and said that she has never had a kiss from a boy, and the stuff her dad does to her doesn't count. I saw her dad through the window, and i pulled free from her, and ran away." Mr. Gilmer asked me why I ran, and I said "If you were black like me, you would run too. I didn't do anything bad but go in the house. I just ran." I got many more questions. My boss, Link Deas stands up and yells out that I have never done anything bad, and I shouldn't be here testifying this. Link got sent out of the court room.
I obviously couldn't have beat her up because I don't have a working left hand. It got it caught in a Cotton shredder once a few years back. I got half my arm cut off so if i did beat her up, she would be injured on her left side, not her right. I knew that Bob Ewell was begrudging that I am saying this, the truth. But I want to be innocent.
Monday, May 25, 2009
TKAM post 6
Posted by lindsay m at 4:46 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
TKAM post #5
perspective of Aunt Alexandra
I am here in Moycomb, Alabama staying here with Atticus and the kids. Atticus told the kids that I am here to watch them over the summer since he wont be here most of the days. But I am really here to teach Scout and Jem how to become proper ladies and gentlemen. The kids really haven't been getting a long very well. They have been pestering, but I just think that Jem is growing up, which is exactly why I'm here. I know that they are proper somewhere on the inside, but I just need to extract it from them. I know that Scout doesn't really like how I want her to become a lady, but I know that the ladies in town would love to have a tea party with me. I invite some of the ladies form Maycomb over, and we have tea. Scout came in from outside to get some water for her and Jem. I tell her to come meet her cousin Lily Brooke. Scout came over, and she is filthy with mud, and I regret having her come meet Miss Lily Brooke.
I am very proud of being a Finch. There are some things that I think are giving the Finch name a bad reputation; Atticus defending a black person, Scout not being lady, and just many other little things, that I don't think are perfect that need to be. One day Scout tried to ask Atticus what rape was, and why Calpurnia didn't tell her. Scout also asked Atticus if her and Jem could go to Calpurnia's house, because she said they could, Atticus was about to answer with a yes, and I just couldn't help myself, and yelled out "NO." Why would she think that she could go to a Negros house. We have enough disgrace with the Finches and Negros, we don't need anymore. Anyways, I don't think that Calpurnia needs to work here anymore, since I will be staying here for a long time. I want her fired.
Ms. Rachel's nephew, Dill ran away from his house, because he thought that his new step dad, and mom don't pay enough attention to him, so he took 13$ from his mom's purse with her being oblivious. And in the middle of the night, Dill ran away. He walked, rode a train, and rode on the back of a cotton car all the way to Maycomb. Dill was dispelled with his parents. So one night, Scout thought she saw something under her bed, and she thought it was a snake, but it was Dill! he was asleep under her bed, and probably got in the house when no one was looking, or no one was home. Dill was filthy, and hungry, and not in and amiably way. Atticus told Scout to go get him some food, and I went to go tell Miss Rachel that Dill is here.
A week after Dill gets here, A group of men knock on the door. They were here to tell Atticus that his defendant, Tom Robinson is getting moved to the Maycomb County Jail. Atticus and I had been arguing about the trial, because I don't think that he should be defending Tom Robinson. A few nights later, Atticus takes the car into town, and doesn't tell me where he was going. But I have been taking charge in this house hold, and have been making a lot of rules, and I don't think that the kids really like them. And Atticus either.
Posted by lindsay m at 8:37 PM 1 comments
Thursday, May 14, 2009
TKAM post 4
Perspective of Jem
Scout and I were out shooting with our new air soft guns, and Atticus came out and said "I would rather you two shoot at some tin cans, but I know you are goin' for the birds, but remember; its a sin to kill a mocking bird." A few days later, there was a father football game, and I was sitting there watching all my classmate's dads play foot ball, but Atticus wasn't playing because he says he is too old.
Me and Scout go out to play in the front yard, and we see old Tim Johnson out down the street. We notice that he is was walking funny, but that old dog is always up to something. We run inside to tell Cal about the dog, and she says that every time we see something out of the ordinary when our dad isn't home, we cant come telling her to look at it. After we beg her to come out and look, she says that Tim Johnson has turned into a "mad dog," with rabies. She tells us to go inside, because we are in peril. Calpurnia runs in, and calls Atticus, and says that there is a mad dog coming up our street. She calls everyone in the neighborhood, and warns them too. The Radley's didn't answer their phone, so she runs out and bangs on their door to tell them that there is a Mad Dog out on the loose but no one answers the door either.
After a few minutes, Atticus pulls up in Heck Tate, the Sheriff's car, and they both step out. They have to shoot poor Tim Johnson. Heck looks down the road, and sees Tim Johnson slowly walking up the street in a straight line. He says "Atticus, I can't shoot that good, and for a mad dog, you only get one shot." He throws the gun to Atticus, and he doesn't want to shoot either, but he does. He aims the gun at Tim Johnson, and looks with his right eye, and fires. It hits the dog right in his head. Heck and Atticus walk up to the dog in front of the Radley place, and heck said that Atticus was a little to the right, but it was a great shot.
Scout and I walk to town, because I had some money to spend, and I wanted to get my steam engine, and scout wanted a baton that I said I might get for her. In order to get to town, we have to pass Ms. Henry Lafayette Dubose's house. Ms. Dubose is a sick, grumpy, old woman who sits in her wheelchair on her porch all day. When we pass her house, Atticus tells us to be polite, and don't say anything that might offend her. When we passed her house I said Hey Ms. Dubose. She responded "Don't you say Hey Ms. Dubose, you say Good Afternoon Ms. Dubose, and you, you should be wearing a dress, not those filthy overalls." I said i was just trying to be nice, and she said "Don't you Contradict me." So we walked away, and I was very upset, because she said some very mean things about Atticus, and I did not like it. After I bought my to steam engine, and I got Scout a baton, we walked back home. Scout dropped her baton so many times trying to flip it in the air, it was filthy. When we walked back passed Ms. Dubose's house, she wasn't on her porch, so I took Scouts baton, walked up the steps, and broke Scout's baton on my knee. I broke all of her Camellia buds, and left the broken baton there. Scout started yelling, so I kicked her and she fell on her face. Then I felt bad, and helped he up. We walked away, and I acted like nothing happened.
When we got home, I sat in my room and when I heard Atticus come in the front door, i tried to hide. He yelled my name real loud, and I went to him. He help half the baton in his hand, and asked me if I was responsible for it. I murmured "yes sir," so quiet, it was almost inaudible. So Atticus told me to immediately go over, and apologize to Ms. Dubose. when I was there, she told me that she wants me to read to her out loud for two hours each day for a month. So I started reading to her the next day, but it was only for about 20 minutes. After a week or so, I realized that when her alarm goes off, I have to leave, and it is set a little later each day. After a month of reading, it turned out that we read for more then two hours, and I only knew that because Atticus came in and said he would stop by because we were not home yet. So I asked Ms. Dubose if this was my last day reading to her, and she said she wants me to continue for 2 more weeks.
I left, and when we got home, I was talking to Atticus about it and he said that even if I didn't earn it, he would ask me to go over and read to her, because he is sick. He explained to me that she is very sick and is dying soon, and is addicted to morphine. He said that it is just a distraction to keep the pain away, and that the most time I am just inconspicuous to her. After reading for 2 more weeks, Atticus got a phone call that said that Ms. Dubose had just died. I had mixed feelings about this, but was grateful too, becasue I was tired of reading to her and sick of hearing her say bad things about my father. Atticus went over to Ms. Dubose's house, and came back with a box for me. Inside the box was Camellia bud; this was a sign of forgiveness from her and she is saying that it is okay now (that she is dead).
Atticus left to go on a business trip type thing, and we were here with Calpurnia. She was wondering on Sunday if we would go to our church or not, since Atticus wasn't here. She decided that she would take us to her church. Calpurnia dressed us up real nice, and made scout wear a dress. I had on my dark blue suit with a green tie, and she told me to change, because they didn't match, so I changed my tie. When we got to church, it was not like the church that me and Scout are used to, and it was not very ecclesiastical. There were no books, and no organ or piano. when everyone donates money, it is not passed around in a basket, everyone has to go up to the front, so the people at the church know who donated money, and who didn't.
Everyone was looking at us funny, because they knew that we were Atticus's children, and we were white. We got a lot of respect from the Negros, because they are all friends of Tom Robinson, and they are very grateful that my dad is defending him in his case. The man who worked at the church, Reverend Sykes, did not let everyone leave until there was 10 dollars total in the can with all the money, and he closed the doors, and asked everyone with out children to donate money. Later i found out that all the money goes to Tom Robinson's family, because since they have some kids, Ms. Robinson wont be able to work when Tom is at court. Reverend Sykes kept calling names, and saying that they have not come up and put in some money yet. Scout and I went up and put in our dimes that Calpurnia gave to each of us. Reverend Sykes was very grateful for that, because he expect the white people to have more money then most of the Negros. When 10 dollars was finally added up, we left, and went home.
Posted by lindsay m at 2:39 PM 2 comments
Monday, May 11, 2009
TKAM post 3
Perspective of Atticus
Posted by lindsay m at 8:05 PM 2 comments
Sunday, May 10, 2009
TKAM post 2
Posted by lindsay m at 6:04 PM 2 comments
Sunday, May 3, 2009
TKAM post 1
perspective of Miss. Caroline
I am preparing for the firsts day of school. I have always gotten some eccentric children in my class. I wonder what is coming next. The school is starting a new way of teaching, it's the Dewey Decimal System. It really irks me when people come to my first grade class and already know how to read and write, but that rarely happens.
It is the first day of school, and I am waiting for all the students to come in to class. They start coming in, and I recognize a few of them, the ones that have been in 1st grade for about 3 years. When all of the kids are in, I make a few pronouncements and tell them what i expect from them, and what they should expect to happen in class. I introduce my self, and start writing the alphabet on the white board. I ask one of the girls, names scout, what it says, and she read the the whole alphabet out loud. I don't think that that is acceptable that she comes to my class and can read. I pull her aside, and tell her that if her daddy keeps teaching her how to read, then we will have to make a compromise. Her Daddy should not teacher her how to read, and if he continues, I will have to condescend and tell him my self that it is NOT OKAY! The day goes on, and I find out that Scout can write in cursive. That also irks me, and i tell her she can't do that until 3rd grade.
So lunchtime comes, and i ask who is going home for lunch, and who will stay here. A boy named Walter Cunningham docent have a lunch, and isn't going home. I try to give him a quarter to go buy lunch then pay me back tomorrow, and he won't take it. I start getting frustrated with him. Some of the kids start talking and i ask what is happening, so once again Scout jumps up to the plate. Shes says "Don't you know, hes a Cunningham. He wont be able to pay you back, I bet his family has never seen 3 quarters together in his life. " I am so frustrated with her, I let everyone out to lunch, and put her in the corner.
So when every one comes back from lunch, and boy that i didn't see in the morning was in the class. He was FILTHY, and he had bugs in his hair. I tell him he needs to go home and scrub his hair three times. so he leaves, and never comes back. his name is Burris Ewell, and I find out that the Ewell family comes to school for the first Day, and never comes back unless they have a longing for and education.
Posted by lindsay m at 1:41 PM 2 comments
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
immigration reflection
Literature Circle Books/ Blogs
I was not very happy with my choice of book. I didn't really like the whole storyline of it. It went back and forth from present day to back when the main character, Achak, was a child. To me, that was very confusing and hard to concentrate on. I also didn't like how long the book was, and just kept going on and on about pretty much the same things, and Achak having the same problems. Of course, the book did have a lot of good parts in it, and some heavy action parts, but most of it just felt long, and difficult to concentrate on.
I learned all about the war that happened in Africa a few years ago. I learned how hard it is for people to immigrate to America, and how long it takes for them to get used to the differences between the 2 countries. I learned a lot about the main character, Achak, who came to America from Africa, and got treated very unfairly.
If I could add anything to the LC process, I think I would keep it like how it was 1st semester. Where we met in the group, and had the vocabulary, and talked to each other in person, not just through the blogs. I didn't really mind doing the blog posts, it would have just been easier to meet in person, because I thought the book was really confusing.
I thought it was good to just find 2 quotes from the pages that you read and only write about those, instead of briefly writing about 2 quotes, but also having to explain the characters, and some vocabulary.
I liked how the other people got to comment on our blogs, because if i didn't understand something, the other people would explain it to me. Also, I liked it, because sometimes it would help you think of things a different way.
Art & Literature
I chose to make a new book cover for my book. I chose to do this because I thought that the original book cover was a little plain and boring. The book cover that i made reflected on the book, because it has the 4 main parts of the book; Africa, USA, and the main character in two different ages, when he was a little boy, and when he was all grown up.
I do feel like there was a connection made between my book cover, and the book, because I think that my book cover was completely about the book. Like I said, it had the 4 main parts of the book, and it fit with the book perfectly.
I think that my final painting came out very good. I messed up on a few places, like the main characters face, because the brush was too big, and I had a very hard time tracing the picture onto the canvas. Besides those few things, I think that it came out very neat and clean, and I was very proud of it.
I believe that my book cover was a lot better when it was colored with colored pencils, because I messed up painting quite a bit. If we could turn them in as a colored picture, not a painting, mine would be a lot better.
Interview process with participant & gift
The interview process was not very smooth for me. It was very stressful, and i got kind of nervous through out it. I had some technical problems, and I felt like i was behind the whole time. The thing I didn't like the most was interviewing on the phone, because I don't like talking on the phone, and then i had to talk to someone that I had never met before.
Like I said, I didn't mind interviewing the person. The email interview was the best, and the easiest, the in person interview was fine, but I had some problems with the computer when i was trying to have it, and the on the phone interview was very stressful, and not very fun at all.
I thought it was cool that I got to interview, and learn about a person that immigrated here from Nicaragua. I thought it was fun to learn about the cultures, and traditions in that country. These interviews did help me reflect on the curriculum that we were learning in class at that time.
I made my immigrant a scrapbook that had a lot of different things in it. I had some pages about him and his journey to America. I had some pages about Nicaragua, and America similarities and differences. I had some things he did as a child, and many more. I hope he really liked this scrapbook that I made, because I spent a lot of time on it, and I was very proud of the final products.
Posted by lindsay m at 2:06 PM 0 comments
Monday, March 16, 2009
final post (6)
Quote 1: pg 470
"I have been staring across the parking lot at a pay phone, and now I see it as an invitation. I decide that I should call my own number, to ring my stolen phone. I have nothing to lose in doing so." said by the narrator
Significance: I think this quote shows that even though Valentino is trying to fit in in America, and not try to stand out as an immigrant, he still has a hard time. He got his phone stolen, and wants it back, but he is trying to think like an American like "What is there to lose?" that shows that even though this whole book is really only a few days of his life (Except for his memories) he still wants to be welcomed in America. (if you know what I mean)
Personal connection: I connect to Valentino in this quote because, when something that isn't so good happens to me, I think about things I can do to try to make it better, and i think to myself "What can I loose?"
Question 1: Have you ever had a time when you were not have a great day, and you think something good will happen after, but it doesn't? Explain. If not, then think about what you would want to happen after a good day.
Quote 2: Pg. 484 "How can our country recover when we loose the youth?" said by a random adult in Sudan
Significance: I really like this quote becauseit showed that all of that walking and suffering in Sudan and Ethiopia payed off, because all of the kids went to school, learned another language, learned to read, learned to write, and learned to cook, and now a lot of them are dying again. \
Personal connection: I don't think I can really connect to this quote, because I didn't want for a month at a time, and I am not suffering, and no one around me is dying, but I just really liked this quote. also the person who said this quote didn't even have a name, so I cannot connect to him.
Question 2: have you ever had a time where you worked so hard to get to something, or make something, and it just ends or break, or you just don't get to finish?
Posted by lindsay m at 3:31 PM 2 comments
Thursday, March 5, 2009
post 5
Quote 1: page 336 "We were told to gather everything we could and prepare to leave. By the time I arrived at our shelter, it was already empty" said by the narrator
Significance: This quote shows how much the traveling boys have to move all over the country. They also do not have a lot of shelter, and space to live, and not many belongings to bring with them.
Personal connection: I am not very much like Valentino. I ave a nice house to live at, and I have not been traveling for months all across Africa. I think that Achak deserves a great life in America, and also all of the other traveling boys do too.
Question 1: How would you feel if you were always having to leave cities, because of wars or rebels, and invasions?
Quote 2: page 342 "We walked for an hour, the wind wild and warm, when we heard an animal sound. This was not the sound of an adult-we heard much of that on the way, moaning and retching-this was a baby, wailing in a low voice" said by the narrator
Significance: This quote stands out to me, because everyone is getting moved out of cities, and everyone is hungry, and baby's are crying, and people are moaning, and dying right then and there.
Character judgement: I feel bad for Achack, and all of the traveling people, and the baby's who are angry, and everyone is dying. I don't think that any of them deserve to live in these conditions.
Question 2: If you were Achak and you had been walking for months, and having barley and food, would you want to die like most of the other people, or would you want to live, and finally make a life in a new country? Explain.
Posted by lindsay m at 6:56 PM 3 comments
Sunday, March 1, 2009
post 4
Quote 1: "Achak! Are you okay?" It takes me a moment to compose myself. "What the hell is this?" he asks. "I was attacked," I finally say. "We were robbed." this was said by Achor Achor, the narrator, and Achak (Valentino) on page 231 (first page of chapter 15)
Significance: This quote shows how hard it is for immigrants to live in America. Achak and Achor Achor got robbed, because a lady saw him, and he was African, and she tricked him, and robbed and beat him up.
Personal connection: I think Achor Achor should be probably really mad and sad at the same time because he just found out that he got robbed, and his best friend/room mate got beat up.
Question 1: If you were Achor Achor and you just walked into your house, and everything is thrown everywhere, and most of your things were stolen, what would you do?
Quote 2: "I can pay you in cash for whatever you do," I say. "We don't take cash," Julian says. "But don't worry. We'll treat you whether you have insurance or not. Like i said-not sweat" said by the doctor, Julian, and Valentino on page 240
Significance: I like this quote because it shows how Achor Achor and Valentino are kind of confused, and don't really know a lot about the real world in America, and how they don't have experiences at places like the hospital in America
Character Judgement: I think that Valentino didn't deserve to be robbed, because he is just trying to learn how America works. I think that Valentino is just another man, and it doesn't matter id him and Achor Achor are African, but they are just trying to be American.
Question 2: If you were Valentino, what would you be thinking about that whole time you were getting robbed and beat up?
Posted by lindsay m at 6:19 PM 3 comments