Noag's posty

Noah Lawrence

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

 Finished Chapter 10

Just Right

1.        Currently I am at the part where Tim Johnson a rabid dog is shot dead for the safety of the town of Maycomb. Earlier in this chapter Scout and Jem, the main characters, thought that their dad Atticus was boring. The other dads did hard work such as carpentry and farming. were as Atticus used his brain as a lawyer in an office. Atticus did not take part in football games because he said he was too old. The children were amazed when Atticus made an amazing shot to kill the dog. Heck Tate, the sheriff asked Atticus to shoot that dog because Heck did not have a good shot. It turns out that Atticus is a sharpshooter and his nickname was Ole One Shot. Atticus hadn’t shot a gun in thirty years but sniped that dog with accuracy and without his glasses. It only took him a few seconds to line up the shot. It was a one shot kill. If Atticus had missed, the bullet would have went into the Radley house.  Scout wants to brag about this at school but Jem says not to. This shows that Jem is growing up. Also, while Jem is using his gun, Atticus says it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are innocent because they do not harm anyone or property, they just sing beautiful songs. It is in this chapter that we learn about the title of the book and its meaning.

2.       I think the book is very interesting because of all the hidden meanings. This book has lots of detail and a fast paced plot.  The idea of the mockingbird being innocent as well as some of the characters is interesting. Another hidden meaning is Atticus’ character.  You really need to read carefully and dig deep to understand this.  This book has a great plot so far and the characters are well developed.  For example, the reader sees Jem grow and mature in a normal way.  The author makes him seem very real. The plot is fast paced and the action starts in the third chapter, but since then it has been non-stop action.  I am yet to discover the rest of the plot, but I think it will be good.

3.       Innocence is a recurrent theme throughout the book.  It can be viewed in many characters. Boo Radley is innocent because he does not do harm to any of the kids, but tries to befriend them by putting a blanket around Scout’s shoulders, patching Jem’s pants, and giving them presents.  Another innocent character is Scout because she is young and does not understand important adult issues such as racism and maturity.  She is innocent in her approach to solve problems.  She will fight with others to defend the people she loves.

4.       My favorite character is Atticus.  Atticus is a cool dad.  The kids call him by his first name and he treats them as if they were adults. It also seems as if the town is dependent on him.  They come to him to help solve problems and this is a good trait.  I like that he is not racist and is willing to fight through the courts for what he believes in.  

5.       My least favorite character is Nate Radley.  It seems that he is mean to the kids and that he keeps Boo Radley locked up in the house. He also fills the knot hole with cement which disappoints the children.  Another thing he does is fire off a shot with his shotgun to get the children away.  This seems like an over-reaction. He does not appear to be a friendly neighbor or good brother to Boo.  He doesn’t participate in the community and many people just believe the rumors about him.

6.       I predict that Atticus will go to court with Tom Robinson and he will do the best he can to defend Tom.  I think that Boo Radley will be released from his house and that we discover that he really is a nice person.  I also think that Nate will do something very bad in town that will get him arrested and away from Boo. I feel as though Jem will follow in his father’s footsteps and defend his father the way Atticus had taught him.