In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”, I believe the character Arthur Radley, also known as Boo, is passive and curious, rather than the murderous squirrel eating fiend everyone in Maycomb seems to think he is.
In chapter 4, Scout begins to find mysterious items in the knot of one of the two oak trees outside Radley Place. I believe that these items were not placed in the knot as hiding spot as Scout and Jem come to believe, but were rather left there deliberately for the two to find. I also believe it was Boo Radley leaving these items behind. One of the items in the knot was a sculpture of Jem and Scout, which leads me to think that Boo Radley is as curious about the Finch’s as they are of him. It may also be presumed that, later on, Nathan Radley caught Boo putting the items in the knot of the tree, which would explain why he sealed the hole despite the fact that the tree was perfectly healthy.
In chapter 7, Jem reveals to Scout that, when he went back to Radley Place, his pants were neatly folded over the fence and the tear in them was mended, as if someone was expecting them. The only people who could have fixed the pants would be the Radley’s. I believe Boo straitened out and fixed the pants not Mr. Radley because Mr. Radley shot at the people that were in his yard and I don’t think he would suddenly decide to help out the people he had just shot at. Boo might have wanted to help out the Finch’s instead of seeing them get into trouble, which would show that he is not an evil person.
After the fire in chapter 8, it is revealed that someone had put a blanket over Scout while she and Jem were standing over by the Radley Place in the cold. Atticus revealed that it was most likely Boo Radley who gave her the blanket since Mr. Radley was helping by the fire and the kids were ato distracted to even turn around. This shows that Boo noticed Scout was cold and chose to help, which proves that he might not be so bad after all.
Arthur “Boo” Radley has chose to help the Finch’s in a few occasions and might have even had a little game with them, with the items in the tree. I believe that the Finch’s understanding and demeanor toward Arthur will change in the following chapters. This is one of those “don’t judge too quickly” moments since appearances can be deceiving.
The people in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” express respectable and admirable qualities, even in situations beyond their control.
Many of the people in Maycomb seem to have good character, relating to heir morals and their personalities. Atticus is one of the major influences in Scout and Jem’s lives. He has tried to teach them that it was wrong to make fun of Boo Radley even if he couldn’t see them. So far, Atticus has tried to teach the two kids the difference between right and wrong. Calpurnia is also a major influence in their lives. She tried to teach Scout about how to treat your guests when Scout was giving Walter Cunningham a hard time.
It is also noticeable how the Maycomb people react to harsh situations. The Cunningham’s were described as “poor but proud”, even in the face of more financial distress, they will not take anything for free and find it imperative to pay those who have helped them. Also, Miss Maudie’s reaction after her house burnt down was quite unexpected. She saw the overall situation with a positive outlook rather than with grief.
Another noteworthy character is Boo Radley who, despite what everyone thought about him, he still managed to be OK. I imagine that Boo knew, at least expected that people made fun of him or had preconceived notions about him. He may have also expected what Scout and Jem thought about him, when they rolled the tire with Scout in it at his house and when Jem was dared to touch the house. Regardless of this, Boo helped the two out a few times.
Many of the characters in the novel have very respectable qualities, even if it doesn’t appear so. The way the characters react can often be surprising.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Loons: Visual Representation
I believe this picture is symbolic of the short story "The Loons". In the image, the reflection of the loon on the water is a totem of a loon. This represents the connection between the loons and the Metis and how similar their stories are in the case of Piquette Tonnerre.
Two Hamburger Style Paragraphs About "The Loons"
In the short story "The Loons", the author uses the loons as a symbol for the character Piquette Tonnerre.
As we know, loons are harmless and shy in the sense that if attempt to get near one, it will simply fly away. Similarly to the loons, Piquette was harmless and was clearly not a "people person". Piquette was seen at the cottage keeping primarily to herself and turning down any opportunities Vanessa presented that could have led to a social situation.
Both the loons and Piquette had a ray of hope in their lives for things to get better, only before it took a turn for the worst. The loons had somewhat adapted to their life near the civilization of the cottages around Diamond Lake where they could stay in their natural habitat. A few short years later the area was built-up and the loons were forced to flee. Piquette’s life seemed to be picking up after see announce that she would be married, however, this happiness was short lived. Piquette’s husband left and she, along with her children, perished. Both attempts at happiness failed.
Another parallel that can be draw between Piquette and the loons is their "fight or flight" response to difficult situations. Both chose to run (or fly) somewhere they could not be found after being forced away from their respective homes and having a new life style imposed upon them. After the loons were forced from their natural habitat, they left Diamond Lake to a place they could not be seen or heard from. Piquette had quite a depressing life topped off with harsh stereotypes and a different way of life being shoved in her face, Due to this, she chose to disappeared for a few years
“It seemed to me now that in some unconscious and totally unrecognized way, Piquette might have been the only one, after all, who had heard the crying of the loons.” Though Piquette had never actually heard the cry of the loons, she may have been the only one who had heard it because she was the only one who understood it. She had experience the same thing as the loons for her entire life, the similar response to change, being forced away from their home, their same basic behavior and instincts, and the rejection they receive from society.
The tone of the short story "The Loons" is predominantly sad due to the severity of Piquette's past, the distaste felt by others toward her and the lack of understanding that she receives from people, including Vanessa.
The author uses harsh language, like "half-breed", to covey the feelings of others toward Piquette and the Métis. This distaste only adds to pain felt by Piquette, though she keeps all of her feeling bottled up inside. Piquette’s gloomy past coupled with the latter makes the readers hope that she will be met with mercy, however, that is not the case.
Although Vanessa tries to understand Piquette, even be her friend, but she was not able to comprehend the situation until the very end. Diction was used in the story to show the certain differences between Piquette and Vanessa and how even the way they spoke, they could not relate.
As the audience, we could see how much Piquette wanted to fit in with society, especially when she was telling Vanessa that she was getting married. Piquette was in a rough place for the entire story, the way the author gave Piquette a bit of hope before going south and eventually dying added to the sadness of the story.
Piquette’s life was quite sad, and the tone of the story added to that sadness. The treatment and misunderstanding Piquette received from the outside world added to her hardships.
As we know, loons are harmless and shy in the sense that if attempt to get near one, it will simply fly away. Similarly to the loons, Piquette was harmless and was clearly not a "people person". Piquette was seen at the cottage keeping primarily to herself and turning down any opportunities Vanessa presented that could have led to a social situation.
Both the loons and Piquette had a ray of hope in their lives for things to get better, only before it took a turn for the worst. The loons had somewhat adapted to their life near the civilization of the cottages around Diamond Lake where they could stay in their natural habitat. A few short years later the area was built-up and the loons were forced to flee. Piquette’s life seemed to be picking up after see announce that she would be married, however, this happiness was short lived. Piquette’s husband left and she, along with her children, perished. Both attempts at happiness failed.
Another parallel that can be draw between Piquette and the loons is their "fight or flight" response to difficult situations. Both chose to run (or fly) somewhere they could not be found after being forced away from their respective homes and having a new life style imposed upon them. After the loons were forced from their natural habitat, they left Diamond Lake to a place they could not be seen or heard from. Piquette had quite a depressing life topped off with harsh stereotypes and a different way of life being shoved in her face, Due to this, she chose to disappeared for a few years
“It seemed to me now that in some unconscious and totally unrecognized way, Piquette might have been the only one, after all, who had heard the crying of the loons.” Though Piquette had never actually heard the cry of the loons, she may have been the only one who had heard it because she was the only one who understood it. She had experience the same thing as the loons for her entire life, the similar response to change, being forced away from their home, their same basic behavior and instincts, and the rejection they receive from society.
The tone of the short story "The Loons" is predominantly sad due to the severity of Piquette's past, the distaste felt by others toward her and the lack of understanding that she receives from people, including Vanessa.
The author uses harsh language, like "half-breed", to covey the feelings of others toward Piquette and the Métis. This distaste only adds to pain felt by Piquette, though she keeps all of her feeling bottled up inside. Piquette’s gloomy past coupled with the latter makes the readers hope that she will be met with mercy, however, that is not the case.
Although Vanessa tries to understand Piquette, even be her friend, but she was not able to comprehend the situation until the very end. Diction was used in the story to show the certain differences between Piquette and Vanessa and how even the way they spoke, they could not relate.
As the audience, we could see how much Piquette wanted to fit in with society, especially when she was telling Vanessa that she was getting married. Piquette was in a rough place for the entire story, the way the author gave Piquette a bit of hope before going south and eventually dying added to the sadness of the story.
Piquette’s life was quite sad, and the tone of the story added to that sadness. The treatment and misunderstanding Piquette received from the outside world added to her hardships.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
About Me
Here is a little bit of information about me! I am fan of Harry Potter and enjoy snowboarding, cross-country skiing and hiking. I would like to improve my baking skills so I can make a better soufflé than yesterday. I have a very strong interest in practicing medicine for my future career and am considering becoming a surgeon so most of my time is spent doing schoolwork to maintain good grades.
This year in English, I plan to organize my thoughts before I start writing and be more creative with all of my work.
This year in English, I plan to organize my thoughts before I start writing and be more creative with all of my work.
Monday, January 31, 2011
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