Character:
All of the characters are still the same (I listed the characters in the last independent reading post). There are, however, a few new characters such as Miss Maudie and Mr. Avery. Miss Maudie is a woman who sits outside on her porch and talks to Jem and Jean Louise about the town and their days. Mr. Avery is a bit colder than Miss Maudie because he breaks up the children’s games if he suspects something and all in all, he is less of a warm person. The character’s attitudes have changed much since last time as well. As for Jean Louise or “Scout” and Jem, their outlooks on judging people have changed immensely. They used to make fun of Boo Radley – the suspicious and supposedly crazy man that lives at the forbidden Radley residence – and his family but a life altering experience changed their outlook for good (explained in plot).
You can also see the personality of Jem and Jean’s father (Atticus) come out more. He is portrayed to be a very down to earth, all knowing and appreciative person – especially because he “for” some causes that the entire town is against (IE he supports African Americans in court).
Another character that was added was Uncle Jack. He acted just like Atticus as he was kind and caring, and someone who always promoted love for others around you, no matter their race.
Setting:
The setting in this section was opened up into a whole new world. It was because the children – Jem, Scout and Dill – felt brave enough to approach the forbidden Radley house at an “unsafe distance”. So now they feel like the town is boundless.
Plot/Conflict:
Rather than listing out the entire plot from the beginning of the section, I will sector out the most important parts of it. The first most important part is when the three children venture out towards the Radley’s place at night. They have only peered into it or wandered near it but this is the first time they ever went directly to it. They were trying to see inside the home to possibly catch a glance of Boo or his family however, they were caught by Mr. Radley. Since it was dark, however, he thought that they were African Americans trying to steal something from his yard so he shot a bullet in the air to scare them off. As if it wasn’t scary enough for them, Jem had lost his pants when they were tugged by the fence so he had to run back later and get them even though Mr. Radley warned the town he would kill another intruder no matter who or what it would be. The most peculiar thing, however, that changed all of their mindsets for good was first that his tugged pants were folded as if they expected him to return and second that a person, most likely from the Radley house, was leaving prizes for the children in the tree out of gratitude. They finally were starting to see the truth.
Another important part of the plot would be when Atticus mentions his new court case where he is defending an African American on trial. This is an extremely significant occurrence because during that time period, it was against the “culture” or norm of the world to support someone of color on trial, especially because they had less of a chance of winning due to their race. However, Atticus was willing and good-hearted enough to put himself on the line to defend justice.
Theme:
The theme of this entire part would how vital positive change and strong, wholesome opinions are in the path to becoming a good human being. Positive change is shown how Jem, Jean and Dill have now changed what they think about the Radley’s - and even on people of a different race. This is shown not only because of their personal experiences that happened in this section, but also because Atticus promotes equality of all within his family and society and puts down racial slurs.
Literary devices:
Here is a list of some literary devices used all throughout the story:
- Foreshadowing
- Communal memory
- Communal speech
- Tone: Reversion to Childhood
- Southern Jargon
Claim: (simple, based on theme NOT literary devices)
Change and striving to have strong opinions are two of the most important elements in becoming a wholesome human being.
Support:
In order to support, I can first give a clear definition of what a “wholesome” human being is and give examples from Atticus’ speech.
Then, I could give examples from the three children and how children can change for the better, even when born into a world with pre-planned beliefs.
After that, to support the need for strong, positive opinions I could give examples of Atticus’ dialogue when he reprimands his children for acting hateful against others or even when he gives moral advice. I could also provide examples from Calpurnia or Uncle Jack every time they talk to the children to act based on kindness.
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