BookDiscussion #5 - To Kill A Mockingbird

[Mizuki]

So we just started reading To Kill A Mockingbird in school, and we have just gotten past chapter 9 where Atticus finds out about the case. What would you have done if you were Atticus defending an African American in the deep south in the 1930s. Specifically, I would like to know your opinions about how he told his children about it. Should he have spent more time explaining the case? Or do you like the way he handled it? What do you think of all of the characters in general? Who is your favorite? What do you like about them?

[Kenton Hostetler]

(I'm in the same boat, reading it for school too, but we're supposed to have read up to 23 by Monday)
I think Atticus did what he had to do for the case. He has had cases in past and so it doesn't make a difference to me if he tells his children about the case. If I were him, I would tell them I had one and answer all questions they asked of me, being that Scout and Jem are very curious children. But that its in the 1930s and its an African American (to avoid using the language of the book, slight lol), I think it doesn't change for a man like Atticus. He took on the case knowing he was the only hope this man had against the little prejudiced town of Maycomb.
So far I really like Jem because he's the perfect reminder of the little kid days as a boy. Both him, Dil, and Scout have been very funny without trying because of their innocence as children. Jem reminds me of me because of the way he thinks he knows everything and he's a kind older brother to Scout.

[Mizuki]

I think you're right about Atticus, and Jem is amazing! This book really does show that being an outsider isn't really that big of a deal at all! but it really was in the 1930s, you can see how this would be such a controversial book then! (and even today in some aspects!)

[Livvy Cropper]

Oh, this one of my favourite books ever! I first read it when I was ten and have loved it ever since.
Okay I think that Atticus doesn't present this in a way that we would see suitable today but child/adult relationships have changed greatly over the past 70-80 years and that this was probably a normal way for adults to interact with children at the time. Bearing in mind this was before the real dawn of the term 'teenager' and certainly prior to teen culture. To many, under 16's would just have been adults but smaller, and children were expected to behave in amature and educated manner, particularly when raised by a man so straight-cut, practical and reliable as Atticus Finch.

My favourite character, when I first read the book, was naturally Scout because although she is very young at the start of the book, the ten-year-old me found it easy to relate to her (being a bit of a tomboy at the time and wanting to see a bit of her adventuresness in myself).

[Mizuki]

I love Scout also! I love how she is so young, yet so insightful and intellectual for her age! it definitley makes her easy to relate to! (at least for those of us who are less tomboyish and adventurous!) I also really enjoyed reading your view of the book, it was interesting to hear about how they viewed teenagers. Thank you so much!

[Becky]

I read this for school when I was 12. I think I was the only one in the whole class that wasn't bored by it!

[Mizuki]

Ahh, the relief of discussing with fellow Nerdfighters!

[Kay Katherine]

Yes! This is my favorite classic novel. We just read it for class, and we do lots of seminars, and its a great book to seminar. I think Atticus is a fantastic father, and I like the way he handled the situation. I don't know if I would have the courage to defend a controversial case as Atticus did. We had an interesting seminar question the other day: Which community member handled the case the best/most like their character? I said I thought Miss Maudie, because she was very helpful to the children, explaining things to them, being there, etc. I also think that by not attending the trial, she was acting so much like herself. Others in my class said Rev. Sykes. What do you think?

[Mizuki]

I aggree, I love Miss Maudie, and I really wish that I had a neighbor like her! (sometimes I imagine that I do!) I love the way Atticus handled the situation also, he is amazingly calm and knows what it takes to be a good parent! I think that kids really should have more things explained to them, adults need to stop assuming that they don't understand, I mean, they really do!! That's what I lvoe about Atticus and Miss Maudie, is that they treated Scout and Jem with as much respect as their peers.

[Yugina Yun]

I read this for school too !, although i also read it for fun a few years ago.
I think that Atticus made the right decision about how he handled the case. All the characters are complex and well written. They're all deep and have something that you can connect to. I think that Atticus was always my favorite character because of the way he's able to handle situations.

[Mizuki]

I love the level of depth that the book goes to also! It is such a relieving feeling when you're on the verge of a deep thought but you can't put it into words, and you read a book that is able to put those thoughts into words perfectly! I love that, and Harper Lee did a great job about that!