Post 7 - Chapters 26-28 - Jem

Journal #7
Chapters 26-29
Perspective: Jem

It was time for school again. Boring, boring school. I was now in the seventh grade and I was going to high school. It was pretty scary at first, but then it turns out that it’s not that bad. I hardly saw Scout now days because I was in a different building than her, but I only saw her during mealtimes. I wanted to be part of my schools football team, but they said that I was too young and to weak for now, so for now I’m the water boy. I was really committed to do my job and even sometimes I would come home later than I usually do.
One night during practice coach said that I could join the team next year if I gain 25 pounds. I was so happy that I went home, and laid down on my bed and started stuffing my face with bananas. Scout came inside my room and started talking to me about Ms. Gates and Hitler for no reason. I asked her what was wrong and Scout started talking to me about how Ms. Gates feels sorry for the Jews because they were being persecuted, but at the court case over the summer she didn’t like the blacks. Then I had a whole bunch of flashbacks. I remembered how excited I was when I thought we were going to win the case but we lost and my heart was broken. I never wanted to be reminded of that again and Scout brought it up. I exploded. I jumped off my bed, grabbed her by the collar and shook her. I told her to never bring up the court case again, and she left. I felt sorry afterwards for what I had done, but I was too tired to apologize.
Later that month we heard that someone tried to break into Judge Taylor’s house. We also heard that Bob Ewell was stalking Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Link Deas was said that he was going to press charges if he didn’t stop. We also heard that people were trying to mess with Ms. Tutti and Frutti and moved all of their furniture down to their cellar and allegedly they heard everything. Halloween was coming up and everyone pulls pranks on each other. There was going to be a Halloween festival at the school auditorium and there was going to be a pageant and Scout was going to be in it. She told us that she was playing a ham.
Halloween came along and it turned out that Atticus couldn’t go to Scouts performance. Neither could Aunt Alexandra. I felt sorry for Scout but I didn’t want to go either. I didn’t want my friends to see me with Scout, plus I was too old for Halloween anyways. Just so Atticus and Aunt Alexandra could see Scout perform, Scout preformed her part right in the living room. Atticus made me go with Scout to the Halloween Festival. I didn’t want to at all, but I did it for Scout.
On our way to the school Scout tripped on a tree root and I accidentally dropped her costume trying to help her up. Cecil Jacobs scared us on our way to the school and he said that he would show Scout where to put her costume and they would go off and have fun at the festival. I thought that was a great idea because then Scout would be with Cecil and I was able to hang out with my friends. The pageant began and Scout missed her cue and “supposedly” ruined the pageant. I felt sorry for her because she embarrassed herself so I consented to wait with her backstage until the audience left. When almost everyone was gone we began to leave. We were walking back to the house when Scout told me that she left her shoes backstage. That was an inconvenience I heard something unusual and out of the ordinary. I told Scout to stop walking for a moment and she looked at me with an odd face. I turned around and I couldn’t see anything. I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me but then I heard it again, and if sounded like footsteps. I told Scout to stop walking again and she looked at me like I was doing an assessment or something. But every time we stopped the footsteps stopped. We thought it was Cecil Jacobs again but it wasn’t. It was crazy and I was starting to get scared then suddenly the footsteps weren’t walking anymore, they were running. “Scout, run!” I shouted and she fell down again and I helped her up something attacked me and started to hit me. I started punching any surface I could find and the thing hit me. I got furious and started hitting even harder. I discovered that that thing was a person and he or she grabbed my arm and snapped it. I yelled so loud and I couldn’t do anything else and the person hit my head and next thing I knew was that I was unconscious…

Post 6 - Chapters 16-19 - Mayella Ewell

Journal #6
Chapters 16-19
Perspective: Mayella Ewell

I was standing outside the local court in Maycomb waiting to go inside for the case to start. I was so nervous that I was sweating… or maybe it was the heat. I was tapping my foot just waiting for time to pass by. It was my court case today. Papa and I accused Tom Robinson of raping me. I know it’s not true but we didn’t know how else to hide the truth. Papa and I had an acquiescence that we won’t tell the truth and make up a story that is similar to the real one but can make Tom look guilty. We rehearsed over and over again and got our story straight. I was ready for the case but it seemed like the time just went my slower and slower every second.
Finally it was about time that they let us inside. It was 90 something degrees out there. I went inside and I sat in the first row of seats where all of the witnesses were seated. I waited and waited until Judge Taylor came in and started the court session. The first witness called up was Mr. Heck Tate. He just explained how I looked when I was beat up and which eye was my black eye. I glanced over to the defendant’s seat where Tom Robinson was seated. I can still remember that day as if it was yesterday… it was the worst day of my life. I was completely oblivious that I had started daydreaming and by the time I woke up Mr. Heck Tate was walking off of the stands and papa was called to the stands.
Mr. Gilmer was asking him what he had seen that day and if he agrees with Mr. Heck Tate’s description of how I looked afterwards. But then Atticus started asking questions. He started asking if he went to go get a doctor. What kind of question was that? Like seriously? Then he asked a question that tricked my father and almost blew our cover. He asked my dad if he could write his name on a piece of paper… almost everyone was shocked. He didn’t even have a clue on why people are making a big deal. Then Mr. Taylor told him that he was left handed. And my black eye was my right eye… Right then and there I knew that I hated Atticus and I was afraid that he was going to trick me too.
“Mayella Violet Ewell!” called Mr. Gilmer. My heart was beating so hard that I could feel it through my chest. I walked up to the stands slowly and amiably and Mr. Gilmer started to ask me questions. He asked me things like “where were you that evening?” And “Can you explain in your own words what happened?” I answered the questions and I suddenly burst into tears. I started crying because I knew that Atticus was going to trick me too and mock me. Judge Taylor asked me what was wrong and I told him that I didn’t like how Atticus tricked my father with the writing trick and how I didn’t want him to do that to me too. He told me that I was a big girl and he told me to continue with my story. I told him that Tom was passing by my house and I asked him if he could chop up a chiffrobe and when I told him that I was going to give him a nickel he came up behind me choked me and took advantage of me. Then Mr. Finch started asking me the questions. He called me things like “Ms. Mayella and Ma’m” I didn’t like him. I could tell that he “wanted to be my friend” I just wanted him to be dispelled. He started to ask me things like “Has your father ever beaten you?” And “Do you love your father Ms. Mayella?” It got on my nerves! I thought he was mocking me I didn’t like it one bit. I started to cry again and I told him that my father has never touched one hair on my head. I was relieved that they called me off the stands but then next was Tom Robinson.
He told his side of the story about how he usually chops things up for me when I don’t want to do it and how that day I tried to kiss him… once he said this I froze. In my head I was screaming… I couldn’t believe that he actually told everyone that. I was so afraid because I knew that was the truth. I looked over to my dad and his face turned bright red. I could tell that it seemed like he was going to explode and it looked like the jury was believing Tom Robinson’s side of the story. I had no idea what to do.

Post 5 - Chapters 13-15 - Aunt Alexandra

Journal #5
Chapters 13-15
Perspective: Aunt Alexandra

Wow. Atticus asked me if I could live with them for a while to help Jean Louise. I couldn’t believe it, after all of these years he finally asks me to try to help Jean Louise become a proper young lady. That’s going to be a tough one. Jean Louise doesn’t even act like a girl! She gets into fights, she curses and she dresses in overalls! If she wants to be a young lady she has to talk properly, walk properly and most of all dress properly. She will have to be nice and clean everyday and not play dirty and I’m pretty sure that’ll never happen.
Atticus doesn’t raise his children correctly. If he did, Jean Louise and Jeremy wouldn’t be a disgrace to our family. Atticus should’ve married or hired a nanny after his wife had died so then Jean Louise could’ve been influenced to be more like a lady or at least a little girl. For Christmas Atticus got her an Air Riffle! What kind of present is that for a little girl? He should’ve got her a tea set or a nice dress or something. If he wants her to start acting like a lady he has to start treating her like a lady… not like a boy!
Sometimes when I had some company over at Atticus’s house I would see Jean Louise running in and out getting some water. I was able to see that others saw her too so I asked her to come and say hello. I regretted that so badly. Jean Louise was wearing overalls and she was covered in dirt and her hair didn’t even look like it was combed. She said hello and left and the others giggled at the sight of her.
I sort of liked living with Atticus and his family. It was different and I fit right into Maycomb. I made many good friends and I see them daily. But something disturbed me about living with Atticus and his family. They were too close with their maid. One day Jean Louise asked Atticus if she could go and visit Calpurnia. I was astonished, she actually wanted to go visit Calpurnia! I replied “You may not.” Jean Louise decided to talk back to me and she told me “I didn’t ask you!” If Atticus wants me to help get her more ladylike, she’s got to get rid of that attitude. That was no way you should speak to an adult… ever! And when she “apologized” I was able to tell that she didn’t mean it at all. I tried to talk Atticus into letting Calpurnia go for a while but he just wouldn’t give in. He said that Jeremy and Jean Louise were really attached to her and he didn’t know what he would do without her.
On that same night a kid named Charles Baker Harris (Jean Louise and Jeremy call him Dill) was found under Jean Louise’s bed and it turned out that he had ran away from home. He was such a filthy kid. When we first saw him he was all dirty and he was covered in dirt. He was also starving so Atticus gave him something to eat. Charles didn’t have any manners at all and he was just eating like a pig. He was Jean Louise and Jeremy’s friend so of course they didn’t care about how he ate because they ate the same way… it bothered me.
About a week later people came to the house and they wanted Atticus. I was able to tell that they were talking about the Tom Robinson case and I was able to see that Atticus was going to be in a big mess that he will soon regret… I told him not to be in that case… but he didn’t listen.

Post 4 - Chapters 10-12 - Calpurnia

Journal #4
Chapters 9-10
Perspective: Calpurnia

Mad Dog

Today Scout was talking to me about if I knew anything about her daddy and if he could do anything. I could tell by the look on Scouts face that she thinks her dad is lazy and just reads all the time. But he's not lazy, he's just getting old. Scout tells me that everyone else’s parents are around the same contemporaries, but he's not. I tried to tell her that her dad could do a lot of things, he just doesn’t choose to do them right now.
Scout and Jem went to go play with their air rifles while I was in the kitchen washing the dishes from this morning’s breakfast. Jem and Scout raced in the kitchen “Cal. Cal.” Jem said out of breath “can you come down the sidewalk a minute?” he asked. “What for, Jem? I can’t always come down the sidewalk every time you want me.” I replied “There’s something wrong with an old dog yonder.” He said. “Wow. I know that it’s sad to see a dog hurt but sometimes you can’t always help them, sometimes you just have to walk away.” I thought to myself. “I can’t wrap up any dog’s foot now. There’s some gauze in the bathroom, go get it and do it yourself.” I told Jem. “He's sick, Cal. Something’s wrong with him.” Jem said. “Is he trying to catch his tale ?” I laughed. Jem impersonated the dog as if it was twitching. Oh my gosh… was it a mad dog? I thought Jem was just playing around for a second. “Was he runnin’?” I asked “No, he’s moseyin’ along, so slow you can’t hardly tell it. He's comin’ this way.” He told me. I rinsed my hands and I followed him out into the yard. “I don’t see any dog.” I said. They were walking towards the Radley Place and I was just following. Was this some kind of joke? Jem pointed to something that looked a mile away it was inconspicuous. I saw it, the dog was walking really weird and lopsided and it looked like it was crazy. I just stood there and stared at the dog coming this way I was inaudible. It was a mad dog. I grabbed Jem and Scout and ran home. I locked the door behind us and I was breathing heavily. I ran to the telephone and dialed a number “ Gimmie Mr. Finch’s office!” I waited until they put me on the line. “Hello” I heard Atticus say “Mr. Finch! This is Cal. I swear to god there’s a mad dog the street a piece- he's comin’ this way” “Are you guys locked inside?” he asked “Yes sir… yessir…yes.” He cut me off and told me that he’s on his way. I hung up the phone. Scout was looking at me with concern but I had nothing to say. I dialed another number I was talking to Miss Eula May and told her not to connect me to Mr. Finch anymore and to call anyone on the street that has a phone and tell them that a mad dog is coming and that they were in peril. She was contradicting me because it was February. But I know a mad dog when I see one. The Radleys didn’t have a phone so I ran out side to the Radley’s house and knocked on their door and told them that a mad dog was coming they’re way. I saw a black ford pull into the driveway. Mr. Finch and Mr. Tate got out of the car.
Atticus told us to stay inside so I grabbed Scout and Jem and went inside and latched the door behind us. I was holding onto the hook incase if Mr. Finch or Mr. Tate wanted to come inside. I was scared that one of us was going to get hurt and my heart felt like it was going to explode. I kept Jem and Scout away and they were trying to look out the window. I saw Mr. Finch and Mr. Tate arguing outside and then Mr. Finch grabbed the shotgun and walked closer to Tim Johnson. He bent down, aimed and fired. Tim Robinson was dead. Mr. Finch sure looked like he had experience with a gun before. I found out that they used to call him “One Shot Finch.” Now, Scout knows something about her daddy.

Post 3 - Chapters 8-9 - Miss Maudie

Journal #3 by Ambar
Chapters 8-9
Perspective: Miss Maudie

Lost

It was around 1o’clock in the morning and I woke up to the smell of smoke. “Uh” I grunted as I shifted to my side and closed my eyes to try to fall back asleep. I took a deep breath. I smelled even more smoke… it was unusual because the fire in the chimney would’ve gone out by now because it’s so cold outside. I slowly got up, put on my slippers and rope and walked into my living room. I was still half asleep and I saw a bright light get closer to me each time I took a step. It was a bright orange-red-yellow color. I tilted my head to the side to get a different view until I noticed what the bright light was. It was fire! It was spreading through my living room coming closer to me. I froze. I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there and the perplexity that I was feeling just stopped me and kept me from not doing anything. I finally snapped out of it and ran out of my front door “Help!” I screamed.
I looked around the adjacent houses and I saw some neighbors looking out of their windows, wondering why I was screaming. “Help! My house! Help!” I screamed. Finally some of my neighbors came outside to help me. “Miss Maudie, are you alright?” I heard numerous people ask. “Yes I’m fine just help my house!” I told them. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have the strength to get some of my furniture out of my house so I just stood there in front of my house watching it burn to flames. I felt so isolated from the world, everyone was inside my house trying to get some of my most prized possessions while I’m just standing here in front of my house hopelessly. I watched my house get eaten by flames, little by little until all I could see were flames. I could hear the roar of the flames and a big crash as my house collapsed into pieces on the floor.
I didn’t want to talk about all I just went through. I wasn’t acquainted about how the fire first started. All I know is that I woke up smelling smoke. Everybody was asking me if I was alright I didn’t pay attention to them and I just slowly walked towards my house step by step and tried to picture what used to be there. I lived in that house for many years, and it was kind of hard for me to try to believe that it’s all gone now. “Where would I stay?” I asked myself. As soon as I thought that Stephanie Crawford came up to me and asked if I would like to stay with her as if she read my mind. I told her that I would be delighted to stay with her and I thanked her for thinking of me. I was debating if I should’ve said no or yes but its too late now because I already told Ms. Stephanie that I would be delighted to stay with her. Oh well…
When we got to her house she gave me many blankets and set up her guest room for me and turned on her chimney. She told me that I went through a lot in the past couple of hours and that I should go to sleep. I agreed with her and I laid in the bed lightly closed my eyes, and drifted away into sleep.
The next morning I walked over to where the remains of my house laid and I went to see the damage. All of my azaleas were gone with the wind and burned to ashes. I looked around my backyard and saw that everything was gone. I realized that now I can build a smaller house just like I always wanted and I could have more room for my azaleas now. I began to get a feeling that everything was going to be just fine.

Post 2 - Chapters 4-7 - Jem

Journal #2 by Ambar
Chapters 4-7
Perspective: Jem

Summer

Today I was walking back home from school and I found Scout chewing gum. She told me that she just “found it”. I couldn’t believe that Scout would chew gum that she didn’t even know where it has been. Maybe someone could’ve poisoned it or did something else really bad to the gum. I swear, sometimes Scout doesn’t think about what she’s doing. She could’ve been killed! Ugh. I can’t believe she found the gum in one of the Radley trees… at least she didn’t die.
The next day Scout and I were walking past the Radley place and she pointed at the tree that she found her gum in. She told me that there was something in the Knot-hole and at first I didn’t believe her. As I looked up I saw a piece of tin foil and I actually saw it. She wasn’t playing around. “I see it, Scout! I see it-” I said. I looked around and I stood on my tippy toes to get the shiny tin foiled package. I put it in my pocket and we ran home. We went to sit on our front porch and we opened the package. “Whoa” I thought to myself. There were two polished coins inside and I picked one up and examined it. They were Indian Head coins. One of them was made in the nineteen hundreds, so they were really old coins. I thought it was amazing. Scout thought that it was someone’s hidin’ place. But I didn’t think so hardly anyone passes by the Radley Place, unless it was an adult. But Scout sure did make a good point, adults don’t have hiding places… but what would we do with them if hardly anyone passed by? Who would we give them too? Oh well…
Two days later Dill came. I was so happy that Dill came back to Maycomb. Finally, someone I could hang out with other that Scout. We were outside wonderin’ what we could play and Dill said that “he could smell death” he said that an old lady taught him how. Yea right. I swear sometimes he tries to show off to often. I started to tell Dill about hot steams and Scout interrupted me and told Dill not to listen to me.
Scout wanted to roll in the tire. I didn’t wanna play because I’m too big for it. Scout wanted to go first. I was still a little annoyed that Scout interrupted me while I was talking so I was going to push the tire with all of my strength. I teetered from side to side while I was trying to push Scout down the sidewalk with all of my strength. While Scout was rolling on the side walk I noticed that she was about to crash. “Scout!” I yelled as she crashed. I didn’t move. It took me a while to realize what Scout crashed into… The Radley House. “Scout, get away from there, come on!” I yelled. Scout didn’t move, she was just lying there on the ground wondering where she was. She finally got up and she ran back and left the tire behind. “Why didn’t you bring it?” I asked. “Why don’t you get it?” Scout screamed. I got mad and I ran in the yard and retrieved the tire. “See there? Nothin’ to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it’s mortifyin’.” I said.
Calpurnia came out of our front door and yelled “Lemonade time!” we walked back to the house and got lemonade. I finished my second glass and I knew it! I knew what game we could play! “I know what we’re going to play” I said “what?” asked Dill. “Boo Radley” Scout acted like the game was malignant and it seemed like she didn’t wanna play. It seemed like she didn’t wanna be a wimp so she decided to play. This game turned out to be our daily game so our game progressed each time we played. One time when we were about to play Boo’s big scene, I got scissors from Calpurnia’s sewing machine drawer and Atticus caught us outside and asked us what we were doing. I hoped that Dill and Scout could catch on to my evasion and keep quiet.
Dill and I later grew tired of Scout because she never wanted to do anything anymore. So we would just spend time in the tree house wondering what Boo Radley might have been doing and if all of those rumors about him were true. I felt sorry for Scout because she was always alone but she never wants to do anything anymore! Oh well… its her loss.
One morning Dill and I came up with a great idea. We were going to give an note to Boo Radley. We were really excited and we hoped that he would answer. We told Scout to be lookout while we were trying to put the note on a bamboo pole and send it to the Radley place. I tried to get it off the pole but it was stuck. Atticus caught us once again and he told us to stop tormenting Boo Radley… whatever that means.
When it was Dills last night in town we asked if we could go to Ms. Rachel’s fish pool. Dill and I wanted to go to the Radley Place and try to peek into the house to see if we could see Boo Radley. We snuck in through the back gate. I was terrified, I felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest. We made it to the side of the house and I saw a shadow. I was so scared and I just wanted to run away, but I couldn’t act like a baby in front of Dill. Someone came out of the house and we heard a shotgun. We all ran to the gate and tried to climb under. While I was getting out my pants got stuck on the tip of the gate. I was so scared that I ran and left my pants behind. We all ran to where the neighbors were and it was unanimous that we were never going to do that ever again.

Post 1 - Chapters 1-3 - Miss Caroline

Journal #1 by Ambar
Chapters 1-3
Perspective: Ms. Caroline

First Day of School

I printed my name on the blackboard and took a deep breath. It was my first day of school. Well, not my actual first day of school, it’s my first day of teaching here in Maycomb. I had butterflies in my stomach. I kept telling myself “I’m just teaching first graders, they hardly know anything, so why should I be nervous?” Well they were just first graders, it couldn’t be that hard trying to teach them. This was really eccentric to me. I took another deep breath and turned around with a serious look on my face.
“This says I’m Miss Caroline Fisher. I am from North Alabama, Winston County.” I said aloud to the class. “Today we’re going to read a story about cats.” The book was about fantasy. Cats were taking to each other, and they wore clothes (something that cats would never do). The story amused the class, they knew that it was complete nonsense. They all knew that cats don’t wear clothes or talk. Can’t they imagine a little bit? I finished reading the story a couple minutes later. “Oh, my, wasn’t that nice?” I asked the class, they giggled some more. I walked over to the black board telling myself that the day would be over soon and not to worry about a thing. I printed the alphabet on the board and asked “Does anybody know what these are?” A little girl named Jean Louise raised her hand and I asked her to read the alphabet for me. The little girl knew every single letter and she knew how to pronounce every one right! I was astonished. I asked her if she could read me My First Reader and quotations from The Mobile Register aloud. She read every thing I asked her to read. I couldn’t believe it. This kid was smart. It’s the first day of first grade and she already knew how to read and write. First graders aren’t supposed to know anything. They’re supposed to hardly know a thing and I’m supposed to teach them things.
“Jean, tell your father to stop teaching you to read, that’s my job, not his.” I told her. Jean chuckled at the thought, it seemed like she cared about my pronouncement “Teach me? He hasn’t taught me anything, Miss Caroline. Atticus ain’t got no time to teach me anything, why, he’s so tired at night he just sits there and reads.” She told me. I didn’t believe her. “If he didn’t teach you, who did? Somebody did. You weren’t just born reading The Mobile Register.” I told her. She started telling me all of this nonsense about this guy named Jem and how he said that she was reading ever since she was born. I thought she was lying. “This is going to be a problem” I thought to myself. “Tell your father to stop teaching you how to read. Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now.” I told her. I could tell that what I just finished telling Jean irked her.
Later, I was walking around the class room watching the students work. When I walked past Jean, I saw her writing a letter. “She knows how to write too?” I thought to myself. I bent down to talk to her “Tell your father to stop teaching you Jean. Besides, we don’t write in the first grade, we print. You won’t learn to write until you’re in the third grade.” I took away her paper and walked away. I saw the look on her face after words and she looked at me as if I was malevolent or something worse. But I’ve had enough with Jean so far.
It was lunch time. “Everyone who goes home to lunch hold up your hands,” I looked around the classroom to see who was raising their hand. “Everybody who brings his lunch put it on top of his desk.” I walked over to Walter Cunningham’s desk and asked “Where’s yours?” The kid looked really sick, I felt bad. He didn’t answer “Did you forget it this morning?” I asked. Still no answer “Did you forget it this morning?” I asked again “Yeb’m” he replied. I walked over to my desk and opened my purse. “Here’s a Quarter, go and eat downtown today. You can pay me back tomorrow.” I said. “Nome thank you ma’am.” He replied. I was starting to loose it “Here Walter, come and get it.” He shook his head. Jean rose from her seat. “Ah- Miss Caroline?” she asked “What is it Jean Louise?” I asked. She started telling me that he’s a Cunningham and they don’t have that much money and they don’t accept any money that they know that they won’t be able to pay back. I felt embarrassed, it seemed like Jean was a smarty-pants and she knew everything. “Jean Louise, I’ve had about enough of you this morning,” I said impatiently “You’re starting off on the wrong foot in everyway, my dear. Hold out your hand.” She held out her hand like it was nothing and I whipped her hand. I didn’t feel indigenous at all here in Maycomb.
After lunch I screamed so loud. I was deathly afraid. I was just walking by and I saw something come out of a kid’s hair. The class said that it was just a cootie and to not be afraid. The kid’s name was Burris Ewell. He looked filthy. I couldn’t stand it. I told him to go home and wash his hair and not to come back until he was all clean. He told me that he was not going any where and he was only going to be there for one day. Another child told me their story on how they only have a father and Maycomb bends the rules for their family. After that, I couldn’t wait until the day ended.