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Occlith
Well-Known Member
Thanks, novella. SFG75, you finished reading TKAM ?
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Jem is shaken and disillusioned by the guilty verdict. After this mental trauma, he suffers physical trauma; his arm is broken in the attack resulting in his left arm being shorter than his right arm (as Scout said in the beginning of the story).
Tom’s left arm was crippled when he was a child; his left arm shorter than his right.
I would like to get people's impressions on the Jem / Tom connection. Other than foreshadowing, why would Lee write this?
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Jem is shaken and disillusioned by the guilty verdict. After this mental trauma, he suffers physical trauma; his arm is broken in the attack resulting in his left arm being shorter than his right arm (as Scout said in the beginning of the story).
Tom’s left arm was crippled when he was a child; his left arm shorter than his right.
I would like to get people's impressions on the Jem / Tom connection. Other than foreshadowing, why would Lee write this?
.
SFG75
Well-Known Member
Now wait a god damned minute.
Pay full attention to the red.
Now scroll up a few posts.
Now, as far as I know, Harper Lee has only published one novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, am I right? So...
Oooooooooh, nice one mc.
You know, I from time to time will get poets mixed up or even Scout's gender, but I don't get confused enough to post that I like some author's work, only to post later on that I hate it.
I'd love to hear the explanation for this.
Dayspring
New Member
Something about Boo
I just finish reading the book last week and it's just some details I want to discuss about.
Spoiler warning: the following message may spoil the book
Well, I don't think Boo killed Ewell. According to the arguement between Atticus and Mr. Tate, along with Scout's proof in the end of the book, it should be Jem who stabbed Ewell. "If this thing's hushed up it'll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've tried to raise him (...)"---said Atticus.
And doesn't Stoner's Boy (he is the character in the story book "The Gray Ghost" owned by Jem. Atticus read it for Scout) symbolize Boo--who should be innocent victim of rumor in the neighborhood. "Yeah, an' they all thought it was Stoner's Boy messin' up their clubhouse an' throwin' ink all over it an'..." "(...) Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice..."---said Scout.
I think Boo is a nice boy anyway...
I just finish reading the book last week and it's just some details I want to discuss about.
Spoiler warning: the following message may spoil the book
Well, I don't think Boo killed Ewell. According to the arguement between Atticus and Mr. Tate, along with Scout's proof in the end of the book, it should be Jem who stabbed Ewell. "If this thing's hushed up it'll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've tried to raise him (...)"---said Atticus.
And doesn't Stoner's Boy (he is the character in the story book "The Gray Ghost" owned by Jem. Atticus read it for Scout) symbolize Boo--who should be innocent victim of rumor in the neighborhood. "Yeah, an' they all thought it was Stoner's Boy messin' up their clubhouse an' throwin' ink all over it an'..." "(...) Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice..."---said Scout.
I think Boo is a nice boy anyway...
Occlith
Well-Known Member
Atticus at first thinks it is Jem who stabbed Ewell. Remember that Jem's arm is broken at the beginning of the attack and even with an unbroken arm he would not have been strong enough to fend off Ewell. The sheriff then says he will not drag Boo into this and states that Ewell fell on his own knife.Dayspring said:
Later, Atticus thanks Boo for saving Scout and Jem.
novella
Active Member
I just finish reading the book last week and it's just some details I want to discuss about.
Spoiler warning: the following message may spoil the book
Well, I don't think Boo killed Ewell. According to the arguement between Atticus and Mr. Tate, along with Scout's proof in the end of the book, it should be Jem who stabbed Ewell. "If this thing's hushed up it'll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've tried to raise him (...)"---said Atticus.
And doesn't Stoner's Boy (he is the character in the story book "The Gray Ghost" owned by Jem. Atticus read it for Scout) symbolize Boo--who should be innocent victim of rumor in the neighborhood. "Yeah, an' they all thought it was Stoner's Boy messin' up their clubhouse an' throwin' ink all over it an'..." "(...) Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice..."---said Scout.
I think Boo is a nice boy anyway...
But where did the knife come from? Boo brought it.
If you read the scene where the kids are attacked, the sequence is:
they hear someone following them
they start to run
the person runs up behind them
Scout gets pushed and crushed
Jem lands on her
they start to run again
Jem gets pulled away by someone
Scout hears Jem hit and ground and hears his arm break
she tries to attack the person
The person tries to suffocate her.
The person is pulled backwards by a fourth person
There is scuffling, coughing, and heavy breathing, then silence.
Then coughing
Then the coughing person (Boo) carries Jem away.
Given this sequence, I assume that Boo had a knife and stabbed Ewell, because Ewell clearly didn't have a knife, and neither did Scout or Jem. Besides, it was a kitchen knife. Then read Scout's account of what happened, which pretty much matches what's above.
I think both Atticus and Mr. Tate decide to protect Boo.
novella
Active Member
It's not ignorance. It's actually very confusing. Nothing is clearly spelled out. I bet a lot of people have the same impression you had.
Occlith
Well-Known Member
I thought Ewell had a knife. When Scout's costume is examined, didn't they see a section that was slashed through to the wire frame?
Perhaps, Boo also had his own knife that he grabbed from the kitchen?
helgi
New Member
Here's how women drive with an adverb fix: to badly go where no man has gone before.
StillILearn
New Member
You don't know how badly that's making me feel. 
thebookcrosser
New Member
ABSOLUTELY. I finally read it last year. I don't know why I let this one sit unread for long. It is one of the best books I have ever read. My reading copy was an old, tattered paperback. I have since purchased a new hardback for my permanent collection.
Lyrica
New Member
I had to read it in eighth grade and hated it. I could hardly get through a page. I had to get it on tape to get through it. When I finished it, it had not made an impact on me at all.
To be fair, though, maybe it was just because I was fairly young. Maybe I would like it if I read it again now. But the truth is that everyone else in my class liked it, but I just couldn't get into it and found it painfully boring. So, maybe it is just not the book for me.
To be fair, though, maybe it was just because I was fairly young. Maybe I would like it if I read it again now. But the truth is that everyone else in my class liked it, but I just couldn't get into it and found it painfully boring. So, maybe it is just not the book for me.
Gilgamesh
New Member
I read this book few years back. It is one of the most touching stories. Almost a classsic. It is a good thing that no teacher ever forced me to read this book. For all the books that were mandatorily read, i.e.: The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, and etcetra, I hated them all. I just could not stand reading what they told me I had to read. Although I enjoyed Shakespeare for some reason.
Then, to change the subject, recently, I re-read the Scarlet Letter. And I would have to say "Wow." The book was awesome. I mean, just reading the book without being compulsorily force-fed, sure makes a world of a difference. And that brings about a topic of all the students reviewing books in the internet after reading a book as an assignment and stating that they did not like the book and saying that it's "boring", is truly unjust. I would definitely have to suggest to them to read it in their own terms, then write a review, but, I truly doubt that anyone of that age would realize what I'm saying because I was there. I was the same - thinking I have matured. I hated assigned books just as they find them 'boring'. This sound as if I'm saying don't write a review when you have read a book for an assignment and you did not like the book. No. I just want to share what I have found out and tell the young folks to keep an open mind to the books you were introduced to in your school years. Some day, you might read it again and find a different opinion like I have.
The Great Gatsby is on my future reading list!
Then, to change the subject, recently, I re-read the Scarlet Letter. And I would have to say "Wow." The book was awesome. I mean, just reading the book without being compulsorily force-fed, sure makes a world of a difference. And that brings about a topic of all the students reviewing books in the internet after reading a book as an assignment and stating that they did not like the book and saying that it's "boring", is truly unjust. I would definitely have to suggest to them to read it in their own terms, then write a review, but, I truly doubt that anyone of that age would realize what I'm saying because I was there. I was the same - thinking I have matured. I hated assigned books just as they find them 'boring'. This sound as if I'm saying don't write a review when you have read a book for an assignment and you did not like the book. No. I just want to share what I have found out and tell the young folks to keep an open mind to the books you were introduced to in your school years. Some day, you might read it again and find a different opinion like I have.
The Great Gatsby is on my future reading list!