Chattahoochee River
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
TKAM: Section 2 (Kaitlyn)
This section was eventful in a small amount of time. One of the most interesting parts for me to read was the incident of the mad dog. I had to reread it a couple of times to fully understand what was happening, as I didn't understand why it was such a big deal that the dog was "mad" but then later I realized they were referring to the dog's case of rabies. Even after I realized the dog had rabies, it didn't quite hit me why that was so traumatizing but due to the time period, modern medicine hadn't made that much progress yet. Another thing that stood out to me was how the author spent a chunk of time discussing how Scout and Jem thought their father was basically a failure and slower than other fathers because of his age and lack of energy. However, after the mad dog incident and some sly comments from Miss Maudie, they realize there is a lot more to their "One-Shot" wonder dad after all.
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While I was reading this section I had trouble distinguishing whether the mad dog was a dog with rabies or a human with rabies. I found that the personification of the dog's actions made it difficult to identity what it truly was. The fear that the town expressed led me to believe it was much more of a dangerous threat than a dog. However, like you, I realized that modern medicine had not mitigated the fear of mad dogs.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn, I love this scene. I think it is interesting, especially now as a parent, that Atticus has aspects of his past that for some reason he doesn't want his kids to know about. One of my favorite lines from this section is when Atticus tells Jem that he wanted him to spend time with Mrs. Dubose so he would see what real courage is and that real courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. Atticus knew that if his kids knew he was good with a gun, they would think he was as great as the other dads. Atticus is a very wise character, though, and he wants his children to learn from him more valuable lessons such as how to be a person of good character. Even though Mrs. Dubose had many faults, she believed in courage, which she demonstrated by dying not addicted to morphine. This is also the reason why she left Jem the camellia flower - even though he chopped it down, it grew back. What hate tried to destroy couldn't be destroyed because of courage.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Atticus is very wise, in ways that the kids don't fully understand. Rather than focus on what he can do, I've noticed he challenges himself and tells his kids to do the same. He tells Scout and Jem to hold back when they hear insults to their father, which he knows is a huge challenge for both of them because all they want to do is protect their father and his name.
DeleteI agree that after the two kids witnessed their father make the shot which ended the threat of the "mad" dog they held an entirely new perspective of him; but what I find more interesting is the fact that Atticus didn't tell them about his skill even when he knew he was slightly disappointing as a father for them. I believe this just shows how Atticus is different from the other people of the town of Maycomb; he is less concerned with how others perceive him and more concerned about how to make a positive difference. Do you think that Atticus allowed his kids to think he was "old" and less impressive than the other father's of Maycomb to teach the kids a lesson about "judging a book by its cover" or other reasons?
ReplyDeleteLike Mrs. Schulz said, I think Atticus has different lessons he wants to teach his children rather than "be the best at everything." He talks about his conscience at one point, and how conscience is not something anyone else can have an opinion on; it's merely about how you see yourself and how you can live with your own actions.
DeleteI like how the mad dog episode demonstrated the unity of the neighborhood. Through the entire book the Finch's have and will experience troubled times. I think there's something to say about te Finch's neighbors and Calournia because they're always there for each other. Atticus prot cited he neighborhood when mad dog was roaming the streets and I feel like the neighborhood is protecting the Finch's from the threats of "outsiders" that condemn Atticus for representing a black man. I feel like this might be important later in the book.
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