Chattahoochee River
Monday, February 1, 2016
Katie La Barbera's Section 3- To Kill A Mockingbird
Almost from the beginning of Dill's appearance in the Finch's life I took a disliking to him. He seemed to be a caricature of a person, rather than a representation of one. He was persistent in uncovering truths about the Radley house, and particularly interested in knowing the secrets of Boo Radley. He pushed the Finch's to do things against their own consciouses, while still maintaining their friendship, trust, and respect. I found him to be almost antagonistic in Scout's and Jem's lives, stirring up trouble every summer. However, I found that throughout Section 3 Dill has become more apparently human, with relatable emotion. Him escaping his foster home situation to ensure he could be with his longtime playmates was sweet and pulled at the heartstrings. It made me feel more sympathetic of his situation, despite his lying and grandiose storytelling. The true moment revealing Dill's strong moral character is his reaction while in the court hearing for Tom Robinson. The way Mr. Gilmer attacks Robinson in his cross-examination makes Dill sick to his stomach. He becomes visibly and audibly upset at the attack on Robison, so much that he and Scout have to leave the room for a bit. His subtle outrage and outright disgust at the treatment of Tom while being questioned gives the reader insight into Dill's great capacity for understanding humanity; and he has fully earned my respect as a sort of pulse on the moral reaction to the Maycomb trial proceedings.
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Katie, I agree with you about Dill's development as a character in Section 3, but I'd like to add that I personally disliked how he would team up with Jem earlier on in the book to exclude Scout.
ReplyDeleteIsabelle, I definitely thought that was also a problematic aspect of Dill's character. While he isn't a perfect kid, I still think he exhibits behavior in the Tom Robinson case that sort of redeems him as a person. He's a little kid and sometimes little kids do snotty things, but I think his actions show he has a good nature at heart.
ReplyDeleteKatie, I never saw Dill in the perspective that you do. However, your perspective on him opened my eyes to the theme of morality in the book as a whole. Perhaps Dill represents what the Finch kids want to me - unruly, extravagant, and free. His personality both helps and hinders the development of Scout and Jem.
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