Read the first half of the novel (approx. chapters 1-15). What is your reaction to it so far? Explain what you like and dislike about it. What confuses you? What interests you? What characters do you like and dislike? Why?
You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post.
Responses should be at least 200 words each.
Remember: you must respond to at least 5 questions per novel.
Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 5 questions.
The dialogue confuses me; I never know which character is speaking. Also, why Boo Radley left them pennies and gum in the tree, did he leave them there to show his love and care for them? Some of the things that interest me were trying to figure out why Boo Radley would not come out of his house. And why Boo Radley was so nice to them, it got me wondering if he was so nice to them since he did not have any kids and maybe wanted some. And to show that he wanted children he was very nice to Scout and Jem. I liked Scout, Dill, and Jem the most. Scout, because she seems very adventurous and like a brave young lady, yet not to prim and proper. Dill, because he just seemed like a fun kid to be around every summer. And Jem seems like an outgoing little boy. The characters I did not like were the mean little kids at school who were making fun of Jem and Scout since their father was defending a black person. I think that if you do not like something that someone is doing then you should keep quiet about it and don't make a huge fuss about it.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the novel so far is that I don’t really like it. I don’t really understand it so far, and it isn’t as interesting as I would like it to be. I like the setting of the book and the idea of the children trying to get Boo Radley to come out of his house. I like the fact that it is about a family’s life, and some of the struggles or hardships they go through. I dislike how sometimes in the book, the author almost assumes that you know what they are talking about. Quite a few times, the book would refer to something that had happened in the past, but not give any information about it. That really confused me. I am interested by the case that Atticus is working on and finding out what happened. He seems like a good man, and I don’t understand why everyone is giving the family a hard time about it. I like the character of Jean Louise, because even though she is young, she stands up for things she believes in, and tries not to ever give up. I also like the character of Atticus Finch, because he seems really wise, and always knows what to say. One more character that I like is Jem Finch, because he is always looking out for his little sister. A character that I dislike is Jem and Jean’s cousin, Francis. He is in the story very little, but he seems terrible. Francis was really rude and was trying to get Jean Louise in trouble the whole time she was there. Other than Francis, I only dislike the characters that were mean to the family about the case.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading the book, I realized quite quickly that I did not like the book. It did not immediately grab my attention since there were just so many intricate details so quickly. I was confused by the fact that the story was being told by a grown woman, through her eyes, and that she is one of the main characters in the book when she was a young child. I like that the book is set in a small town, and despite all the hardships around them,the Finch family is able to maintain a tight knit relationship with each other considering they are only being raised by their father. I dislike that there are so many intricate details and so many minor characters. I find it hard, at times, to keep track of everyone. So far, the character I like the most is Jean Louise (also referred to as Scout), the young girl at the center of the story. Scout is a feisty, tomboy, who cares deeply about her family and her close friends. I also like Atticus (Scout's father) since he is strong willed, wise and calm. He always knows how to explain things properly. Another fun character is Dill, since he adds a sense of adventure to the story. He encourages Scout to touch Boo Radley's house to try and lure Boo out of the house. I dislike Scout's teacher Miss Caroline since she insulted Scout by telling her that Atticus had not taught Scout how to read properly. I also did not like the children who were making fun of Jem and Scout because Atticus was defending Tom Robinson in court.
ReplyDeleteThis novel so far is kind of boring; nothing much has happened. Although, I think it is kind of cool how the book is written from a little girl's point of view. She describes everything the way she sees it. At first, I was kind of confused when a chapter ended with a cliff hanger, but the following chapter did not continue immediately with that same subject. It would tell you what had happend much later on, however.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I think is intersting is the Radley's house. I thought it was realistic when the kids sprinted past the Radley's because they were so scared. I also liked it when the kids found items in the tree hole that they think is from Boo Radley. I liked Jem Finch because he was adventurous and how he always got himself into some kind of trouble. I also like Atticus Finch because he defended Tom Robinson's case when everyone around was critisizing him for it. A character I didn't like was Fransis, who was Jean and Jem's cousin. He was so mean to Scout and her father. The other people I didn't like were the kids at school who made fun of Scout.
This book has caused me to react by thinking it is racist in nature. I feel sorry for Scout and Jem and their encounters every day that they face. I was surprised when Scout started cursing at such a young age and in the first grade. I dislike in the novel how the majority of white people are mean to Scout and Jem for what their father is doing. It is their father who is defending a Negro, yet the children are also included in the mistreatment by the town. However, I like how Jem and Scout don't react to their treatment by fighting back. They follow Atticus's advice and keep their heads up and move forward. The most confusing part of the book so far is the use of slang in print. If it were spoken, I'd probably understand what is being said easier, but to see it written out strangely is much more difficult. The book is interesting for me when Boo Radly is part of the story. He never comes out during the day, but creeps around at night. I also find the tree in the front interesting. It keeps me wondering about who put the stuff in it and how it got filled with cement. I like the characters of Jem, Scout and Dill because they are fun, adventurous, curious and even a bit nosey. However, I don't like the neighbors because they are old, creepy and somewhat racist.
ReplyDeleteDuring the first half of the novel, I really couldn’t keep up. At first, it was very boring because I felt like it was not worth reading. However, as the story went on, it became more and more interesting. What I like about it, is how it is told from Scout’s real life point of view and what actually happened to her as a child. The thing that I dislike is how much detail is put in every little thing. In most cases, I prefer it getting right to the point because it’s less reading. There were two things that really confused me: the way they talked and how some of the chapters would begin and/ or end in the middle of saying something. The way they talked in their country accents would always have me guessing what they meant. With some of the words, I didn’t realize what they were until the end of the book; so I tried thinking of all the places where it was said. When the chapters began and ended in random places, I found myself having to re-read several pages because I thought that I missed something. The time when I was most interested was when Jem lost his pants in Boo Radley’s yard. It kept me reading because I didn’t know if he was going to get caught or not; I wanted to see what happened next. My three favorite characters are Jem, Atticus, and Scout. I like Jem because he is a very brave and adventurous kid and Atticus because of his wise and kind character. The thing I liked about Scout was that she didn’t want to grow up and begin acting like a lady quite yet; she still wanted to be a kid. Also, I liked the way she stuck up for her dad. When the kids at school started talking smack about Atticus because he was defending a black man, she took care of it and wanted to make sure they would not say anything against him again.
ReplyDeleteFor the first half of this novel, I thought it was really good. I really like how chapter one was kind of like a biography about all the different characters and their relationships with one another. I like how Scout hangs out with all the boys and the boys accept her even though she's a girl. I was sad in the beginning when I read that Scout's mom died when Scout was only two. I could only imagine what that was like. I also like how Scout and her older brother Jem are very adventurous. They kept going back to the same knothole to find more items until Nathan Radley plugged it up with cement because "the tree was dying." Some things that I dislike are how mean and cruel Miss Caroline Fisher was to Scout. Just because she is well educated doesn't mean she should be a threat to the teacher. Miss Fisher should help her excel in what she is highly good at. At the same subject, I didn't like how Jem stood up for Miss Fisher and said that she was just trying out a new method of teaching when she was doing something unnecessary. I'm kind of confused if Boo Radley is really crazy or is just experiencing mental abuse from the past from his father. I feel he is the most interesting character in the book so far. I'm also confused about when he put that blanket over Scout's head. Was she in danger? I'm interested in how close their family is and how they stick up for each other most of the time, even though defending a black man then wasn't normal.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction so far: I am enjoying this book so far. It is a very pleasant read although it does get boring sometimes. I really like that Scout is the main character because she offers a new perspective on things.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like: I like that their neighbor hood is full of such interesting characters, it makes the book allot more fun to read. I also like Scout and Jem’s dad, Atticus, because he is very wise and he is a good father.
What I dislike: I really do not dislike much about this book. The only thing is that it could maybe be more exiting. I don’t really see a main storyline to this book yet.
What interests me: I am very intrigued by the Radley’s. They are very mysterious and weird. You never know what they are going to do next.
What confuses me: I am a little confused at why Jem thinks Scout is a boy. I think maybe she is so much of a tomboy that he just thinks of her as one. I was also confused when MR. Radley sewed up Jem’s pants after he had trespassed on his property, especially after shooting at him.
My reaction to the first half of the novel is that I am very confused with the plot. I started off this book knowing what the plot was going to be about but the first part of the book had nothing to do with it. I think the author wrote the first part to show what life was like for kids back then. Scout, Jem, and dill would just play games all day and spy on Boo Radley. Then they learned Atticus would defend Tom Robinson, a black man. I thought Scout was a boy at first, which really confused me. Half way through the book I found out she was a girl, which made me rethink everything that had happened. I like Atticus, Because of his cool temper and wisdom. I also like that he has racial equality. I really don't like Francis because he is a jerk to Scout and he annoys me.I like how the author shows what life was like before racial equality. I think it's weird for Scout to act like a boy. I also dislike that the beginning of the story starts off kind of boring. I like how Boo would hide things in the tree hole for them, even though he was bad. He might not be bad after all.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am somewhat enjoying this novel. It is a little longer of a book than I would like to read but it is still pretty good. The beginning of this book confused me a little when Scout went straight to talking about some random stuff like a broken arm. But other than that, this book has been really neat so far! I like how Scout is narrating, but it took me a while to figure this out! One thing that interests me is the town where the Finch Family is living, Maycomb, is suffering badly in the Great Depression. But the Finchs are getting by financially because Atticus Finch (the father) is a lawyer and brings in quite a bit of cash. I also am very amazed at the amount of racism showed in Maycomb! It is very crazy, but also sad. I wouldn’t want to be living in that time period, and have so much separation! I really like the characters Atticus, Scout, and Jem. I think they really come together as a great family, showing kindness and being helpful to each other. Atticus is good and strong after his wife passed away, good example to the kids. I think this is how all of our families should function.
ReplyDeleteI am conflicted on whether I am enjoying this or not. On one hand, the uniqueness of the story and vivid world it has described is impressive, as well it's bold racial conflict. On the other, the pace is slow, and I did find myself losing interest at some points. The Tom Robinson case is the most riveting feature of the story, but I had to wait until the halfway point in the book to start getting good developments in the case. Scout tells the story from a young and naive perspective, fortunately, the plot benefits from it. Jem's story of growing up is familiar, and he has great moments that display his growing changes and inner turmoil. Atticus never fails to give excellent advice to his children, but doesn't consider himself a great father. Nothing is confusing, as the style of writing is direct and clear.
ReplyDeleteThrough the first half of the novel, I was bored with it. It did not grab my attention and I was very confused. However, as I read more and more of it, I began to like this book a little. It became more interesting. One of the things I dislike is the racism that goes on in Maycomb County. I also didn't like how Miss Caroline told Scout that Atticus had not taught her to read correctly. I liked how Dill, Jem, and Scout tried to make Boo Radley come out of his house.
ReplyDeleteA lot of things confused me. At first, I didn't know who was telling the story. I thought it was a boy. But soon I figured out that it was Jean Louise Finch. Another thing I got confused by was the dialogue. Sometimes, I was unsure of who was talking. I was confused by the chapters. They would leave you with a cliffhanger at the end of each one, but then in the next chapter, it seemed to go off that subject. Something that interested me was Boo Radley staying in his house. I was always surprised how he put the gifts in the tree and when he put a blanket around Scout without her realizing it. My favorite characters are Scout and Atticus. I like Scout because she's funny at times, and she's brave for her age. I also like Atticus because of his wisdom. He seems to know what he's doing. I don't like Mr. Ewell because of the fact that he was lying in court, and he spit on Atticus after. To me, he shows very bad character.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to this book so far is that it doesn’t grab my attention enough and can get a little boring. The book is very interesting and even funny at times, but also hard to follow. I found myself losing interest a lot. I had to reread a lot of things because I did not understand it the first time. Once I was a few chapters in, I did start to enjoy it a little bit more. I do not like how detailed it is. Details are good because it helps us get a bitter picture of what is being said, but too many details can be hard to keep up with and at times can get confusing. I also don’t like the racism or the racial slurs that are said. I am confused about why Jem and Jean Louise were treated badly just because their father was defending a black man. I do realize, though, that this story took place a while back. Racism was more common back then than it is now. What interests me are the different personalities and living styles between back then and now. Characters that I like are Scout (Jean Louise), and Atticus. I like Scout because of the fire she has in her. For a little girl with no mother figure in her life, she is very feisty. I like Atticus because he is a good Christian man. He doesn’t let things said about him by other people take him down. He believes that every man or woman, no matter the color, has the right to be defended in court. I also like how he told his children not to get bothered by what other people said about him defending a black man.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the book so far is it is a confusing book at the beginning. I'm not sure what my reaction is to the book so far because I am confused in a lot of it and then I understand some if it. Some things I like about this book is that even though you might not understand everything in the book; it shows you what life was like back in the older times. I also liked how, even though Scout was a girl, she kept up with the boys and even beat some of them up at times. In the book, I didn't like how much rascism there was. I also don't like how the book is so confusing, but I eventually started to understand some of what was happening. In the book, I'm confused about why Atticus hid his talent of shooting because that finally gave the kids something to tell people about even though they didn't. I'm interested about how curious the kids are about the Radley house. I was surprised that none of them got hurt during all the times they visited there. A character I like is Jem beacuse he is kind of like the leader of all three of the kids(Jem, Dill, Scout). The characters that i dislike is the whole Ewell family. I don't like them because they lied about Tom Robinson.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the book so far is that I like it. I like how Atticus would have made Jem go read to Mrs. Dubose even if he had not torn up her flowers. He would have done this to make Jem learn what real courage is. I do not like how every summer Dill tries to get Boo Radley to come out. I also do not like how no one likes the Radley’s even though no one really knows them. What confuses me is why the gum, spelling bee medal, broken pocket watch and other items were left in the tree. Also, why Jem's pants were sewn up after they were ripped is confusing. It will be interesting to see what will happen with the Tom Robinson case. Atticus is likeable because he decided to be the lawyer for Tom Robinson even though every one thinks that he should not because he will not win. Aunt Alexandra is not likeable because she does not think that Jem and Scout have been raised well and she is rude to them. Aunt Alexandra also does not like Calpurnia and won’t let Scout go to Calpurnia’s house.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to this novel so far is it’s a little boring in the beginning and doesn’t really grab my attention. It kind of confuses me in places too, like when Boo wouldn’t come out of his house, but it’s also a very interesting story. I like how the farther into the book you read the better and more exiting and less boring it gets. I also like how the story is told by the perspective or view of scout at a young age while all this was going on and happening to her, it makes the book a little more interesting and real. I really like the character of Scout Finch because she’s really smart and she believes that everyone can be good if they try. I also really like Scout’s father Atticus Finch. I like him because he believes that both and all races should be equal and that everyone should not just believe someone because of the color of their skin or anything. I also like the character of Boo because he’s kind of confusing but also adds a little mystery to the book. I think that to kill a mockingbird was actually an overall pretty good book so far.
ReplyDelete