TKAM notes on Chapters 4-5! This post is much shorter. Feel free to jump in! Chapter 4 This chapter explores the tension between imagination and reality for the children, particularly for Scout. The tree knothole holding the treasures is truly exciting and mysterious. Scout offers a pretty astute explanation for the knothole, suggesting that it’s someone’s hiding place. Although Jem discards her theory, it’s a solid, realistic proposition for a child, especially one prone to imagination. The “play” the children create about the Radleys also illustrates their penchant for the grandiose. Readers are quick to realize that the drama the children act out is hardly realistic; the Radley characters are caricatured beyond believability. And yet, these theatrics are not imagined, at least not by the children. They don’t recognize the story as incomplete, but they also dont entirely dream it up. One Man’s Family compiles neighborhood legends into one cohesive story. As Atticus and Miss Maudie observe, it is just as much an indictment of the neighborhood’s delight in gossip as it is a silly game the children play. Chapter 5 We meet Miss Maudie in this chapter, another wonderful mother figure to Scout and Jem. Other than Cal, Miss Maudie probably provides the strongest female influence in Scout’s life. She has robust opinions and a feisty personality, yet she tempers her strong will with kindness and gentleness. Miss Maudie strikes an impressive balance between being loving and strong, a character quality Scout needs to observe and adopt. Both Atticus and Miss Maudie are important sources of wisdom for Scout. Miss Maudie’s observation that “the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of… your father” is arresting and implies that even religious people can be destructive and blind. Throughout this story, Scout learns to observe and interpret the world around her. As she grows in her ability to perceive truth, Miss Maudie’s words are a reminder that people choose how to understand their surroundings, for better or worse. The children are tempted to see Boo Radley as a game. Atticus has to constantly remind them that Boo is a person with feelings and a right to some consideration. Again, this constant redefinition of Scout’s world is an important theme in the book. At this point, she is keenly aware that her environment is often more complex than it initially appears and that she is responsible for seeking out the fair and honest truth.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 22:57:09 +0000
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