As you followed the action in the courtroom, which character did you empathize with most? Least? Explain.
I empathize with Atticus the most. Even though Tom Robinson may have had a big burden on his shoulders because of being convicted as a murderer, Atticus had to carry his burden too despite having nothing to do with the case at all. Atticus had to find a way to lure Mayella and Bob Ewell to make a mistake and tell the truth, something that was not easy to do. Alot of pressure was put on him and he had to face it calmly and think of a solution. What was more pressurizing then having an innocent life in your hands and only you can find a way out for that innocent life. Atticus was also at risk of danger and faced it bravely, all in the name of justice.
I emphathize the least with Bob Ewell because he is the mastermind behind everything. This evil character deserves nothing from anyone because of his cunning lies and his manipulative ways. I despise him because he does not dare to face his mistake and correct it and yet makes use of Tom's skin colour to make the jury and the judge turn against Tom.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Blog Prompt 6
Did the ending of the novel surprise you? If you were the author, would you have ended the story differently? Explain.
The ending of the novel did surprise me. I did not expect Arthur to come out and defend Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell's murderous intentions. I also did not expect Mayella Ewell to commit suicide. If I was the author, I would have placed more emphasis on the court case as that was actually the main gist of the story and that is where most values are learned. Other than that I thought that the story was very good, especially the reality of the story where Tom Robinson still died despite the truth being told. In reality the good guys may not always win and injustice is bound to happen. This can be related with the present situation many countries are in now, where crimes are committed everyday and not all criminals are caught.
The ending of the novel did surprise me. I did not expect Arthur to come out and defend Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell's murderous intentions. I also did not expect Mayella Ewell to commit suicide. If I was the author, I would have placed more emphasis on the court case as that was actually the main gist of the story and that is where most values are learned. Other than that I thought that the story was very good, especially the reality of the story where Tom Robinson still died despite the truth being told. In reality the good guys may not always win and injustice is bound to happen. This can be related with the present situation many countries are in now, where crimes are committed everyday and not all criminals are caught.
Blog Prompt 5
What do you think is involved in making a fair judgment about a person or situation? Explain.
I believe that a certain background of knowledge in the situation is very important in a fair judgment of someone or something. Without knowledge of the situation, it is very easy for our limited human view to affect our judgment and thoughts. For example, if there was a murder at a house, and someone went there but not at the time of the murder. Without knowing the fact the he/she did not go at the time of the murder, it is very easy for one to judge him/her just because he/she stepped into the crime scene.
Another thing that is very important on making a fair judgment on someone is to see the evidence. We cannot allow our own perceptions of the person affect us in any way of our judgment, or else it would be a biased one. We have to pose to judgment based on evidence and evidence alone. It would not be fair if you are the judge and the murderer was your good friend and you always had a good impression of him. Just because of this impression, it would affect your judgment and justice would not be carried out.
I believe that a certain background of knowledge in the situation is very important in a fair judgment of someone or something. Without knowledge of the situation, it is very easy for our limited human view to affect our judgment and thoughts. For example, if there was a murder at a house, and someone went there but not at the time of the murder. Without knowing the fact the he/she did not go at the time of the murder, it is very easy for one to judge him/her just because he/she stepped into the crime scene.
Another thing that is very important on making a fair judgment on someone is to see the evidence. We cannot allow our own perceptions of the person affect us in any way of our judgment, or else it would be a biased one. We have to pose to judgment based on evidence and evidence alone. It would not be fair if you are the judge and the murderer was your good friend and you always had a good impression of him. Just because of this impression, it would affect your judgment and justice would not be carried out.
Blog Prompt 4
What memories of your own childhood come to mind as you read Scout’s experiences?
As I read on Scout's experiences, I came to remember my own Primary school experiences where I was carefree and played soccer with my friends everyday. I had no tuition nor Co-Curriculum Activities (CCA) and everyday was fun. However, there was 1 contrasting difference between my experiences and Scout's experiences. Scout was rather resentful of school, but after school she would play and play for the whole day. She dreaded school and that was something I liked in my childhood. I looked forward to lessons at that time because everything was so easy at that point of time. This is a contrast feeling with Scout because her teacher was discouraging her to go ahead of her syllabus whereas I was encouraged to perform my best.
As I read on Scout's experiences, I came to remember my own Primary school experiences where I was carefree and played soccer with my friends everyday. I had no tuition nor Co-Curriculum Activities (CCA) and everyday was fun. However, there was 1 contrasting difference between my experiences and Scout's experiences. Scout was rather resentful of school, but after school she would play and play for the whole day. She dreaded school and that was something I liked in my childhood. I looked forward to lessons at that time because everything was so easy at that point of time. This is a contrast feeling with Scout because her teacher was discouraging her to go ahead of her syllabus whereas I was encouraged to perform my best.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Blog Prompt 3
Harper Lee’s novel is full of interesting and richly paint characters. Which character was your favourite and why?
Personally I liked Scout the most. At the start of the story, she is painted as an innocent girl and a girl whos yearns for her brother's acceptance, whether be it in games or daily activities. However, she has a contrasting personality whenever she goes to school. She seems rebellious and hates school, while at home she listens to her father and gives him the respect he deserves.
She also has alot of moral values, such as when Jem wanted to go into Arthur's yard to explore more in the middle of the night, she threatened him to tell her father which was the right thing to do. Even though this may be bad in certain cases, I respect her for this.
Personally I liked Scout the most. At the start of the story, she is painted as an innocent girl and a girl whos yearns for her brother's acceptance, whether be it in games or daily activities. However, she has a contrasting personality whenever she goes to school. She seems rebellious and hates school, while at home she listens to her father and gives him the respect he deserves.
She also has alot of moral values, such as when Jem wanted to go into Arthur's yard to explore more in the middle of the night, she threatened him to tell her father which was the right thing to do. Even though this may be bad in certain cases, I respect her for this.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Blog Prompt 2
Have you ever been part of a group of people that were unkind to one or more individuals? Describe the circumstances. What caused you to behave the way you did? How did you feel then? How do you feel about the circumstances / events in retrospect?
There was a time where my class was scolded by a teacher for not doing their homework and everyone was blaming one another for this incident. Then someone just decided to put the blame on this one poor guy. Everyone started following suit and even though everyone was to blame, everyone just started defaming and torturing this guy. I was just keeping quiet as I did not want anyone to start picking on me but also did not want to hurt him anymore. I sympathised with the guy but I did not have the courage in me to stand up for him. If only I had stopped the ruckus, I may have stopped his tears from falling. Now as I look back, I regret not standing up for the guy.
There was a time where my class was scolded by a teacher for not doing their homework and everyone was blaming one another for this incident. Then someone just decided to put the blame on this one poor guy. Everyone started following suit and even though everyone was to blame, everyone just started defaming and torturing this guy. I was just keeping quiet as I did not want anyone to start picking on me but also did not want to hurt him anymore. I sympathised with the guy but I did not have the courage in me to stand up for him. If only I had stopped the ruckus, I may have stopped his tears from falling. Now as I look back, I regret not standing up for the guy.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Blog Prompt
Okay so I really have not been doing my blog prompts but here is one on Mississippi Burning:
1. Did you like the movie? Why or why not?
2. Reflect on the phrase, 'Anyone is guilty who watches this and does nothing'. What have you done when you have seen people being discriminated against? What more can you do the next time you witness discrimination taking place?
1. Firstly I thought that the movie was quite nice, other than the fact that it was quite digusting, with the Ko Klux Klan killing and even castrating different people. Another thing that led to me sympathise with the Blacks was the fear that was crippling them when they had talked to the Whites. The fear that was present was as instinctive survival feeling. The movie not only portrays the feelings of the local blacks there, it also shows the quarrels between the FBI agents, making the conflict very realistic.
2. I feel that the phrase is true. For example, someone plays a gaming device during class. The whole class knows about it but keeps quiet. When the teacher finds out, he/she would punish the whole class for not telling her about the incident. A real life example would be a murder case. If you witness a murder, and do not try to stop it nor tell the truth about it, it would be as good as an accomplice. Hence, when I see people being discriminated, I would make it an effort to stop the people from discrimination the victim. I will show the people who are discriminating the victim the hurt and consequences that discrimination can bring, be it hatred, inferiority complex, suicidal thoughts, etc.
1. Did you like the movie? Why or why not?
2. Reflect on the phrase, 'Anyone is guilty who watches this and does nothing'. What have you done when you have seen people being discriminated against? What more can you do the next time you witness discrimination taking place?
1. Firstly I thought that the movie was quite nice, other than the fact that it was quite digusting, with the Ko Klux Klan killing and even castrating different people. Another thing that led to me sympathise with the Blacks was the fear that was crippling them when they had talked to the Whites. The fear that was present was as instinctive survival feeling. The movie not only portrays the feelings of the local blacks there, it also shows the quarrels between the FBI agents, making the conflict very realistic.
2. I feel that the phrase is true. For example, someone plays a gaming device during class. The whole class knows about it but keeps quiet. When the teacher finds out, he/she would punish the whole class for not telling her about the incident. A real life example would be a murder case. If you witness a murder, and do not try to stop it nor tell the truth about it, it would be as good as an accomplice. Hence, when I see people being discriminated, I would make it an effort to stop the people from discrimination the victim. I will show the people who are discriminating the victim the hurt and consequences that discrimination can bring, be it hatred, inferiority complex, suicidal thoughts, etc.
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