House Fire
Perspective: Miss Maudie
In the middle of the night I smelled smoke. It was probably that flue in the kitchen. This darn cold would have froze my plants if I didn’t keep them warm. The smoke got thicker. I knew I had to get out. Not long after, neighbors were all coming into my house. Such gentlemen trying to save my furniture. Atticus came running out with my heavy oak rocking chair. Meanwhile, Mr. Avery was pushing my mattress out of the window. The firemen were having difficulty with their their truck because of the cold. When they finally arrived, my house was consumed by the flames. It was charred black. My poor azaleas. The next day Jem Finch came over and said “we’re bring back your things.” I just smiled. The furniture didn’t matter to me. I always wanted a smaller house. Then there would be more room for my flowers to flourish.
Mrs. Dubose’s detox
Perspective: Mrs. Dubose
I was in the brass bed when the son of that n*gger lover came in. He brought his dirty little sister with him too. He was shaking more than I was. Those fools were just standing there gawking. It’s not like I’m dead yet. That clueless kid would have stood there forever if I didn’t yell at him to start his reading. He finally sat down in the cane-bottom chair and began to read Ivanhoe. I swear, that Jeremy must have been mute because I couldn’t hear a word he said. “Come closer” I snapped. That boy was pushing every nerve I had. He’d be skipping over words he didn’t know. How am i supposed to follow along if he’s skipping things. My mind was taken over with the pain. His words were nothing compared to the annoyance and agony of withdraw. I swayed my head from side to side trying to fight my body for wanting morphine. It finally got to a point where I just lie there anticipating the beep of the timer.
missionary circle
Perspective: Aunt Alexandria
The ladies complimented me on the charlotte. The little dewberry tarts went over well too. “I can never get my crust like this” someone vented. I simply couldn’t take credit for the food. Calpernia made it. I couldn’t help but grin ear to ear when Jean Louise came in. She was dressed all ladylike in a pink Sunday dress, shoes, and petticoat. I couldn’t be prouder of her manners. Mrs. Merriweather was unsettling. She was complaining about how her maid was sulky and alluding to how it was my brother’s fault. God bless Miss Maudie. She defended him against her vicious words. Atticus comes in after some more banter and tells the family that Tom is dead. I didn’t think that he would die like this. I knew that Atticus had plans for an appeal. I couldn’t let it get to me. Despite the news I kept my composure and rejoined the ladies. Jean Louise needs a role model.
Trial Verdict
Perspective: Reverend Sykes
This wasn’t my first trial. I know how the south works. A white word might as well be God’s word in the south. No matter how low The Ewells were, there was no way that a jury would take a black man’s word over theirs. The jury has been gone for over three hours. This was a record. Typically the jury wouldn’t take the time to debate an accused black’s innocence, which means someone may have found Tom innocent. I thanked God when Judge Taylor appointed Atticus to this case. If an inexperienced man were to defend Tom, this trial would be nothing but a formality. Giving Atticus the case was the only way Tom would make it out alive. The jury returned to court. It was silent as the judge received the papers with the verdicts. I hoped this trial would be different. Guilty,… guilty,... guilty,... guilty. His fate lay before him. Tom Robinson would be convicted and put to death. Until then he would contained. One more of our us had been shot. The room was cleared quickly in the white section. I could tell that Atticus was solemn and I respect all that he has done. I stood up along with everyone else. I look over and miss Jean Louise was sleeping. She needs to see how admirable her dad was. I tell her “Miss Jean Louise, stand up your father’s passing.”
Reflection
In To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus stresses the point of perspective. He tells the children multiple times to walk around in someone’s shoes or walk around in someone’s skin. Scout shows us that she understands this at the end of the book when she reflects on the events of her life from Boo Radley’s viewpoint. The point of this assignment was to get us to do the same. Understanding the way other people see things will give us a mature outlook. This allows us to empathize with others and avoid hate. If we take a moment to understand someone else’s mindset it can help us in everyday life. When working in groups you can workout misunderstandings and make it easier on everyone. On another level, it can help you avoid prejudice. An example in today's world would be politics. Many democrats and republicans are against each other. Labeling yourself as one or another can cause people to make assumptions about who you are as a person. By applying Atticus’s advice you can respecting each other.