10/31/1934
This Halloween, the town decided to hold a party and play at the school to prevent any mischief from the children. Aunt Alexandra and Atticus were too tired to go, so Jem took me. I was a ham in the play! I accidentally fell asleep and missed my cue to come in. After the play, Mrs. Merriweather told me I ruined her pageant. Me and Jem were one of the last ones to leave. As we were leaving the school, I realized I left my shoes behind the stage, but when I turned around, the lights were out. Jem told me I could get them tomorrow. As we walked home, Jem kept stoppin' and listenin'. He told me he heard somethin'. I thought it was Cecil Jacobs again, so I turned around and yelled to him. We kept walking until we got to the big oak tree. I heard it then: shoes scuffling. The stranger started running towards us, and Jem told me to run. I lost my balance though, and I fell. I felt metal crushing metal. Then, I felt Jem's hand, and he pulled toward the street. Suddenly, I felt Jem's hand leave mine. I heard him fall backwards. There was a crunching noise and Jem's screams. I ran toward him but was stopped by a fat, flabby stomach. Arms crushed the air out of my body until the person was flung to the ground. I heard scuffling noises and wheezing. There was silence. I called out to Jem, and when I looked for him, I saw a man carrying him toward our house and ran after him. When I got home, I found out that his arm had been broken, and we had been saved by Boo Radley. Mr. Ewell had been killed in the chaos. Atticus thought that Jem had killed Bob, but Heck Tate reassured Atticus that it was not Jem. Bob Ewell had "fallen on his knife". It was really Boo who had killed Mr. Ewell, but I understood why Mr. Tate had lied. After all, it would be a sin to kill a Mockingbird.
Me playing in the dirt in my front yard
Sunday, May 15, 2011
A Shot to the Grave
8/23/1934
During Aunt Alexandra's Missionary Society. Atticus unexpectedly walked in. It was strange because he usually stays out late when Aunt Alexandra has these meetings. Aunt Alexandra and I followed him into the kitchen where he asked Calpurnia to go with him to Helen Robinson's house. When Aunt Alexandra asked Atticus what was going on, he told us that Tom Robinson had been shot and killed. Apparently, he'd tried to escape prison, and he would have if not for his crippled arm; he was running that fast. He was shot seventeen times which was, in my opinion, too much. It was sad moment, but we knew we had to go back to the Missionary Society with our heads held high.
During Aunt Alexandra's Missionary Society. Atticus unexpectedly walked in. It was strange because he usually stays out late when Aunt Alexandra has these meetings. Aunt Alexandra and I followed him into the kitchen where he asked Calpurnia to go with him to Helen Robinson's house. When Aunt Alexandra asked Atticus what was going on, he told us that Tom Robinson had been shot and killed. Apparently, he'd tried to escape prison, and he would have if not for his crippled arm; he was running that fast. He was shot seventeen times which was, in my opinion, too much. It was sad moment, but we knew we had to go back to the Missionary Society with our heads held high.
Tom Robinson Trial
7/17/1934
Today was the day of Tom Robinson's trial. Jem, Dill, and me got to sit in the balcony with Reverend Sykes and the rest of the colored folk. The trial started with Heck Tate, and he gave his story of what happened on that night of the rape. Atticus began questioning Mr. Tate about what side Mayella was beaten up on. After that, Mr. Bob Ewell was called up to be questioned. Mr. Ewell said that he had seen Tom Robinson through the window; he says that when he ran inside, Tom ran out the front door. He claimed that he didn't chase Tom because he was too busy makin' a fuss over Mayella. Atticus asked Mr. Ewell if anyone had called for a doctor when all of this happened. Mr. Ewell said that they hadn't; he also agreed with Mr. Heck Tate's description of Mayella's injuries. Atticus made him write his name, and it turned out that Mr. Ewell writes with his left hand. Jem seemed really excited about this, but I couldn't understand what was so exciting. I think Jem has gone crazy. Mayella was called for questions after Mr. Ewell. She said that she invited Tom into the yard to chop up a chiffarobe. She claimed that when she went inside for Tom's nickle, he came up behind her and choked her and started to beat her. She thought that Atticus was making fun of her by being polite. I guess she isn't used to that sort of thing because her seven siblings and her father don't seem like nice people to be around. The last thing Mayella said is that if the courtroom didn't convict Tom, they were a bunch of cowards. Then, she stormed off the stand and refused to answer any more questions. The last person to be questioned was Tom Robinson. When he swore in, it was obvious to the courtroom that he had no control of his left hand. I don't know for sure if this was important or not, but it seemed like it was. Tom said that busting up the chiffarobe wasn't the only favor he had done for Mayella. He said that she had asked him to do several favors for her in the past. On that particular night, she hadn't asked him to chop up the chiffarobe; she asked him to fix a door that was off its hinges. Tom said that when he got inside, Mayella jumped on him and started kissin' and huggin' on him. Mr. Gilmer started to question Tom. When Tom innocently made the comment that he helped Mayella because he felt sorry for her, Mr. Gilmer started to talk to him in a mean tone of voice. Then Dill started to cry and I missed the rest of the questioning. When Dill and me walked back in, Atticus was in the middle of his closing speech. He talked a lot about innocence and justice. I hope the jury understood what the heck he was talking about because I sure didn't. After Atticus's speech, Calpurnia came in and told us we had to come home for dinner before we came back and found out the verdict. When we finally finished our dinner and got back to the courthouse, the jury was still out, so we waited...and waited...and waited. After hours, the jury came back into the courtroom. The jury said that Tom was guilty; Atticus left, and the whole balcony stood up in respect for him.
Today was the day of Tom Robinson's trial. Jem, Dill, and me got to sit in the balcony with Reverend Sykes and the rest of the colored folk. The trial started with Heck Tate, and he gave his story of what happened on that night of the rape. Atticus began questioning Mr. Tate about what side Mayella was beaten up on. After that, Mr. Bob Ewell was called up to be questioned. Mr. Ewell said that he had seen Tom Robinson through the window; he says that when he ran inside, Tom ran out the front door. He claimed that he didn't chase Tom because he was too busy makin' a fuss over Mayella. Atticus asked Mr. Ewell if anyone had called for a doctor when all of this happened. Mr. Ewell said that they hadn't; he also agreed with Mr. Heck Tate's description of Mayella's injuries. Atticus made him write his name, and it turned out that Mr. Ewell writes with his left hand. Jem seemed really excited about this, but I couldn't understand what was so exciting. I think Jem has gone crazy. Mayella was called for questions after Mr. Ewell. She said that she invited Tom into the yard to chop up a chiffarobe. She claimed that when she went inside for Tom's nickle, he came up behind her and choked her and started to beat her. She thought that Atticus was making fun of her by being polite. I guess she isn't used to that sort of thing because her seven siblings and her father don't seem like nice people to be around. The last thing Mayella said is that if the courtroom didn't convict Tom, they were a bunch of cowards. Then, she stormed off the stand and refused to answer any more questions. The last person to be questioned was Tom Robinson. When he swore in, it was obvious to the courtroom that he had no control of his left hand. I don't know for sure if this was important or not, but it seemed like it was. Tom said that busting up the chiffarobe wasn't the only favor he had done for Mayella. He said that she had asked him to do several favors for her in the past. On that particular night, she hadn't asked him to chop up the chiffarobe; she asked him to fix a door that was off its hinges. Tom said that when he got inside, Mayella jumped on him and started kissin' and huggin' on him. Mr. Gilmer started to question Tom. When Tom innocently made the comment that he helped Mayella because he felt sorry for her, Mr. Gilmer started to talk to him in a mean tone of voice. Then Dill started to cry and I missed the rest of the questioning. When Dill and me walked back in, Atticus was in the middle of his closing speech. He talked a lot about innocence and justice. I hope the jury understood what the heck he was talking about because I sure didn't. After Atticus's speech, Calpurnia came in and told us we had to come home for dinner before we came back and found out the verdict. When we finally finished our dinner and got back to the courthouse, the jury was still out, so we waited...and waited...and waited. After hours, the jury came back into the courtroom. The jury said that Tom was guilty; Atticus left, and the whole balcony stood up in respect for him.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Encounter at the Jailhouse
7/15/1934
This evening Mr. Heck Tate and a crowd of men came to our house to tell Atticus that Tom Robinson was being moved to the Maycomb County Jail, and he feared that there could be some trouble. Atticus thought that there wouldn't be any trouble at the jailhouse because of Maycomb's reputation. Later that night Atticus went into town; Jem, Dill, and I followed him and ended up at the Maycomb jail. Atticus was sittin' outside readin' his book by lamplight. Soon after our arrival four cars pulled up at the jailhouse, and men started getting out of them. They gathered around Atticus and asked him if Tom was inside the cell. Atticus said that he was and that they should keep their voices down because Tom was asleep. At first Atticus didn't seem worried because he knew that Mr. Heck Tate was around. However, when he found out that Mr. Tate was out on a snipe hunt he became worried. I ran to meet Atticus; Jem and Dill followed me. When Atticus saw us he told Jem to go home, but Jem refused to leave Atticus's side. I accidentally embarrassed Mr. Walter Cunningham by bringing up his entailment and by asking him about his son, Walter. I hadn't meant to embarrass him; I was just trying to talk to the only face I recognized in the crowd. After that, Mr. Cunningham cleared out the crowd and everyone went home. Soon after the crowd left, Jem, Atticus, Dill, and me headed home ourselves.
Colored Church
6/30/1934
One weekend Atticus was called to a state legislature session that lasted two weeks. He left us under the care of Calpurnia. She was worried about what to do about church for us because last time we were fatherless and teacherless the class tied Eunice Anne Simpson to a chair and locked her in the furnace room. She finally decided to just take us with her to her church but not without remembering to scrub us down first. When we got there everyone was staring at us. Lula was the only person who had a problem with us being there, but Calpurnia put her in her place. Cal's church was very different from ours. They only had one hymnal to sing from! But I really liked going with her anyway. She even said she might take me back one day; maybe even to visit her house!
Summer Romance
6/20/1934
Dill didn't come to Maycomb County this summer like he usually does. He wrote me a letter explaining that he was staying in Meridian with his new father, and they plan to build a fishing boat. He seems like a nice enough guy; he's a lawyer like Atticus, but much younger. He promised me that once he got enough money he would come and marry me. I have to say that I'm really going to miss him this summer. Summer just won't be the same without him. This is the most miserable I've ever felt.
Death by Baton
4/06/1934
Today Jem lost his temper. He destroyed every single camellia bush that Mrs. Dubose had in her front yard. The reason Jem was so angry was because Mrs. Dubose said our father was no better than the Negros and trash that he defended. He went absolutely mad. When he was finished destroying Mrs. Dubose's flowers, he yanked me by the hair and said he would do it again if he got the chance. I can't say I blame him because if I hadn't been under Atticus's instructions to not fight I probably would have done the exact same thing.
Today Jem lost his temper. He destroyed every single camellia bush that Mrs. Dubose had in her front yard. The reason Jem was so angry was because Mrs. Dubose said our father was no better than the Negros and trash that he defended. He went absolutely mad. When he was finished destroying Mrs. Dubose's flowers, he yanked me by the hair and said he would do it again if he got the chance. I can't say I blame him because if I hadn't been under Atticus's instructions to not fight I probably would have done the exact same thing.
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