TKAM #3

Journal #3
Chapters 8 & 9
Perspective: Atticus


Maycomb has been getting some cold weather so far. Scout woke me up by shrieking, and nearly scared me to death. She was scared of the snow and thought the world was ending. Neither of us has seen snow. The phone rang in the other room and they said that the kids would not be going to school. Suddenly, Jem asked me how to make a snowman. Well, I have no idea. I told them that there might not be enough snow to be able to make a snowball even. Calpurnia came in telling the kids about the snow and they went outside. I was off to town, and my kids called saying they had a surprise for me. Later, I came home for dinner and I was surprised that they had brought the backyard to the front. I thought they done a jim-dandy job on their snowman! I didn't know how they were going to do it! Now I am not going to have to worry about what will become of Jem. He did too good of a job that I suggested we disguised this fellow! It looked like Mr. Avery. I told him he could not go around making caricatures out of our neighbors, and Jem took off into Miss Maudie's backyard and came back with Miss Maudie's sunhat and hedge-clippers. Miss Maudie called Jem to bring back her sunhat and Jem looked up at me. I assured him that she was just fussing about and was impressed with his accomplishments. I went up to her and we talked a little about the snowman and the kids. I came home that evening and asked Calpurnia if she wanted to stay for the night. I drove her home when she said no. When I tucked the kids in, I told them this was the coldest I remember. Minutes later, I had to wake up the kids because a fire started in Miss Maudie's house. I told the kids to stay in front of the Radley house. The fire was malignant. I went in and got Miss Maudie's oak rocking chair which was valuable to her. Mr. Avery fell out of his house, falling in a shrubbery. All the attention went up the street where we lived. Smoke was coming out of our house. When the fire was over, the kids came up to Miss Maudie and I told them to stop quibbling her. I shook my head, telling them she didn't want to talk. Plus she was staying in Stephanie Crawford's house. When we went inside, I asked if anyone wanted hot chocolate. While we sipped our drinks, I noticed a blanket wrapped around Scout. I told her that she was supposed to stay put. They looked confused. Jem said that Mr. Nathan was out and he confessed everything that has happened, and then said that Boo Radley put the blanket around her. I allowed them to keep the blanket.


Scout had a very interesting question for me one evening, when she said a kid told her something about me.
"Do you defend niggers?" Scout said.
I told her I did, and that she shouldn't say niggers. I told her not to listen to what other people said about me and that it was unanimous. I tried to explain to her the problem, but she was too young to understand. Then she asked why I am defending this guy if I shouldn't. I told her that I couldn't expect to win, but if I don't defend him I won't be respected. Christmas came and the kids were excited. My brother, Jack came to stay with us. I was rather upset when I heard Scout cussing in front of him because they are buddies. I think she picked up a habit. After dinner, Jack had a talk with Scout. I had told Jack to buy rifles for the kids, and the next morning they wanted to use it. I brought them to Finch's Landing where my sister still lives. While we were there, Scout and Francis tormented each other, and Jack got mad. At home, Jack spoke with her, then late at night, he spoke with me. We had a conversation about me being a lawyer, and the "nigger" I am defending. We also talked about the trouble we had today and that Scout told Jack he knew nothing about kids. I knew that Scout was eavesdropping. It was not an act of evasion, I wanted her to hear this. When I didn't say anymore, I sent her to bed.

Talk to you sometime,
Atticus