02 December 2014

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Chapters 24 & 25 Reaction

- - - Explain why I said that Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters that you'll ever read in fiction.

- - - what changes have occurred in Scout and Jem? Explain.

38 comments:

  1. Scout and Jem have changed throughout the book but especially in chapter 25. Scout has become more of a girl and Jem is continuing to become more and more mature. An example is whenever Scout sees the bug she debates on squishing it but out of better judgement Jem says do not kill it because it has done no harm to you. Scout is also maturing because she is more into boys. She now notices Dill more and is starting to have a crush on him. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the evilest characters after reading chapter 24. She is one of the most racist people in the town. She continues to talk about how badly she feels for the young African American tribe who live in caves. Yet in a different moment she is discriminating against the Robinson's and how they should apologize for what they have done. The ironic thing is that Tom Robinson had done nothing so there would be nothing for him to apologize for.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters because she truly believes what she says is right and takes the time to influence others. She is so cruel because she is manipulating and tries to convince the other women in the circle of what she feels is right. She is even cruel in the sense that in Atticus' house, she has the guts to talk so bad about him, and in front of his own daughter and sister. She is just cruel in the sense that she intentionally says what she means and doesn't feel any remorse about it.

    Scout and Jem are really starting to mature in these later chapters. Scout for instance is beginning to like the idea of womenhood. She admires how the women interact with each other, especially when Aunt Alexandra thanks Miss Maudie with only body language. Scout grows in the way in how she realizes who she wants to be when she grows up. She wants to take on some of the "ladylike" qualities, but she also realizes the good characteristics that the boys have. Scout finally begins to observe things that she never seen before. Jem also shows ways of him maturing. He shows this in the same examples that Scout shows but he matures much sooner then she does. This happens because Jem is a little older then Scout and was already at the age of maturing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1.Mrs.Merriwether is an evil person in the way she talks. She contradicts herself when talking. She talks down on the black community like the are inferior to her and whites in general. But she also talks about how you should never miss an opportunity to witness for the Lord. She is evil because of how easily she talks down about blacks. It is just part of her to speak of Blacks this way because that is how she is. Mrs. Merriwether speaks so highly of herself for being so close to the lord and doing religious tings when she does the opposite of that when talking down about Blacks. She tells Sophy, her black worker, she is being a bad Christion when in reality she is. The bible says you are all on with Christ Jesus and we are all sons of God. But Mrs. Merriwether does not go along with those teachings in regards to the Black community.
    2. The changes that have occurred in Jem and Scout is that they are starting to loose childhood innocence. They have witnessed an event that can dramatically change how a child looks at the world. They are starting to become grown and Jem is starting to have his own set of morals with how people should be treated and the injustice of the culture.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Question 1: Mrs. Merriwether is an evil character not because she chose to be evil, but because the Maycomb culture shaped her that way. She clearly represents how outside pressures influence a person's thoughts. Mrs. Merriwether genuinely feels sorry for the African Americans because she has been raised believing that they are poor and sinful. This can be shown when Lee explains that "[Her eyes] always filled with tears when she considered the oppressed. Despite the fact that she cannot help believing these lies, Mrs. Merriwether is portrayed as an evil character. She is considered "evil" because she believes that the white residents of Maycomb are almost holy. This thought is important because it emphasizes the theme of the harm of judging and prejudice.
    Question 2: Important changes to Jem and Scout have and still are occurring in this point in the book. Ever since Jem lost his last bit of innocence in Chapter 21, he has had a meaner and more adult tone. His realization of the cruelty in the world hardened him and made him wiser. This can be seen when Jem tells Scout not to crush the roly-poly because it "didn't bother [Scout]". This comment can be derived from Jem's realization of the unfair treatment of the African Americans despite them not bothering anyone. It shows how Jem has matured and can now derive life lessons from everyday experiences. He has created his own morals to live by and will not go against them. Changes have also occurred in Scout. She still appears to be immature and innocent, but seems to become more influenced by the ladies of Maycomb. This only emphasizes how much Jem and Atticus's maturity and their morals shaped Scout. Scout is going against the theme by falling into Maycomb's culture until she reads Mr. Underwood's article. It appears then that Scout is reawakened to the cruelty of judging. It opens her eyes even greater to the hate and prejudice in the town.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters because she is extremely racist, and puts everyone down. She helps minority people outside of the town/country but refuses to help the blacks in her own community. She talks crap on the Black community of Maycomb but when her Sophy does is, she tells her Sophy that it isn't Christian-like and compares her to Jesus. She is a MAJOR hypocrite.
    2. Jem is maturing more and as Scout says, "getting more like a girl everyday..." although, Scout is showing signs of becoming ladylike. She sits and talks with the grown-ups and is respectful to them, but also plays with bugs in the next chapter. She is bouncing back and forth between child-like and maturing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mrs. Merriweather talks to Scout about the poor Mrunas. She tells Mr. Everett that her local church supports his cause fully. Then she turns around and acts the complete opposite of a Christian. Mrs. Merriweather does not treat Tom Robinson equally and calls him a "darky". She talks about "forgiving and forgetting" and then she treats her maid badly. Mrs. Merriweather uses Christianity to push Sophy around, while Mrs. Merriweather is not even acting as a Christian should. When she bad mouths Atticus at his house and eats his food, Mrs. Merriweather is anything but merry. She goes on to talk about hypocrites and how terrible they are. Mrs. Merriweather is a living, breathing hypocrite. She has no place to talk about hypocrisy. Mrs. Merriweather is evil due to her inconsiderate comments and her ignorance towards people's feelings.

    Scout is starting to become more like a lady. Aunt Alexandra is starting to impact Scout's mannerisms. However, Scout still has innocence surrounding her. Jem, on the other hand, is becoming more of an adult. He has no patience for Scout's childlike behaviors of swishing bugs. Ever since the trial, Jem lost much of his innocence. He looks at people differently now. Jem says there are multiple types of people and Scout still believes in one kind---folks. Jem saw how Mrs. Robinson reacted to her husband's death. His experiences are making him grow up faster.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Grace Merriweather is an evil character because of her actions in Chapter 24. While attending a social gathering held by Aunt Alexandra, she shows many despicable opinions. First off, Mrs. Merriweather proves herself to be a hypocrite. She talks about how bad she feels for the Mruna’s , and how they are suffering, but when it comes to the blacks suffering in her own town, she feels no sympathy. She goes on about how “there’s nothing more distracting than a sulky darky.” Mrs. Merriweather even says that she was about to fire her maid for not being happy. She then continues to talk about Atticus in his own home that she was invited into.
    There are many changes that have occurred in Scout and Jem. They are both progressively becoming more mature. At the end of Chapter 24, Jem shares his views on the people of Maycomb. He now notices how people views themselves compared to others. He questions Scout on the actions of people saying how if everyone is the same then why do they treat each other as if they’re different. Jem starts to discuss more adult topics with Atticus and is learning more about the world. Scout is starting to be around Aunt Alexandra more. She said she was curious about how she lived and she evened sat in when her guests were getting refreshments.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mrs. Merriweather is charismatic and judgemental, but not judicious. She is quick to twist the words of other and she very meticulously uses diction to manipulate anyone willing to listen to her, as many of the ladies in Maycomb are. However, her tendency to hide her dishonesty in her carefully chosen words which make up her emotion-heavy rants make her an untrustworthy coward, or, in your words, "evil." At the beginning of chapter 25, Jem prevents Scout from killing a bug. The bug was completely innocent, like a mockingbird, and to kill it would be a sin. Also, Jem shows empathy, which Atticus has been trying to teach him throughout the book. Jem is growing and maturing, but Scout is still childish and innocent.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters because she is a hypocrite. As a member of the Missionary Society, she laments the living conditions of certain African people but snidely criticizes the blacks in her own community. She is a pious old church member who attends one of Alexandra’s missionary teas and proceeds to humiliate Alexandra by going on and on about people who do things thinking they’re right when really they’re just stirring up trouble in relation to Atticus defending Tom Robinson in court. You said this because even though she laments for Africans in another country, she truly cares if affects herself, and then she shuns the African-Americans in Maycomb away.

    Jem has embraced the new phase into adulthood, while Scout pushes it away. Jem also shows Scout his chest hair as a mark of his emergence into manhood. Scout hasn't changed much, although she wore a pink dress to the missionary meeting, but had her tomboy sense by having trousers underneath it. Jem continues to talk about the complicated legal system to Atticus, and Miss Stephanie teases Scout about becoming a lawyer when she is older. There is also a difference of maturity between Scout and Jem, such as the roly-poly bug incident. Scout moves to crush the bug, but Jem, now sensitive to the vulnerability of those who are oppressed, urges her to leave the defenseless bug alone.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mrs. Merriwhether is an extremely hypocritical character in this story. She is critical of Atticus,even while she is in his own home. She also claims that she must forgive Tom Robinson's wife for the crime Tom was wrongly convicted of. This shows how racist she is since she puts the colored people into the same category, judging them all based on stereotypical views. Scout and Jem are learning more about Maycomb. They are opening their eyes to the racism and prejudices in the area. They first experience this when the trial is given an unfair outcome. Scout learns this the most as she is in the meeting with Aunt Alexandra. The women talk about how the negros are all the same and how Atticus should not have tried to defend Tom because it was a useless cause.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters because she says she is this wonderful woman who helps people living in the jungle with the church and makes herself seem like one of the kindest people you will ever meet. However, Mrs. Merriwether continues by saying how she has decided to forgive the "darkies" for what they have done and the danger they have caused the white people. Then she continues by saying how having a black person in her kitchen ruins her days. She claims to be this kind person that loves to help everyone, such as people halfway across the world that live in jungle, but doesn't help the black people living in the same town as her.

    Both Jem and Scout are very innocent at the beginning of the story, neither of them have been shown the dark side of the world. Jem has become very aware of how evil are now at this point in the story and doesn't agree with the way the black people are being treated and the way the white people are behaving. Scout, still too young to understand as much as Jem, has also started to come in contact with some of the evil people in the world. Scout has had a few disagreements with people, but Atticus has given her good advice which has changed Scout as well.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Her perception on faith (and witnessing) is completely wrong, leading to her appearance as a person who is hypocritical, bigoted, and undoubtedly ignorantly segregationist. The "Missionary Group" reveres the missionary that spends time with Africans and deem him a "Saint" but cannot even come to enough kindness to accept that Tom was, at the very least, probably innocent. In fact, they go as far as to say that they "forgive" Tom's wife, implying that associations with him are sinful. Merriwether is disgustingly pompous; her perception of nearly everyone else is lower compared to hers, and this is evident in Scouts narration when she put Merriwether as the most devout in Maycomb. Evil is when someone is against good, and this character is against good.

    Scout has grown increasingly apart from her brother's new "manly" ways. Jem grows chest/armpit hair as a sign of his adulthood, while Scout still wears pants under her dress as a sign of her immaturity. Scout does, however, have an increased understanding of the ways of her Aunt, and why she does things certain ways, if not to just disagree with her after making an analysis.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Miss Merriweather is the most evil because she is so hypocritical. She laments the living conditions of certain African Americans but critizes the blacks in her own community. Jem has become very mature and is taking on thr ways of his father. As we see in the part where he tells Scout not to kill the rolly Polly bug because it has not harmed her. Scout is becoming more of a adult by growing closer to Aunt Alexandra. She is wearing more dresses and is sitting in on her tea parties.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Mrs. Merriweather is one of the most evil characters that you will read in fiction because she is very harsh towards black people. She makes a statement about how she cares about the black people on a different continent, yet she does not even respect the black people living right around her. She openly degrades the black community in her area without even thinking that she is saying something wrong, and then she would say something about how she truly cares about the lives of the black people in Africa.

    Jem is beginning to care about all living organisms, not just humans. He stops Scout from killing a bug and makes her take it outside because he says the bug never did anything to harm her. Jem is becoming more sensitive as a result of the Tom Robinson trial. Scout is beginning to notice more things instead of being naïve. She noticed that the ladies at the missionary tea made odd gestures towards each other like some sort of code and she inferred that Jem is becoming more like a girl.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mrs. Merriwether is an evil character of fiction. Worse yet, she has no knowledge of her wrongdoings. Mrs. Merriwether speaks poorly upon the Robinson family, saying that Mrs. Robinson should apologize for "what they did". Even though Tom Robinson has never committed any crime, she still automatically assumes that he committed the heinous crime simply due to his color. To thrust the dagger deeper, she shows great sympathy towards impoverished people in other places, however she pays no attention to the outcasts and impoverished people of her own town: Maycomb. On top of that, in Atticus's house, engorging herself on his food, she openly scrutinizes him.
    Scout is finally coming to realize the racist and unfair world that she currently inhabits. She comes to the realization when speaking to the reader about a certain article of the death of Tom Robinson. As she processes the seemingly nonsensical meaning of the article, she pieces the puzzle together. She begins to realize the utterly slim chance that Atticus had of winning the case. As a result, her innocence begins to leave as she takes on another, rapidly maturing view of society and its major flaws. Another less significant change in Scout is her baby step towards her beginnings of a lady-like Scout. Even though she still acts like herself at times, Aunt Alexandra has finally penetrated Scout's thick skull. Jem seems to be going through what Scout says is "another phase". We don't see much of Jem through Chapters 24 and 25. However, we see his continuing maturing into a figure that closely resembles his father. We see this through Jem's scowling at Scout for hurting a mere bug. This, as said before, shows his maturing into a figure that resembles Atticus.

    ReplyDelete
  16. From our reading we see the Grace Merriwether although her charming name is one of the worst and meanest characters we have encountered in the book. When we encounter Mrs. Merriwether we learn she is one of the most racist people in Maycomb. She spends most of her time by talking about J Grimes Everett the white savior of a made up African tribe called the Mrunas. Also, she lets everyone know that she hates nothing more than a sulky darky. This statement shows she has no respect for the black community and the worst part is that she believes she is doing nothing wrong. This is due to the way she was brought up. Mrs. Merriwether's statements back up the fact the she is one of the most evil characters in fiction ever.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Throughout these two chapters we do see a change in both Jem and Scout. To start off scout obviously is growing up a little bit by attempting to become more lady like. She has a day where she has tea and goodies with all the ladies in the neighborhood. This shows some maturity of Scout. As for Jem mostly and Scout barley they are loosing their innocence quite fast and we begin to see how they are able to comprehend the racism in their own community and how corrupt it really is. Finally, Scout is beginning to see the real world around her with the death of Tom Robinson. Most of the changes between Jem and Scout have to deal with maturity and losing their innocence.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters in fiction because she is extremely racist towards blacks. She makes a harsh statement about how she cares about the black race that do not live around her, yet the ones around her she does not respect. When she is talking, she does not think that she is doing anything wrong because that is how she was raised. She cares about the black people who live in Africa, however, she you belittles the ones that are around her everyday.

    There has been some changes in the two characters, Scout and Jem, since the beginning of the book. Scout is beginning to act more feminine and more mature as she starts to pay attention more to her surroundings. She starts to understand how cruel and hateful the world can be to people who are not like the others. She also observed that the women at the missionary tea made odd gestures towards each other as if it were some type of secret language. Scout had to grow up fast and she has learned a lot of life lessons in the process to treat everyone with respect. Also, in the beginning of the novel, Jem changed because he believed that everyone was treated equally and were respected. He was childish at time and view everything in a child's point of view, however, he gained much wisdom. He eventually learned that not everyone is treated fairly when he saw Tom Robinson, who was innocent, convicted guilty. Jem begins to care about all of nature and not just humans. When Scout was attempting to kill a bug that was inside, Jem forced her to bring it outside because it did no harm to Scout. Also, in result of the Tom Robinson case, Jem has become more understanding and delicate towards everything surrounding him. Overall, both of them have learned not to be prejudiced like everyone else in there community. They both developed their own opinions on Atticus, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. They also learned not to be ashamed of having black friends such as Calpurnia. Both of them realize the world around them greatly after Tom Robinson died and they also realize how much racism is around them when Mrs. Merriwether is talking.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Mrs. Merriweather hypocrisy portrays her as an evil character. She always herself to show compassion to “the oppressed”, the Mruna’s in Africa, yet belittles the black citizens in Maycomb. Mrs. Merriweather suggest herself as a compassionate being, but her compassion only extends to those in her same social status or higher. Those who are below do not deserve compassion, nor is she capable of expressing any compassion to them. Mrs. Merriweather’s insistence that the blacks are to be forgiven for being black, instead of being the ones that complete the act of forgiving. In her mind, white people have done no wrong, it is the blacks that have done wrong just for being black. Mrs. Merriweather also idolizes J. Grimes Everett for his acts. But views Atticus as “misguided” for defending a black man. Atticus’s actions, to her, are unneeded and are only providing false hope.

    Jem and Scout’s maturity, thoughts, and view are beginning to grow and expand. After the trial, Jem disillusionment upon viewing that justice does not always triumph, leaves him vulnerable and perplexed at a turning point in his life. Yet, he is able to gain a positive from the experience. When Scout attempts to kill a roly-poly, Jem stops her. Since the trial, Jem believes unless a wrong-doing was committed, the accused is harmless. Jem strives to protect those who are harmless and fragile. Scout begins to transition between her tomboyish childhood to an elegant lady. At the missionary circle, Scout wear a dress, but still wear her overalls underneath. She starts to view being a lady as a valued and worthwhile role. After learning of Tom’s death, Scout is able to walk calmly back into the dining room. In the past, when Scout was provoked, she would express her emotions physically. Scout’s ability to conceal her emotions and not let them possess her shows her understanding of being a woman and having around a woman figure.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Mrs. Merriweather is one of the most evil characters in fiction for many reasons. She chooses to "pick on" those who she knows can not and will not fight back. Mrs. Merriweather casts her judgements with self righteousness because she is a christian and it is her duty to do so. She manages to judge Atticus while eating his food in his home. Mrs. Merriweather is an evil character because she says things the reader did not think possible. She believes Mrs. Robinson should just move on with her life and become a christian. Her poor Sophy is only employed because they are in a depression. Mrs. Merriweather believes Atticus should stop doing what he thinks is right because it is wrong. She is an awful human being because she justifies her actions with her religion. Mrs. Merriweather sees no wrong in her actions and believes she is doing good for the town. Her lack of understanding and perception to the world is what makes her truly evil.
    Throughout the entire novel Jem and Scout have been through some major changes, especially Jem. The reader has seen Jem grow and mature into a man with similar values to Atticus. He barely wishes to kill bugs because he knows they are innocent. His values stem from Atticus and the trial he recently witnessed. Jem now knows to never hurt or kill an innocent living thing. The reader has been able to see Jem gain understanding as to how the world works. He has lost innocence with this knowledge, though. Jem has become a young man within the novel. His character evolves from a child to a near adult during the novel. Scout has, also, gone through changes. She gains some maturity within chapters 24 and 25. The reader sees her want to become a lady and her try to be polite as possible. This is very different from the original Jean Louise. Scout would speak whatever came to mind whenever. Now she puts some thought in and chooses her words more carefully. At the beginning of the novel, Scout wanted nothing to do with being a lady. Now she hopes to become one in the future. The reader sees her gain knowledge and a better understanding. During chapter 25, Scout comes to a conclusion about the Robinson trial she had been missing. She comes to this conclusion on her own. Although this conclusion is very late, it still shows she has gained understanding skills. Prior chapter 25 Scout would just take everything as it was or ask Jem. Now she is able to come to more conclusions on her own about confusing topics and why things happen. Both Jem and Scout have matured and grown in character within the entire novel.

    ReplyDelete
  21. She is evil because it's as if she doesn't realize what she is saying is wrong, so she continues to say worse things. She is so oblivious to the fact that she is racist and how awful it sounds to want to put a random tribe somewhere's welfare before the blacks in her community. She is this way because she was born this way, and that is what makes this especially evil. Mrs. Merriwether has had these ideas for years and is so confident in them that she thinks they are right.

    Scout and Jem have lost much of their innocence due to the racist trial. Tom's death didn't even impact them as much as it did Ms. Maudie or Aunt Alexandria. Situations like these are beginning to become expected and the children and beginning to become numb.

    ReplyDelete
  22. In these two chapters mrs merriwether was explaining how they needed to "forgive the blacks" and forget. But they haven't done anything wrong . She is evil because she is very racist and doesn't understand that it is wrong. However, this is explainable taking for example the culture. She probably grew up thinking that way because of her parents. However, she is still racist towards everyone.
    There are some changes that occur with scout and Jem. For example , they are both growing more mature as they age. They realize the racism in the world. Scout is starting to learn how to act like a lady because of what she observes and experiences during the little chat of the neighbor lady's at her house. Jem is maturing although he seems to be acting like a lady. But he is growing into an adult as he ages the next couple months.

    ReplyDelete
  23. You stated that Mrs.Merriwether is the most evil chacharactin fiction because she criticized Tom Robinson in the very house of Atticus Finch. The man who defended Tom. This is extremely disrespectful to thtoFinch's. Besides the fact that she is saying these racist remarks in the Finch's household, the things that she was saying were rude and racist towards blacks.

    In chapters 24 and 25, Jem begins to grow farther apart from Scout. We can see this in their room when Scout is picking at a bug on the ground. The fact that Jem didn't encourage her to kill the bug shows that he has grown out of Scout for the time being.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Mrs.Merriweather is the most evil character we ever meet because she takes the black community and crushes them along with anybody that defends them. She bad mouthed Tom Robinson's wife for not being Christian and even threaten to fire her maid because she didn't agree with the verdict. Not to mention she basically called Atticus trash in his own home. If you ain't like Mrs.Merriweather than you ain't for her.
    Scout is still herself in many while Jem is becoming more like Atticus. For example when Scout almost crushes the rolly pully bug Jem steps in and stops her. He siad that the reason was because the bug was harmless. Just like he stopped her beating up Walter, and anybody else. Jem is doing things for a reason now while Scout is still a child. She doesn't understand much about the world and is still has her innonence.

    ReplyDelete
  25. You said that Mrs. Merriweather is one of the most evil characters in fiction because she thinks so highly of herself that she cannot see anything wrong with her. She also thinks of herself as a good Christian, while bigotry is a sin. You say that she is one of the most evil people in fiction, because she may seem to be a good person, but hates others, and is full of evil.

    Through Chapters 24 and 25 we see changes in Jem and Scout. In Chapter 24, we begin to see Scout take on the role of a lady, she beings to obey house rules, and sympathizes with the ladies. This is a first for Scout, and is a sign that she is slightly maturing. Jem, we notice is going through puberty, and in Chapter 25, we see him begin to become more like Atticus. He is less aggressive, and more thoughtful to life. Something that Scout has not yet acquired.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Mrs Merriwrather is one of the most evil characters in the book because of her personality. She seems to be caring for all on the outside, but she contradicts herself and becomes a racist at heart. She seems so sad for the Mrunas but in reality she could not care less. She is just trying to get people to feel for her because she appears to be such a caring person.

    part 2-

    Jem has changed a lot. He has basically become an adult. He is more worrysome about the families issues and is more understanding of life. He has outgrown his childlike qualities and has formed into a new manly shell. He is now a man. Scout has changed very slightly. She is split between holding onto her childhood and growing into an adult. She understands the concept or ideas of certain things, but does not understand the reasoning behind them. They have both experienced changes but scout has changed very little and Jem has changed treamendously.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Mrs. Merriweather said some of the most evil things. She was being prejudice against blacks right infront of Calpurnia. She called them "blackys." She said that if we just forgive them maybe it would be okay.. But they did nothing to be forgiven of.

    Scout is growing up and becoming more of a lady but she still looks at things from a kids perspective. Jem is realizing how harsh people can be.

    ReplyDelete
  28. You say that Mrs. Merriweather is one of the most evil characters in fiction. The reason for this is that she acts like the black community is under her, and that she only pretends to like them out of pity. She uses the forgive and forget phrase when talking about the Robinson's. She also shows pity by saying the only reason she keeps her servant around is because she needs the money. Scout and Jem have changed. Scout has begun to act like a lady. In chapter 25, she is wearing a dress which is unlike her character so far. Scout also decides to engage in conversation with the neighborhood ladies for the first time. Jem also finally begins to question Tom's trial. We already knew he was upset, but in these chapters, Jem questions Atticus as to why the jury was made up the way it was.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mrs. Merriweather is one of the most evil characters readers might ever meet in fiction mainly because she is a hypocrite when she is concerned about the mruna tribe of Africa and excludes this concern to Maycomb's black community. Mrs. Merriweather's current ideas that she supports contradict which side she should be on in social issues. She supports missionary J. Grimes Everett one hundred percent , yet she calls out Atticus and any white people supporting blacks as hypocrites or misguided people's. In addition to her hyprocity, Mrs. Merriweather is rude to the Finch household who is hosting her in a respectful manner while she says people like Atticus are misguided. Mrs. Merriweather does not censor her opinions while in the Finch household ,so she is disrespectful to the Finches. It is also possible that she is purposely trying to hurt the Finches's feeling by this since she also mocks Scout to grow up to be a lawyer and never be a lady. She is also openly rude to Calpurina with her references to her maids, Sophie as "sulkly darky". Mrs. Merriweather is hyprocitical and cruel to be disrespectful to her host, and this makes her one of the most evil characters a reader might ever meet in fiction.


    As Scout and Jem mature, Jem embraces his maturity and more rapidly understands Atticus' lessons he gives, but Scout is resistant to become lady-like and needs more time to process Atticus' lessons in real life context. Both of the Finch children change progressively as Atticus teaches them morals to live by. For instance, they understood "boo Radley" better when they thought why he hides away. This follows Atticus advice to think from another person's perspective to understand them where as before their opinions were based on the town's prejudices of the Radleys. Yet Jem picked up his lesson in the Tom Robinson trial about not killing Mockingbirds, but Scout does not understand the injustice of the trial ,so she does not cry at the verdict. Additionally by part two of TKAM Jem embraces his manhood-pointing out his chest hair and reading sport magazines. While Jem quits taking part in Scout's games, Scout delays or resists growing up because she does not want obey Aunt Alexandra and is uncomfortable with her feminine side. So Scout begins to wear dresses occasionally, but wears her trousers underneath. In all Scout and Jem contrast in how they progress in maturity.

    ReplyDelete
  30. She said that she was perfect and that the food was terrible. She was bragging how she treated her kids and what everybody else was doing wrong in raising their kids. The changes in Jem and Scout are we can see that they are becoming older and starting to mature a little. We can see as readers that they are looking at situations much different than lets say at the beginning of the book. We can see them maturing through each chapter that we have read.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters I will ever read in fiction because of her ignorant and racist personality. She believes that Tom Robinson and the rest of the white community should apologize for doing absolutely nothing, and then she will grant them her forgiveness. Also, she makes the comment about blacks that it, "Just ruins your day to have one 'em in the kitchen". She says this while Calpurnia is in the room.

    Jem has become more and more mature throughout the novel. He has been more understanding of things, and is developing the morals of a young man. Scout, however still acts as a child and is oblivious to a lot of things that Jem understands. She is also fed up with Jem trying to act like an adult and his new character.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Mrs. Merriweather is one of the most evil characters one will meet in fiction because she is one of the only characters that truly represent who people really are in the world. Her name is Grace Merriweather and seems like a nice person when first introduced. She shows her true self when she talks about helping others in other countries but fails to see the need to help others in her own town. She does this unknowingly or knows it but doesn't want to face the truth. The hypocrisy she displays in her character truly represents the way all people act and is why she is the most evil character one will meet in fiction.

    Jem matures very quickly throughout the book and understands things more easily than Scout. Jem learns about bravery from Atticus facing a mad dog and when Scout confronts the mob at the jail. He learns of the true meaning of the trial of Tom Robinson and what is actually occurring. He takes the verdict to heart and is very disturbed by it which shows he learns that the discrimination is not the right thing to do. Scout also comes a long way from the beginning of the book. Through becoming more aware of the world around her, she learns to distinguish what is right and wrong. She learns this by witnessing what goes on in the trial of Tom Robinson. By putting herself into another's shoes she develops a clearer concept respect of other people and their feelings as well. She understands life better and acts more appropriate and adult/lady like as a result. She appeases her aunt by doing what she wants from her which overall makes her more adult/ladylike.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Mrs. Merriwether is one of the most evil characters you will read in fiction in many ways. She talks about the hypocrisy of Maycomb. She talks about helping people, but she would not treat them as a whole. I know this because of the way she treats the black community. She is very hypocritical and likes to take about the other women of other communities. She talks about blaming Robinson's wife and to forgive and forget. After the readings about her she is lead to be an evil women. Scout changed and becomes more lady like in these chapters. They ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and ask if she wants to be a lawyer. But she is so intrigued about women good ,she said says she just wants to be a lady. Although In a way Jem becomes softer and starts acting a little bit more of a girl than scout is. But later in these chapters Jem has hit a new level of maturity. After the trial he looks at living things in life at a whole new view.
    Sorry this blog is late I didn't see you put it up til later and I forgot to check.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Mrs. Merriwether is a hypocrite because she is part of the "Missionary Society" which supports the Mrunas, but does not do anything about the racism in her community. She doesn't care that the negroes are suffering.
    Jem is maturing and is turing into more of an adult. He watches over Scout more and understands more about the Tom Robinson issue. Jem can connect with Atticus more because he understands more. Scout wears a dress, so she is beginning to become more of a girl, but not completely. Scout also becomes closer with Aunt Alexandra so she is becoming more of an adult and is finally beginning to mature.

    ReplyDelete
  35. The reason behind why you said that Mrs.Merriwether is on of the most evil characters that you'll ever read in fiction is because of how she portrays her hypocrisy. When Mrs. Merriweather and the missionary circle discuss the Mrunas, she goes on and on about she deeply respects J. Grimes Everett for helping them. She says that no one else would ever go near a minority like he does, but then she states that there is nothing more distracting than a sulky darky. This is very hypocritical because she cannot see what kind of people the Mrunas are when in reality, they are the same as the black people in the south. Lastly, she calls a man that helps another race is "saintly" but then goes out and bad mouths another race.
    The changes that occur to Jem and Scout in these chapters are that they are finally reaching the adult world. Jem proudly shows Scout his first chest hairs and say that he will now join the football team. Scout wears her first dress to the missionary circle, but still has her tom boy clothes on underneath. Jem has shown maturity/emotions in these chapters by whenever Scout was about to smash the roly-poly bug. He tells her not to because it has done no harm to her and anything else.
    *I missed a day of school due to illness (Reasoning behind why its a day late)...*

    ReplyDelete
  36. I would like to preface my blog entry by saying I, along with most of the band members, where in California at the time of this blog.

    Mrs. Merriwether is the ignorant, despicable person in the novel. She is cynical and a hypocrite. She talks about the Mrunas and expresses her sympathy towards them. Although she does not respect her neighbors, she talks about how terrible the Mrunas must feel. Mrs. Merriwether regards Tom Robinson’s wife as if she is not even human because of the color of her skin. Mrs. Merriwether is a terrible person, but she does not know it. Should Mrs. Merriwether be judged on her opinions when they are what she was taught to believe? In a town and time of discrimination can she be held responsible? She should not be held accountable for her evil character because it was the way she was raised.
    Jem and Scout have aged several years since the beginning of the novel. They are different characters because of the events they witnessed throughout the novel. Jem has grown more mature and more understanding than the adults in Maycomb. He views the people of Maycomb equally and has a strong moral compass that has developed. Scout did not show growth as evidently but changed significantly. She is becoming more like the town and their traditions. She has tried to sway from the prejudice but is still to young to have her own morals. Scout has accepted part of being a southern lady and enjoyed the Sunday meeting. Jem and Scout have split in personality because Jem understood all the things they witnessed and changed his views on life.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Mrs. Merriwether is an evil character because of her strong prejudice. In Maycomb, she is known as the most religious, faithful woman, but many don't realize that being as religious as she is doesn't automatically make her a good person. She believes blacks shouldn't have been set free and it's somehow a sin, criticizing the northerners for setting them free. Her farmhands and maids aren't good enough for her, and she pays them $1.25 per week to ensure they're dependent on her. She believes that Tom Robinson raped Mayella, with her only evidence being her prejudice over the color of his skin. Grace Merriwether is already shown to be a bad character and can only get worse from here.

    Jem is maturing little by little as the book goes on, but Scout isn't much at all. The kids are growing apart because Scout is still young and innocent while Jem is gaining perspective on the world around him. They still care about each others' well being, but they can't connect as well as they used to because they're at different levels of intelligence.

    ReplyDelete
  38. (Absent on day of discussion)

    Mrs. Merriwether is the embodiment of deceit. Under the guise of being a devout Christian, she uses this as an excuse to chastise others and their way of life. Merriwether condemns the state of the Mrunas as sinful, even though they probably do not have enough money or resources to improve. She then criticizes Atticus for causing a "sulky, dissatisfied" tremor in the black community. Additionally, in Atticus' own home, right in front of his child and sister, she states that he does not know what is right. She proceeds to call northerners hypocrites for giving blacks freedoms yet still excluding them, even though she herself does not treat blacks as human beings with thoughts, emotions, and needs. Each of these behaviors goes against the very doctrine she imposes on others. Mrs. Merriwether exemplifies every fault she sees in others, complaining, judging, hypocritical and dissatisfied with everyone but herself. Every act of hers antagonizes; none helps the protagonist or has any drop of goodness in it.

    Scout has become a bit more open to the concept of becoming a lady. In chapter 24, she wears a dress while helping Calpurnia serve Aunt Alexandria's Missionary Society and shows interest in pleasing both her aunt and the ladies in the circle. Though still tomboyish, Scout has become a little more "ladylike." The child has also lost a bit of her hotheadedness, as she does not lash out at the women as they poke fun and criticize her, and even though Scout does not understand it, her father as well. Jem, a stark contrast from Scout, has lost almost all innocence in his perspective of the world, as now the adults have deemed him old enough to listen to maturer topics. Jem's empathy and wisdom has grown considerably, evidenced by his order to free the roly-poly rather than smash it as per Scout's impulse.

    ReplyDelete