TKAM Reflection Part 1

Today is the first check-in for TKAM Read-Along with RoofBeam Reader.  I was realizing today that this is my fourth time reading this book, but the first time reading it for fun.  In the past, I have read it for school and to teach so I am very familiar with the book but I am enjoying just reading it for fun this time. While I can't completely turn the teacher brain off, I can read it more lazily.  I am also reading with one that I have marked up already which is nice because then my teacher brain has something to look at.

So I'm thinking that I'm not going to summarize the book in my posts....if you're looking for a good summary Roofbeam has one and so does Leeswammes--so you can go there and read theirs.  I will mention this, the first part of the book that we read--chapters 1-11 really are the set up for the climax of the story (the trial). We are getting to know Scout, Jem, Dill, Atticus, Calpurnia, and the other members of the town like Miss Rachel, Stephanie, the Radleys, the Cunninghams, and the Ewells.

So instead of summarizing the book I will answer Roofbeam's questions, talk about what a teacher would maybe talk about in the story, and my other impressions on the book.

First things first, Scout as the narrator.  A lot of people actually think that because the story takes place when Scout is young that it is being told by a young girl.  However, we have great clues to the fact that this is actually a recollection of what happened.  For example, she says at the beginning: "When enough years have gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discuss the events leading to his accident."  So we clearly know that she is a lot older.  We also have other clues that she is an adult...I love phrases like "dietary affairs" or "monosyllabic". With that understanding, we also have to understand some bias in the story.  It is interesting to wonder how much the memories have been distorted.

Secondly, all of the characters are great but my favorite character is definitely Scout.  I think that's mostly because she is the narrator of the story.  I relate to her well I think and I love her vocabulary.  This is one of the things that my teacher brain gets all excited about. I have so many words circled in my book to go through with students that I teach it to.  Words like: condescended, domiciled, flivver, and taciturn.  My least favorite character is honestly Dill....I have never really gotten behind him...like ever--I miss the maturity that the other characters seem to have.

Finally, the other teacher part of my brain likes to show the foreshadowing throughout the story.  The fact that we meet the Ewells in the beginning, we know about Dill's broken arm before it even happens, and we get to know the town.  All of these components help us to understand what happens in the second half of the story.  Enjoy reading part 2!