Skip to main content

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Heck says killing the rabid dog is a one shot job and asks Atticus to do it. What does this tell us about Atticus?

Jem and Scout are shocked when Heck Tate hands his rifle to Atticus, asking him to shoot the dog. They are shocked, as perhaps the reader is, because they think of Atticus as "feeble," and even question his "abilities and manliness" (92). He is a wise and good man, but early in the book, we see him as more of a gentle and almost awkward figure who does not assume a particularly commanding figure in...

Jem and Scout are shocked when Heck Tate hands his rifle to Atticus, asking him to shoot the dog. They are shocked, as perhaps the reader is, because they think of Atticus as "feeble," and even question his "abilities and manliness" (92). He is a wise and good man, but early in the book, we see him as more of a gentle and almost awkward figure who does not assume a particularly commanding figure in his household. So when the children discover that Atticus is a deadly shot with a rifle (indeed, Miss Maudie tells them, he was once known as "One-Shot Finch") they are even more surprised. They have learned something new about their apparently old and feeble father: that he is not only the best shot in Maycomb County, but a decisive, courageous man who can stay cool under pressure. But, as Jem seems to understand as he tells Scout not to tell her schoolmates about the incident, Atticus is also a modest man. Atticus's performance in Tom Robinson's trial and, perhaps more importantly, the way he deals with the consequences of defending a black man charged with the rape of a white woman in the Jim Crow South, will only enhance their admiration for their father. 

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more