Book Talk discussion

My copy of TKAM has to go back to the library before the book club discussion with my nephew.
Since I have to transcribe my notes somehow, I figured I might as well do a Book Talk post, and maybe someone else will chime in with some interesting points or observations I can use when I finally do the book club!

Chapter 1

I've got lots of notes...so this might be painful. But let me start by saying, what a treat to read such a uniformly well written and interesting book. My notes start right on the first page, the second paragraph:
"When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out."

Good god, what a great paragraph. Not only is the entire book set up beautifully and simply, but we are immediately armed with a ton of knowledge that will aid and color the journey. Love love love.

And then the very next paragraph starts with Scout's trademark smart-assery, which I cannot get enough of:
"I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson."

Lordy, what a great way to start out.

I read the 50th anniversary edition, so the page numbers are from that version....
p.9 ¶ 3:
"In spite of our warnings and explanations it drew him as the moon draws water..."

I really loved how descriptive and emotional that phrase is, and wanted to point it out to my nephew. He has said that he doesn't read much for the language, just the story. So I wanted something really evocative and lovely to point to and talk about how much it adds to my experience of reading the book.

I also made a note for the fact that Scout and Jem call their dad "Atticus." And wanted to see how that struck my nephew. My brother and I called our parents by name from relatively young ages, but not as young as the Finch kids. Anyway, it is an interesting "bit," and I would like to hear how it strikes folks.

Chapter 2

Oh, and I really am smitten with Scout's experimentation with swearing:
"'If I didn't have to stay, I'd leave. Jem, that damn lady says Atticus's been teaching me to read and for him to stop it-'"p.20 ¶ 3

It just makes me happy, I don't even know why.

Chapter 3
Scout goes to school.

Scout beats up boys. God I love her. Is this wrong of me? It certainly must be, and yet it is true.
I cannot wait to hear what (if anything) my nephew thinks of this activity of hers.

p.30 at the bottom:
Little Chuck Little is a scary badass. His "right hand went to his pocket." What has he got in there? And then he tells the Ewell kid "I'd soon's kill you as look at you." Wow. And the Ewell kid takes it and leaves.

And then the teacher reads to them from Wind in the Willows. That is mostly significant to me because I just read the book myself. Was wondering if my nevvy knows of it.

p.32 midpage:
"I told Atticus I didn't feel very well and didn't think I'd go to school any more if it was all right with him."
She is just so charming.

Chapter 5

Scuppernong:



The scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine, a species of grape native to the southeastern United States.

p.47 about the neighbor Miss Maudie:
"Her speech was crisp for a Maycomb County inhabitant. She called us by all our names, and when she grinned she revealed two minute gold prongs clipped to her eye-teeth. When I admired them and hoped I would have some eventually, she said, "Look here." With a click of her tongue she thrust out her bridgework, a gesture of cordiality that cemented our friendship."
Tells us so much about Scout and Miss Maudie and both of them seem so charming. Plus, I was obsessed with retainers as a child, that beautiful silver bar across the front teeth...I couldn't wait to get one. Alas, my teeth were straight and I was not allowed to have one.

I flagged the first use of the term "colored folks" to see what my nephew made of it. I am pretty sure we will have many discussions of racism and race relations throughout the course of our book club. I thought we might start with language.

Chapter 6

p.57
The boys have a pissing contest. Flagged, to get the male perspective.

p.62
Jem asks Scout "Sleep, Little Three-eyes?"
So...wtf?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-Eye,_Two-Eyes,_and_Three-Eyes

Chapter 7

p.66
I marked the spot when Jem and Scout discuss what is up with the treasures they are finding in the knot-hole. Wondering if my nephew will know right away what is going on there.

And then I marked the end of the chapter - Jem has figured out what is happening, and he cries when the knot-hole is filled up because mean Mr. Nathan won't let his brother have any friends.

Chapter 8

I flagged the word "nigger." It's an important part of the racism discussion, as well as a major part of the banned books discussion.

p.77 Atticus gets the kids out of bed at 1am. That's such a terrifying thing. It was interesting how the kids knew right away that someone's house was on fire. I guess back in the days of real fires to warm your house everyone was extremely aware of the risk.

p.81
"I looked down and found myself clutching a brown woolen blanket I was wearing around my shoulders, squaw-fashion."
I initially flagged it because it is the first direct contact with Boo, and Scout doesn't realize it until Atticus tells her. Seemed like a fun thing to talk about. But then I also was noticing the "squaw-fashion" comment. I had never heard that expression before. Didn't know if it was a common expression, or Scout just describing something. The only reference to it I found in a quick search was TKAM...so maybe it is just a Scoutism.

p.83
I liked Miss Maudie's cake recipe that had "among other things, the recipe called for one large cup of sugar."

Chapter 9

p.89
Very sweet that Uncle jack carried around pictures of his cat, Rose Aylmer. http://www.etymonline.com/poems/roseaylmer.htm

p.90
"...at supper that evening when I asked him to pass the damn ham, please...."
self explanatory.

p.94
the whole incident with that awful Francis calling Atticus a 'nigger-lover.' What a hot mess of conflicting emotions. Great fodder for important conversation, I think. And tells us a lot about Scout's naivete.

Chapter 10

p.102
"Our father didn't do anything. He worked in an office, not in a drugstore. Atticus did not drive a dump-truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he didn't farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone."
He was a lawyer. Scout is awesome. Sometimes kids seem to have a more reasonable sense of priorities.

p.103
Atticus tells the children: "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
Well, that could start a two month discussion. I'll update if anything particularly interesting comes out of our discussion.

p.104
I just love that Atticus' ability to play a Jew's Harp makes Scout even more ashamed of him. Cracks me up.

Chapter 11

p.115
Is Jem possibly the best brother in all of fiction?
"The day after Jem's twelfth birthday his money was burning up his pockets, so we headed for town in the early afternoon. Jem thought he had enough to buy a miniature steam engine for himself and a twirling baton for me."

p.120
Atticus' discussion with Scout about why he has to work Tom Robinson's case. So many things in there, all worth talking about. Love this: "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

p.122
there is a description of Mrs. Dubose that is simply fan-fricking-tastic. Imagery includes a dirty pillowcase, a glacier, knobbiness and pinpoint pupils. Outstanding.

p.124
"'You aren't really a nigger-lover, then, are you?'
'I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody...'"
I guess it's about now that we'll have to start talking about some of the subtle and overt racism in the undertones of the book, as well as the subject matter and characterizations. My over-all view is...I'm not sure if Harper Lee is just being honest with the basic underlying racism of American culture...or trying to tell the story truly from the "ignorant" point of view of a child. Either way, there is an honesty to it, but there is also a lot of straight up racism. And sexism, too, while I'm at it. And frankly, I could see the entire story taking place in real life America next week. It's all so complex and disturbing...I'm hoping my nephew will have some encouraging young people attitudes that will cheer me up.

On a brighter note, I think this is lovely from p.128:
Atticus is speaking to his children -
"'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.'"

book so late, no time to think

Part Two

At the end of Chapter 13 is a fine example of the gross sexism in the book: "I know now what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work." Puke.

p.157
Jem is patronizing, and Scout finally loses it:
"You damn morphodite, I'll kill you!" And she launches herself at him. Nice.

Chapter 15 houses the whole scene in front of the jail when the mob comes to get Tom. It's all disturbing and weirdly handled. I don't know what to make of it.

p.195
nice description of the Ewell's yard (playhouse of an insane child etc).

p.197
courtroom behaviour

p208
Mayella thinks she's being made fun of being called 'Miss' and having friends

p.222
probably long term rape/incest

p.225
Tom helps cuz Mayella does all work
he feels sorry for her
Uncle Tom - racist

p.226
Dill starts crying - he gets Tom's position
p.227 "I don't care one speck, it aint right...

p.250
saving Mayella one extra beating

p.258
take up sewing? hell no

p.266
her voice soared..soft bovine sounds

p.276
sin to kill a cripple...like slaughter songbird

p.304
is Jem dead?

p.311
hey Boo

p.320
escorting down the street