Narrative Essay

When I was fourteen my grandmother died of Alzheimer's disease. When I was a young child she was always there to play pass or spend time with me and my brothers, but as I got older and was able to play sports for my schools she was getting sicker. She loved all sports and watching me and my brothers play them. She would have loved to be able to see Rob's first touchdown, Steve's first home run, or my first goal. All these things she missed because her disease made her someone else. At first she was able to go on daily life, but after a few years she wasn't able to recognize someone without asking who we were first. Although she was stricken with this disease she was always positive and happy. She may have missed us growing up, and I may have missed her being there for me. But I learned from her that life is going to give you a curve ball, and the best thing you can do is wait on it and try and send it back to where it came. And if you miss it keep smiling because life doesn't have just one at bat.

Descriptive Essay

A high school diploma is nothing but a piece of paper with ink and writing, and yet this seemingly worthless piece of paper is the key to the doors of your future. This isn't just true for those going to college to expand their knowledge enough to receive another piece of paper that says you're a college grad. In this time period the path of dropping out of high school is no longer a viable one. Today's jobs require at a minimum a high school diploma. This was not always true, years ago there were few who finished high school and even fewer went to college. But now if you don't go to college your highly unlikely to achieve your dreams. Going to college is no longer for the rich, it's for anyone that doesn't want to flipping burgers their whole life. This tiny piece of paper that so many spend hours of time studying, writing, and going to class isn't just a piece of paper.

Final Reflection

The movie Mississippi Burning is based on the murder of three young men in the South. They were riding around the South trying to get the African-Americans in local towns to vote. These boys were from the North, two were white and one was black. These boys were in a small town in Mississippi when they were attacked by the KKK. The people who commit ed these crimes were not brought to justice during the time when it took place due to the racism in the south. This is related to my book because racism was a major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird along with innocent people dying because of their skin color. In the end the one's who murdered the boys from the North were convicted and brought to justice. Just like To kill a Mockingbird when Bob Ewell is stabbed with his own knife while attacking two innocent children.

My Reaction

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book written for everyone no matter race, religion, or financial state. This book shows the reader that people are the same with the same fears and ambitions. It tells the reader messages to be told to the young and the old. They express how we live with but don’t question these situations. They are the most important yet simple messages: be true to yourself, the truth is not always the easiest answer but is always the right one, life is filled with “evils” and the right thing won’t always be an option chosen. I believe that the author was able to not only get her message across but to open the eyes of the reader. The novel was able to help in showing me that even if you make mistakes your parents and the ones who care about you won’t let you down and will always be willing to help make you a better person.

Poems

In my poems I chose to relate all of them to the theme of racism and individualism. I chose to do this because the book I read, To Kill a Mockingbird, had both of these themes in it. For instance when Scout is constantly told to be more "lady like", she doesn't listen and continues acting as a kid having a good time. For the theme of racism when Tom Robinson is convicted even though is clear he's innocent, but because he's black he won't be proved innocent.

Bio Poem

Atticus…
Old, wise, caring, protective.
Father of Jem and Scout, Brother of Alexandra and Jack, Lawyer of Tom Robinson.
He loves reading, his children, and protecting those who are in need.
Happiness, loss, responsibility, and sadness.
His children being harmed, not being able to defend for his client, and the fear of letting his children down.
He made his children proud, stood up for what he believed in despite resistance, and showed his children to be themselves no matter what.
Racial equality, justice for the innocent.
Maycomb, Alabama
…Finch

Ballad

Small southern towns have their share of dark secrets,
On the outside peaceful living is all that can be seen,
Boo Radley shuts his door and his life to all in the town,
Atticus hides behind his smiling face and reputation,

Jean Louise should be wearing dresses and acting like a lady,
But Scout loves her life as a “tomboy”,
Aunt Alexandra wants Atticus to show her what it means to be a young lady,
But Atticus loves his little girl and her spunk,

Scout is introduced into the ranks of school,
Although she loves to read she is told to wait for the class to catch up,
With these reins on her,
School is the last place she wants to be,

Mockingbirds bring sweet music and smiles to its audience,
Killing a mockingbird is akin to shooting a close friend,
Boo Radley is the unheard and unseen mockingbird,
He lives to be alone but desires to help the wounded,

Tom Robinson is wrongly accused of a terrible deed,
This quiet small town is starting to show its secrets,
Innocent like the mockingbird,
He is hunted with no defense,

When the mockingbird is caged he will do anything to sing its song of freedom,
Tom tried to run and sing his song of innocence,
While he freed his cage,
The mockingbird is killed but the secrets live on.

Ode

The Dying Tree

Its knot mysterious,
Its contents desirable,
It fills with gifts for my taking,
First with chewing gum,
Its last with a watch,
My letter to my tree never delivered,
For when I decide to show my appreciation,
My mysterious knot is gone,
Cemented over to keep my tree alive,
My tree has been taken away,
Its gifts my only memories,
Its mystery never solved,
My desire never quenched,
My dying tree will always live inside me.

Free Poem

Man versus morals
Only a few know their secrets
Choosing the truth is seldom easy
Knowing the truth can be a burden
Individualism at any age is a struggle
Nothing is worth more than being you
Good is always supposed to conquer evil
But in life evil is seldom defeated
Indifference can be a death sentence
Right or wrong ignoring the truth can kill
Death of the mockingbird brings no joy

Found Poem
p. 100 paragraph 2

Boo Radley, mad dogs and other terrors have been survived. To stop at Miss Rachael’s was cowardly Jem concluded. The post office corner was where we must run each evening to meet Atticus; going by Mrs. Dubose each time Jem decreed. Countless times Jem could be found furious at her remarks.

When Jem and Scout get attacked by Mr. Ewell, it isn't their father or Mr. Tate that saves them. But it's Boo Radley, the person they were afraid of, interested by, and now saved by. As a reader you don't expect to see a theme based around a character you don't see until the end of the story. But because the book was written this way it makes the biggest impression, it shows that people don't need the attention or even to leave a house to be a good person. All it takes is the willingness to help someone in need.

In the case between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell the evidence was he said she said. There were no witness' to the rape and yet Tom Robinson will still be hanged for the crime. In the south it didn't matter whether you were guilty or innocent, if you were a black person and were charged for a crime with a white witness, you wouldn't be found innocent. This to me is a very sad and disappointing truth that because of your skin you were thought to be instantly guilty.

When Mr. Raymond offered Dill a sip of his drink Scout tried to stop him telling him it was whisky, but Dill took a sip and remarked that it wasn't whiskey but cola. Scout then asked why Mr. Raymond would let people think he was drinking alcohol, he replied that he knew that the people in Maycomb wouldn't understand him living with a colored woman unless he was a drinker. This showed us that it doesn't matter what other people think because as long as your happy you should do what ever you want

The way Scout feels about school is a universal feeling for most kids in school. All though the reason she dislikes school is very different. She doesn't like school because her teachers wouldn't allow her to read and write when she had the desire to. This is different because most kids dislike school for they make you read and write. This shows how society changes over the years we are too lazy to do those things while years ago they were excited to do them.

At Finch Landing Scout is treated as if she were a wild person by Atticus' sister because she doesn't wear a dress and likes to run around and be a kid. Atticus' sister feels she should be more "lady" like and wear dresses and play with kitchen sets. This was the feeling for many people in the south. Nowadays people realize that there isn't "woman's" work and that people should be allowed to do what they wish.

The way Scout is treated because her father took the case between Tom Robinson and the Ewells shows how racist the south was. This also shows how accepted racism was. In Alabama you were considered a trader for standing up for a man who was black. This has changed in America for blacks, but now because of the scare of terrorism people are again be judged for how they look.