Final Reponse, REVISED: To Kill A Mockingbird

   To come of age is a phrase that can be defined by many different things. It can be the day you turn a certain age, or perhaps the day that you encounter a traumatic event, or when you begin to rebel. However, I believe that the time that you truly begin to grow up is when you go from having an immature response to the people and world around you to a mature one. Jem and Scout's journey to coming of age in the book "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee illustrates this idea. The way they interact with their world and others around them in the beginning of the book compared to the end shows that they have both grown to become mature.

    For example, the way they treated "Boo" Radley in the beginning of the book versus the way they did in the end shows how they matured. At the start, Jem, Scout, and their good friend Dill were all deathly afraid of their neighbor Arthur "Boo" Radley. After hearing stories from the neighborhood gossips that he was an insane old man who watched people when they slept, they let their imaginations run away from them and made up crazy stories about who they thought he was. They would dare each other to run up to his house and ring the doorbell to see if they could catch a glimpse of him, or play games where they acted out scenes involving him. They all lived fearing him, and when they would pass his house they would sometimes hold their breath. However, after Boo saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell (who attacked the two children one night out of revenge to their father) they realize that they had made a mistake. In the last section of the book, Scout try's to imagen life from Boo's perspective, and feels guilty that they had not shown him more kindness, stating 'Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good look pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back in the tree what we took out of it. It made me sad'.  This shows how she and Jem matured from the beginning to the end.

   Another way that shows how the two children matured is how their relationship with their father changes. Mid-way through the book, the two children begin to question their father (Atticus) and their respect for him, as they could not find any special skill that he had. They thought that he 'didn't do anything. He worked in an office and could't drive a truck'.When Miss Maudie tells them that he was the "longest shot" (could shoot the farthest) in all of Maycomb County, they grew proud of their father again. However, their respect for their father was only over a superficial skill that society applauded, so they did too. At the end of the book, when Atticus attempts to bring justice to a court case between a woman who accuses a black man of rape, they look past the views of others and grow to have true respect for their father. While Atticus was being ridiculed for defending a black man, the two children defied the towns persuasions to go against him and stood by their father. This shows that they grew to have their own ideas, showing great maturity.

  The last way in which the children go from immature to mature is how their feelings about "colored folk" changes. In the beginning of the book, Scout and Jem follow the ideas of the people around them, that people who are black are lesser then themselves. Scout sees Caluprina as a lesser educated person becuase she is black and the two children are wary of colored people in general. However, as they grow older, they begin to see that black people are not any different from themselves, and they deserve the same amount of respect.

  The way Jem and Scout's views gradually matured from when they were younger shows how they came of age.

Coming Of Age Response (Extra Credit):What is rebellion? Why do so many young people "rebel"? Is rebellion a necessary element of growing up?

   Rebellion and the need to rebel in teenagers is a concept that has taken me ages to truly grasp. I know I'm supposed to be really into "defying my parents" and "breaking the rules", but it has never really been something that interests me. But, I do think rebellion is an important stage that every person must go through. Rebellion is mainly just a point in your life of freedom, a form of release in a way. Throughout my life I've watched my friends rebel against their parents, in little and large ways, and I've come up with my own theories about it. Although I don't really do it, I think it is important for people to rebel at some point or another. In a way, it can help your mental health. This may sound strange, but I believe that to truly be able to understand life and yourself, you must break away from your parents in some way.
   If you go throughout your life believing and doing everything your parents say, you will never grow to have ideas of your own. For example, say your parents told you that you had to become a lawyer when you were older. As you got older, you would most likely rebel and make your own decisions about your future. If you didn't rebel and did as your parents said, you would go on to live a life that you didn't want, causing you to be constantly unhappy.
  I think that to discover who you are and what you want your life to be, it is necessary to go through a period of rebellion.

Literary Essay: Response to "To Kill A Mocking Bird"

   To come of age is a phrase that can be defined by many different things. It can be the day you turn a certain age, or perhaps the day that you lose your innocence, or when you begin to rebel. However, I believe that the time that you truly begin to grow up is when you go from having an immature response to the people and world around you to a mature one. Jem and Scout's journey to coming of age in the book "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee illustrates this idea. The way they interact with their world and others around them in the beginning of the book compared to the end shows that they have both grown to become mature.
   For example, the way they treated "Boo" Radley in the beginning of the book versus the way they did in the end shows how they matured. At the start, Jem, Scout, and their good friend Dill were all deathly afraid of their neighbor Arthur "Boo" Radley. After hearing stories from the neighborhood gossips that he was an insane old man who watched people when they slept, they let their imaginations run away from them and made up crazy stories about who they thought he was. They would dare each other to run up to his house and ring the doorbell to see if they could catch a glimpse of him, or play games where they acted out scenes involving him. They all lived fearing him, and when they would pass his house they would sometimes hold their breath. However, after Boo saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell (who attacked the two children one night out of revenge to their father) they realize that they had made a mistake. In the last section of the book, Scout try's to imagen life from Boo's perspective, and feels guilty that they had not shown him more kindness. This shows how she and Jem matured from the beginning to the end.
   Another way that shows how the two children matured is how their relationship with their father changes. Mid-way through the book, the two children begin to question their father (Atticus) and their respect for him, as they could not find any special skill that he had. When Miss Maudie tells them that he was the "longest shot" (could shoot the farthest) in all of Maycomb County, they grew proud of their father again. However, their respect for their father was only over a superficial skill that society applauded, so they did too. At the end of the book, when Atticus attempts to bring justice to a court case between a woman who accuses a black man of rape, they look past the views of others and grow to have true respect for their father. While Atticus was being ridiculed for defending a black man, the two children defyed the towns persuasions to go against him and stood by their father. This shows that they grew to have their own ideas, showing great maturity.
  The last way in which the children go from immature to mature is how their feelings about "colored folk" changes. In the beginning of the book, Scout and Jem follow the ideas of the people around them, that people who are black are lesser then themselves. Scout sees Caluprina as a lesser educated person becuase she is black and the two children are wary of colored people in general. However, as they grow older, they begin to see that black people are not any different from themselves, and they deserve the same amount of respect.
 

Coming of Age Prompt #9: What does it mean to grow up? In what ways are and aren't you grown up? What are your feelings about this?

   Growing up means different things to different people. In many cultures it's when you turn a certain age or get your period. However, I don't think growing up depends on age or anything else, it is different for every person. No one can pin point the moment when someone grows up or when it will happen, it all depends on the person. I think the moment when you really grow up is when you see yourself as you truly are, with all the flaws and imperfections, and you are willing to try to change these aspects of yourself.
   At this particular point in my life, I think there are many ways in which I am grown up, but there is still a lot I have yet to learn and do.
   For example, one area that I've matured in only in the last two years or so is how to treat people. Before, I never really understood the ideas of selflessness and empathy. When in a fight or argument with someone, I would only see my side of the situation. Now that I'm older and more grown up, I understand that this is not fair. Recently I've been trying to see other people's views when arguing or fighting with them. Another aspect that I have matured in this year is standing up for myself. Last year I never stood up for what I believed in or for myself, so as a result I was often manipulated. This year I've really started to stand up for myself.
   As for the areas that I still need to mature in, there is a lot in the world I don't yet understand, but I think there is still a lot of time for me to figure them out.

Answered Question- What are some questions and concerns you have about growing up and adulthood?

      I'm going to try to be as honest as I can in this entry, so I have to say that I'm pretty scared of growing up. Maybe not being grown up exactly, I suppose by the time I'm grown up I'll be used to it, but rather leaving my old self behind. Sometimes, even now, I feel as though I'm losing myself. In many ways this is a good thing, but in some it isn't. When I was young there was a lot that I didn't understand, but at the same time I understood the world and myself more back then. As a child I was an observer, I used to be able to watch things for hours on end without ever getting bored. Even the smallest things could make me happy, like grass sprouting through the cracks of my sidewalk or a leaf blowing through the wind. Now, I barely even notice those things, the little things in life that make the world beautiful.  My mind now is so filled with thoughts that are not my own, society's views of how we are supposed to live and superficial ideas I used to look upon with disdain. I wish I could get back to the way I used to think, back when the way a rain drop looked when it dripped onto the sidewalk was the most important and beautiful thing in the world. I miss seeing the world in that way, the way where everything and everyone seemed wonderful. Thats another thing I'm concerned with, I'm forgetting how I used to treat people too. When I was younger, my grandma taught me that everyone deserves to be loved. She never said these words to me, but she taught me them through her actions. My grandmother loved everyone, or at least tried her best to see the good in them. I used to try to do the same, try to see the best in people. Now, its like I've forgotten how to, I see the bad more then the good. I judge people more then I used to. I hate that I've stopped trying to see the good in people. This is what I'm the most concerned about right now, forgetting myself.

Final

     The poem "My Papa's Waltz" created quite a spark in my class, more so then any other poem we had read. Practically everyone was shouting out their ideas and opinions about what they thought the poem meant. My group and I debated for quite a bit about the authors purpose for writing the poem. The argument lasted almost the entire period of class, but by the end we still had not reached an agreement about the authors purpose. I found this to be unsatisfactory, so when I got home I looked over the the poem again, and by doing so my opinion about the meaning changed.
   At first, I was sure that the poem was not about abuse, which was the side of the disagreement I was defending. On the other end of the argument was Peter and Anna. They thought that the poem was about how the writer was being beaten, and the waltz was a symbol for abuse rather then an actual moment. The evidence they used to back up their story was the line in the poem "The whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy". Another line they used to back up the poem was "At every step you missed/ My right ear scraped a buckle". They inferred that these lines meant that the father was drunk and the boy was being abused as they did the waltz. Being hit by a buckle is a classic symbol for abuse, so the line indicating his ear being scraped by a buckle especially caused Ana and Peter to assume that that it was the poem was about.
   When I first read the poem, I thought of it differently. I thought that Peter and Anna were reading into the poem too much, and maybe it really was just about a simple moment that this boy shared with his father. I tried to show that just because he had whiskey on his breath did not mean he was drunk, and even if he was, it does not necessarily mean he was abusing his child. Also, if the young boy was small, then perhaps when the father slipped his ear bumped against the fathers buckle. Overall, the feeling I got from the poem was not a negative one, I simply thought it was a poem about a moment shared between a father and a son.
   However, when I got home, I took a closer look at the poem and began to understand what Peter and Anna were saying. If you look at the poem, the words that the author chose to use were not ones that sounded particularly cheery. For example "You beat time on my hear/ With a palm caked hard by dirt" and "But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy". When reading the poem again, I realized that it did not sound like a poem about a fun and enjoyable dance, but more about something slightly darker. Like in the line "We romped until the pans/Slid from the kitchen shelf". I don't think the waltz would be referred to as a 'romp' or be so forceful that it made the pans slide from the shelves. Usually, poets choose the way they phrase things very carefully, so if the author chose those words it must have been intentional. I began to think that if the poem really was about a sweet and simple moment, the author would have used a different tone and been more careful with his word choice. And so, my opinion about the poem changed. However, unlike Anna and Peter, I don't think it was about a dance at all. I think that was more of a symbol. I think the poem may have been more about the relationship the boy had with his father, and how he felt there was a certain gruffness it, a lack of love and affection. There is an implyed distance from the father and clingyness from the boy throughout the poem. Like in the line, 'Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt'. The way the poet used the word 'clingning' led me to think about how the child seems to cling to his father in the poem, hanging onto every moment he has with him.  But, then again, I could be wrong. Who knows what the poet meant, maybe it was about something totally separate. I guess we'll never really know for sure, its all up for interpertation.

"My Papa'a Waltz" Final

The poem "My Papa's Waltz" created quite a spark in my class, more so then any other poem we had read. Practically everyone was shouting out their ideas and opinions about what they thought the poem meant. My group and I debated for quite a bit about the authors purpose for writing the poem. The argument lasted almost the entire period of class, but by the end we still had not reached an agreement about the authors purpose. I found this to be unsatisfactory, so when I got home I looked over the the poem again, and by doing so my opinion about the meaning changed.
   At first, I was sure that the poem was not about abuse, which was the side of the disagreement I was defending. On the other end of the argument was Peter and Anna. They thought that the poem was about how the writer was being beaten, and the waltz was a symbol for abuse rather then an actual moment. The evidence they used to back up their story was the line in the poem "The whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy". Another line they used to back up the poem was "At every step you missed/ My right ear scraped a buckle". They inferred that these lines meant that the father was drunk and the boy was being abused as they did the waltz. Being hit by a buckle is a classic symbol for abuse, so the line indicating his ear being scraped by a buckle especially caused Ana and Peter to assume that that it was the poem was about.
   When I first read the poem, I thought of it differently. I thought that Peter and Anna were reading into the poem too much, and maybe it really was just about a simple moment that this boy shared with his father. I tried to show that just because he had whiskey on his breath did not mean he was drunk, and even if he was, it does not necessarily mean he was abusing his child. Also, if the young boy was small, then perhaps when the father slipped his ear bumped against the fathers buckle. Overall, the feeling I got from the poem was not a negative one, I simply thought it was a poem about a moment shared between a father and a son.
   However, when I got home, I took a closer look at the poem and began to understand what Peter and Anna were saying. If you look at the poem, the words that the author chose to use were not ones that sounded particularly cheery. For example "You beat time on my hear/ With a palm caked hard by dirt" and "But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy". When reading the poem again, I realized that it did not sound like a poem about a fun and enjoyable dance, but more about something slightly darker. Like in the line "We romped until the pans/Slid from the kitchen shelf". I don't think the waltz would be referred to as a 'romp' or be so forceful that it made the pans slide from the shelves. Usually, poets choose the way they phrase things very carefully, so if the author chose those words it must have been intentional. I began to think that if the poem really was about a sweet and simple moment, the author would have used a different tone and been more careful with his word choice. And so, my opinion about the poem changed. However, unlike Anna and Peter, I don't think it was about a dance at all. I think that was more of a symbol. I think the poem may have been more about the relationship the boy had with his father, and how he felt there was a certain gruffness it, a lack of love and affection. There is an implyed distance from the father and clingyness from the boy throughout the poem. Like in the line, 'Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt'. The way the poet used the word 'clingning' led me to think about how the child seems to cling to his father in the poem, hanging onto every moment he has with him.  But, then again, I could be wrong. Who knows what the poet meant, maybe it was about something totally separate. I guess we'll never really know for sure, its all up for interpertation.