To Kill A Mockingbird Chapter 32 (Alternate Ending)

I woke to find Atticus still sitting beside Jem. He was reading a different book now, but I couldn't make out the title of it for my eyes were blurry from sleepiness. "How is Jem doin'?" I asked as I wiped my eyes with the back of my arm.

"He hasn't woken yet, but he's been sleepin' well."

Atticus put down his book and looked into my eyes as I stood infront of him. As he got up from his chair I asked "Don't you think we otta give Boo a gift for what he's done? I mean it sure does seem rude not to..."

"What Boo wants most of all is peace and to not be annoyed by other people. If you want to give him a gift for what he's done, you just leave him alone."

Later, Jem finally woke up and when Atticus left his room to prepare breakfast I proposed my idea to Jem. Jem was older now though, and he had to try and make a "mature" decision, so he said what Atticus had said and for a second I thought that maybe he had been awake when I had asked Atticus and he was just fake sleeping. I was about to question him on it, but I decided that if he hadn't been awake it would have just gone to his head that he had said the same thing as Atticus, so I just called him a party pooper and walked into the living room. I sat there rolled up in a chair thinking of what I could give Boo until Atticus was done making breakfast. Breakfast was absolutely delicious, but I didn't get to really soak it in for I was anxious to go back to my spot in the living room to think of what I could give Boo.

After another couple of hours I finally decided that since Boo had given me and Jem soap dolls, I would try to make him one. I would make one of a Mockingbird. That was what Boo was. He never did anything bad to anyone, and yet people made up horrible rumors about him and would torment him. I wasn't sure if he would like it, and I was absolutely positive that my artistic ability wouldn't be good enough to make it pretty, but if I worked hard I might be able to get it to the point that Boo would be able to tell that it's a Mockingbird. Besides, it was about the symbolic value, not the artistic value.

I went to the bathroom and took a piece of soap from it. I sat in the living room for what felt like an eternity until I had finally finished my carving. It was better than I expected. It wasn't good, but you could tell what it was.

It was dawn when I decided to walk it down to the Radley house. It was cold and goosebumps popped up all over my arms and legs. I didn't know how to give it to him and as I slowly walked down the street staring at the run down house, I decided that I would knock on his front door and hand it to him in person. I stutter stepped as I got closer to the Radley front door; I was unsure now if I really wanted to do it. The front door was scarier than I had anticipated. Although, I had been there just the day before and helped Boo through it, it was different now; I felt like I was trespassing. And I probably was. I stood there for a moment just staring at the front door and then gently set the carving down in front of the door. I turned around, walked out the gate, and started down the street. I never turned back to even look, for my curiosity was gone now. I had done what I needed to do. I walked back onto my porch, stopped, and looked back at the Radley house one last time, and as I did I could have sworn that I saw a shutter move.

Life Lessons

Throughout the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout learn many life lessons from the adults around them. I believe that one of the most important life lessons that they learn is that life is not fair, and that people are judged by things as stupid as the color of their skin. That if one group strongly dislikes another, they will do things to hurt them no matter how unfair or terrible those things may be, without any reasoning behind their actions except for the simple fact that they dislike them.

This lesson, taught by Tom Robinson's trial and the people of Maycomb County, teaches Jem and Scout to see through simple things, like the color of someone's skin, their sexuality, or even someone's sex, and to treat everyone equally. It teaches them that the world is flawed and that not everything is the way it's supposed to be, that many people are demented and oblivious to life's true meaning. But most of all, it teaches them to look at everything with an open heart, to not let their minds be clouded with stereotypes and racism, but to give everything and everyone an equal chance.

This is an important lesson to learn, for if you don't, you will never be able to see the world the way it truly is. You will never be able to look at things with an open mind, or be able to unprejudicely make a decision. You will never fully be happy for you will be punishing those you do not like just for the reason that you do not like them. If you don't learn it as a child, if you allow your mind to be clouded, you will have to live with the consequences, and if it is not you who pays, it will be your descendents. When Atticus and Jem are talking about how the people of Maycomb county could, because of the color of a man's skin, prosecute him when he was so clearly innocent, Atticus turns to Jem and says, "I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it---seems that only children weep." This shows how most people never learn to treat all equally and that because of it innocent people are punished for things they didn't do.

I have seen many innocent people punished for things they didn't do. I have seen the quiet kid who doesn't talk punished because he is an easy target for other kids to push their bad behavior on. It has changed the way I look at life and the people that I talk to and am friends with. It has affected me in many ways, most of them being good ways, if not great.

Atticus as a Father (Version For Grading)

Atticus is a father who uses psychology over physicality when raising his children. Take for instance when Atticus caught his children making a play of Boo Radley's life. Instead of beating them with his belt upon their butts, he caught Jem in a old school lawyer trick when he got Jem to say "We weren't makin' fun of him, we weren't laughin' at him, we were just-." Atticus then knew what the kids were doing, since Jem had just told him. Atticus is clearly trying to instill open thinking, and using their minds over their bodies. He is trying to teach his kids to treat their neighbors well, even when they're being mean, for they are still their friends. Most of all, I believe that Atticus is trying to teach his children to not be racist. To treat everyone equally, no matter what the color of their skin is.
Atticus is a lot like my parents in the sense that they always try to outsmart me. The difference is that my parents are very into sports while Atticus doesn't. I wouldn't like to have Atticus as a father because sports are very important to me and I think that it's important to have parents that are there to push you forward.

Atticus as a Father

I know it may sound weird to many, but I am in love with Atticus Finch. Although he is simply a character in a novel, I look up to him as a role model and adore him. He is truly my father, and when I need help with something I turn to him. I LOVE ATTICUS FINCH and I want the world to know it. I'm not ashamed at all of my father, even if he is just a character in a book. Would I want Atticus Finch as my father? Of course I would, he already is...

Changing Perceptions of Boo Radley

One mysterious thing, including Boo Radley, that occured include when Scout is standing infront of the Radley house, watching the fire down the street, and Boo puts a blanket over her so she wouldn't be cold. Another mysterious event, including Boo Radley, is when Boo is putting gifts in the knothole, of a tree, for the kids.
I once saw Boo Radley as a phycologically unstable freak, but now, due to his actions in chapters four through eight, see him in a whole different light. By putting that blanket over Scout when she was cold, he showed that he has a kind heart and that many of the stories told about him, most likely, aren't true. Also, he shows that he has an interest in having a life outside of his house and getting to know Jem and Scout when he puts the gifts in the knothole of the tree, on the edge of his yard.
Scout's disscussion, about Boo Radley, with Ms. Maudie adds to my perception of Boo Radley by making me think that he isn't a bad guy. That's he's just a guy that nobody knows or ever sees, so the people of the community make up rumors about him because they are afraid of the unknown. When Ms. Maudie says to Scout, "He was always real sweet to me," I started to believe that he was a normal, kind person who just isn't able to show that because he can never leave his house. Atticus's reaction to the kids putting on the play of Boo Radley's life, including what was known to be true, and made up rumors not known to be true, led me to believe that he knew more about Boo Radley than the children, and that he knew Boo Radley isn't a bad guy. Both of those things lead me to the conclusion that Boo Radley is a good guy, kind hearted person that is simply misunderstood.