To Kill A Mockingbird--Growing and Learning

Learning and developing is a part that every child is destined to go through, and the way you learn determines your success as an adult later on in life. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem, Scout, and Dill are main characters that are slowly developing and stepping into adulthood. Throughout the novel, they’ve learned about the bitterness of mankind and the cruelty of the real world as they go through events that have led them to answers and taught them many lessons.

While Harper Lee addressed many events that showed the learning and developing of the children, the young characters each had an occurrence that affected them most. Jem was maturing quicker than the other two youths and was beginning to see clearly under Atticus’s guiding light. On the other hand, Scout was starting to behave more like a young lady, under the influence of Aunt Alexandra. Dill, the most mischievous of them all, had seen the injustice of racism as he witnesses various scenes.

First of all, the death of Mrs. Dubose impacted the children, especially Jem. It was the first event that made Jem realize the true bravery does not only come from men with guns and swords, but the ones that have the heart and courage to do what’s right. “Overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me.” (131). The change in Jem has been instant, and impacting; as a reader, it was astonishing to have known that Jem has changed so much after one day. Even Scout—Jem’s smaller sister—has noticed the changes in Jem; her preoccupations and thoughts also show how Harper Lee tries to express Scout’s feelings as an innocent girl who hasn’t got the slightest clue of what her brother has in mind that has changed him in such a drastic manner.

            Compared to Jem, Scout is more of an innocent character that represents purity inside children and the innocence that adults have long forgotten. In some ways, Scout was the one mostly influenced in this novel, as she witnessed and went through many events that have changed her as a person; we were able to read her thoughts and understand the story in her point of view. Of course, being the youngest in the household, she wasn’t involved in adult conversations—yet she has matured as much as Jem and Dill, going through many problems that her family faced and learning from it, especially when she found her aunt distressed by the fact that her father may be in danger.

“After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.” (271). When Aunt Alexandra discovered that Tom Robinson was dead, she was horrified because although she wasn’t particularly fond of blacks, she was deeply concerned about Atticus’s circumstances and his career. Despite of the situation they’re in, she put up her straight face and met up with the other ladies from Maycomb without a hint of sadness or shock. Scout clearly has matured a lot, being able to say that last sentence in the end of the chapter and having the will to do it.

Dill has been an unpredictable character, from the beginning to end. From the beginning, when Dill plotted to make Boo Radley come out of the house, it was already easy to anticipate that he isn’t a typical obedient country boy. At first, he only seemed capable of thinking up pranks and ideas to play practical jokes on someone else, but near the end of the novel, he expresses his honest ideas.

““I don’t care one speck. It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t got anybody got any business talking like that—it makes me sick.””(226) It is extremely surprising to have heard such words coming out of Dill’s mouth. The typical Maycomb folks would not admit that it isn’t right to treat blacks unequally although they know that it’s not the right thing to do. Children might have thought that way, being pure as they are, but Dill has grown to have those thoughts, opposed to at the beginning, when he was only interested in jokes and pranks.

In spite of all, Harper Lee shows the kids learning and developing by writing out the events that they face, each earning a lesson on their own. Thus, the children learned to do what’s right and what isn’t—not only by lectures but also by real life experiences. Harper Lee is trying to send a message to the reader; that although many children don’t have to go through tough times whilst some others have to face them in a daily basis, in one point, they will have to face some kind of obstacle, and only in experience and development will they be able to make the right choices for themselves and their loved ones.

Being a Teacher—No Easy Task

From the film, The Dead Poets' Society. 

How many times have you ever felt like you are not absorbing the level of knowledge that you would have liked? In order to change lives as an educator, the importance of engaging your students into the subject is phenomenal. There are not many teachers who teach the students with delight and passion, but that is what makes a teacher someone a student will never forget.

 In the movie The Dead Poets’ Society directed by Peter Weir, John Keating—a unique teacher with his own teaching techniques—teaches students in an extraordinary way. He is an example of one the many few teachers in the world, who is passionate about teaching and gives his students something to believe in, and really teaching them; not only about the subject, but influencing their lives.

John Keating obviously is a good teacher, for many reasons. Many of his students’ minds were contained and they didn’t dare to express their dreams and desires, until Mr. Keating came along.

Mr. Keating taught his students to follow the paths they choose for themselves, and stand up for it; his philosophies were never spoken by other educators or elders that his students have ever met, and his words encouraged them to follow their dreams.

“I want you to find your own walk.” After this brief sentence was said by Mr. Keating, he ordered the students to walk around in their own way, no matter how different it was compared to others, and not caring about how others would think. This shows that Mr. Keating is trying to teach his students to be themselves and do what they want, unconcerned about what others decide to do with their life; it also demonstrates that Mr. Keating is a free thinker. This part of the story really intrigued me, because it really marked Mr. Keating as a really different teacher who would have a huge impact on lives of teenagers; especially the ones of the students studying in the Welton Prep School—their life is empty, only filled with studying, and memorizing—the ones that have to choose their own path.

    

The beauty of Mr. Keating’s teaching, is also that he teaches his students about the depth of life, and the beauty in poetry; his students learned that poetry cannot be analyzed in a specific format, but has to be absorbed by the human mind and broken into tiny pieces.

   

“Call me, O’ captain, my captain.” His unique introduction to the students suggested passion for what he teaches, and his way of teaching caught everyone’s attention. As he requested everyone to call him by  “O’ Captain, my Captain”, the students started to realize that Mr. Keating taught differently than other teachers, and also has a different view to life. Calling him by that name suggested that they were members of a ship and he was a captain—therefore, Mr. Keating treated them differently than other teachers. He rather preferred his students to see depict him as a poetic captain, rather than showing respect only because he was a teacher; he demonstrated that he was not only that. Mr. Keating taught his students to think deeply about poetry, as well as analyzing the problems and issues that they will have to face later on in life; he is really one of a kind, being able to merge poetry in everyday life. The students that he has once taught will never be able to forget a single word that he has taught, because every word he says possesses so much depth and meaning. The way he talked about poetry like art reveals that he has love for poetry, which more likely convinces his students to love poetry too.

He taught the students with such passion and love that he provided them with knowledgeable advices, as if they were his own children; such teachers are very rare and ones that students would always remember as their guiding light.

          

“We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering—these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love - these are what we stay alive for.”

As explained clearly from the quote written above, Mr. Keating sees poetry and life in a different light than most of the other teachers. In this sentence, he tries to teach the students that life is not how it’s supposed to be if you don’t find passion in what you do, which is typically what happens, since parents of that time period urge their children to walk that path. For example, Neil has gotten a lot of support by Mr. Keating, because according to him, poetry, beauty, romance, love, is what humans stay alive for; if Neil finds passion and beauty in acting, it’s what he should be staying alive for, which is possibly why Neil committed suicide. Although Neil misinterpreted the message Mr. Keating was really trying to deliver, Mr. Keating really gave Neil the chance to really see things the way they were and try to stand up for what he thinks he’s right.

According to everything mentioned above, John Keating was a fabulous teacher who really found delight and passion over teaching, who really impacted his students’ lives, and spread the passion of poetry all around the Welton Prep School. The way he talked to his students how to cope with situations, really would leave the viewer dumbstruck, for in such rare circumstances would they be able to find a teacher who would help them to deal with a problem in life. The way he suggested the idea of Carpe Diem, and contributing a verse to life, is simply amazing; it can leave the viewer lost in thought, and just mesmerized by the beauty of this film. 

Things Are Not What They Seem

By Eugene Robbe Timson

I look in the mirror
And I see a person filled with confidence
I look in the mirror
And see a person filled with love
I look in the mirror
And I see a man that beats the best
I look in the mirror
And I see a man that is better than the rest
I look in the mirror
And see a man with a heart of gold
I look in the mirror
And see a man that everyone wants to be
I look in the mirror and you touch my shoulder
I look in the mirror and I see you
You tell me to wipe my tears because Daddy is here     

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Color Collective Poem--Lemon Ice Cream

Lemon ice--Benjamine Moore--2024-70

  Emma Chiu

She stood there

Indifferent

As if I didn’t exist.

As if I was invisible.

I tried to make contact with

Her ever-so-perfect eyes.

She turned away

Leaving me behind

Her arched back.

All I could catch was

A whiff of

Lemon,

Lemon ice cream.

I remember that summer,

The summer our friendship was planted

Like a lemon seed.

In a blink of an eye,

The seed turned into a tree

A beautiful lemon tree.

The roots were not yet stable

The branches were not yet firm.

But the tree kept growing

As if it there was no need for it.

We paid no close attention, for

We all were blinded by the joy

Of the fruits that ripened each term.

We marveled at our happiness,

Yes, we even took the lemons

And made it into different kinds of desserts.

Lemonade, lemon cake, lemon ice cream.

Oh, the lemon ice cream.

The coolness that it provided on

A sweltering day,

Whispered in my ear, saying

That’s what we would do for each other.

The sugar added on top

Giggled and laughed softly,

Assuring me that

It will always stay sweet,

No matter what

We never could have imagined that,

Like lemon ice,

Friendships can fade away

Just as easily.

It can melt on your tongue,

It can melt on your hands,

It can melt with the harsh words

Those others speak with fury.

I still don’t know how

She could have let other people

Ruin the taste,

Ruin the flavor of our lemon ice cream.

Maybe the tree wasn’t firm.

Maybe the tree wasn’t stable.

Maybe it wasn’t as it should be.

Maybe, just maybe…

We could just blame it on the lemons.





For more color collective poems, click here.

Where I'm From

I am from story books,

From magic carpets and leprachauns

and tales that are not yet told.

I am from city lights flickering

Beneath the dark night sky,

Always wondering,

If Santa Claus would crawl through my windowsill

I am from the intertwining grapevines,

That hang on the walls outside

the basketball court

That I stare at when I feel

alone, defeated.

I am from the pearly-white lilies,

Whose scent is mixed with

The cold, frigid air on classic stages.

The sound of the cello combined with the smell,

could create an everlasting elixir,

that could cure me

From any wounds I bear.

I am from Christmas and New Years’ Eve,

From the bows and the ribbons,

From the decorations and the gifts.

I am from the wishes and shooting stars,

from the faraway dreams and goals

that I dream of,

Even if it seems impossible.

I am from the Chiu and Chen

from dark hair and eyes

thick bones and backbites.

I am from the strict rules and silence,

From work hard! And obey!

I'm from teachers and lawyers,

whose expectations are as tall

as mountains,

whose worry is written

across their faces.

I am from blurry Bible pages,

Pebble-sized Buddha miniatures,

And free Sunday mornings.

I am from the awkwardness,

that I face when the lyrics of "Praise the Lord"

are alien to me.

I am from green tea and paella,

From hamburgers and alfajores.

I am from trying different plates,

and swallowing the change.

I am from the wounds my cousin got in motorbikes,

for having the adventurous streak

inherited by our ancestors.

From the scars that my grandfather got in the war,

Fighting for a noble cause.

In the deepest part of my hidden drawer,

There is a locked chest.

With pictures of places I’ve passed through

And places that bear my mark.

Filled with unsent letters, contained feelings,

and memories in different languages.

Pictures of friends I’ll never see again,

And lost dreams.

I am from those moments,

Always hoping for a place to stay,

A place to call home.



For more "Where I'm From" Poems, click at this link: http://www.middlemindz.blogspot.com/#!http://middlemindz.blogspot.com/2012/05/where-im-from.html

Cherish Life While You Can

Selected by Emma Chiu

Description:
         Life is sometimes sour, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, but it's everyone's job to make their life extraordinary. This list of poems reveal poets' expertise over poetic themes about life lessons and even bits of their personal experience that are included in a fascinating way. The poems describe the obstacles that we would eventually go through and the necessity to live life the fullest while you are able to.

Synopsis: 
          I love how these poems are just put into wonderful words that construct poems that reveal a deeper meaning; each and every poet is trying to tell people to live and never regret. They all have a way to carry their point across, and really convince the reader about their view in life.These poems could turn peoples' lives into a whole new direction just by providing them with phrases that are concise yet abstract in such a beautiful way.

POETRY

"Frozen" by Natasha Head
"The Layers" by Stanley Kunitz
"Nothing Twice" by Wislawa Szymborska
"Carpe Diem" by Robert Frost
"A Song on the End of the World" by Czeslaw Milosz

"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick "My Life Closed Twice Before its Close" by Emily Dickinson "I Tie My Hat--I Crease My Shawl" by Emily Dickinson
"Live Blindly and Upon the Hour" by Trumbull Stickney

Injustice and Discrimination

Throughout the course history, discrimination and racial barriers have always existed in different countries and cultures. Although racism has been fading due to the self-conscience that humans have attained for the past years, there are still many who remain ignorant. That dark side that persists in human minds has cut deeply into the hearts of many innocent victims.

On February 26, 2012, an African-American teenager from Florida(Trayvon Martin)was shot dead by a self-appointed watchman in the neighborhood in which he lived in, when he was out buying snacks. The patrolman—by the name of George Zimmerman—defended his crime by arguing that it was an act of self-defense, and that Martin looked “suspicious” wearing a dark hoodie when he was walking on the streets.

        Prejudice affects many people, and causes catastrophes; even nowadays. The incident with Travyon Martin is a clear example. The excuse, in which George Zimmerman gave to the police body— that he looked “suspicious”, wearing that hoodie—didn’t make sense. Why do you have to be a delinquent to be a black person wearing a hoodie?

 Prejudicial opinions come from stereotype of someone’s gender, religion, or race. It is unfair to those who are judged by the color of their skin, and not by their inner beauty. The ignorant people who judge that way have no idea of how it is like to be the one that’s judged upon, and don’t have the ability to put themselves in others’ shoes; due to that, they are the major cause of injustice that makes our world a darker place than it’s supposed to be.

        As individuals, there are a lot of things that we can achieve if we act as a group. Many people don’t take notice of the injustice happening all around the world, and even more are afraid to act; nevertheless, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the weak and innocent, in order to make this world a better place.

        In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee , Scout’s father, Atticus, is a clear model that all individuals should follow. He defended a black man who was accused of something he didn’t do; Atticus did something that everyone knew was right, but something that no one dared to do.

 Some might ask, “Why do we have to get involved in problems that we didn’t take part in?” Well, the answer is that problems don’t get solved until someone comes out and solves them; if no one in the community had any intention whatsoever in helping, then the problem would remain dangling in thin air forever; which is it’s crucial for individuals to act together in order to create a much stronger force that can end the painful situation we’re in.

        People often fear what they don’t understand; there are people who are afraid of the unknown creatures out in the universe, there are people who are afraid of change, and there are people that are scared of those they haven’t interacted with before. In the case of the shooting in Florida, George Zimmerman didn’t understand anything about blacks, and automatically assumed that an African-American with a hoodie is dangerous.

        When people fear what they do not understand, they normally act defensively. George Zimmerman shot Martin because of his not understanding that blacks are just the same as whites. I think that part of him, was a little afraid of him because he didn’t know what Martin could do; his racist opinions caused him think stereotypically about blacks and he might’ve been afraid of what Martin would’ve done if he was really a delinquent.

        There are many different kinds of stereotypes, and gender is one of them. Just like racism, there are ignorant people who underestimate the power of women as well as blacks. This affects peoples’ behaviors, because by holding prejudice against someone, it is imminent that it’s going to cause a response from the victims. Gender stereotype is as bad as any other kind of discrimination, and the peoples’ behaviors certainly reflect directly upon it.

        Racism has been around for decades—centuries, even. It is our responsibility to raise awareness and notify the whole world so that it could be stopped; the death of Travyon Martin should awaken our self-conscience even more—to finally stop the discriminating and racist activities all across the globe. It is our responsibility to make our world a better place for every single living being in existence.