To Kill A Mockingbird // Free Response

Connection

As I have gotten farther into To Kill A Mockingbird I came across a part in the book that connected with a part in my life.

"You're real nice, Uncle Jack, an' I reckon I love you even after what you did, but you don't understand children much."

Scout had just been whipped by her Uncle Jack from beating up her cousin Francis. The reason behind Scout's beat down on Francis was because of his rude comments about Atticus (her father) and her brother and Scout. Atticus is a lawyer who is defending an African American in a trial in the 1930's and the turmoil of it all is just starting. Atticus knows that Scout will be very sensitive to the comments made by others about her father and family even though she doesn't quite understand what is going on.
My Connection...
Scout's comment to her uncle hit home to me. I have grown up with four siblings and of course, we all have an array of different personalities. My 14 year old sister and I have completely different personality traits and characteristics except for when it comes to speaking to adults. Growing up, Jill and I have always wanted to have our opinions heard. Jill does it on the loud, obnoxious side of it sometimes where I try to present my opinion civilly. Either way, we want our opinions thought about and understood by adults even though we are much younger than them. I believe that anything a person has to say is important. It is the hardest thing to do in some situations because you may just not want to hear it at all. But you would be amazed at what you could learn or take from that single sentence that person says.
Scout is the same way. She mentions to her uncle that he never even allowed her the chance to tell him her side of the story. Not only that, but he may have just turned her down and said that her opinion didn't matter. Luckily in the story Uncle Jack allows to hear Scout's side of the story where he learns something very important. It is better to be calm in a hectic situation than to light right into someone. The more calm you are the easier it is to listen and you never know, you may just learn something that you never would have if you hadn't...