Extending the Theme

There are so many things you can learn by reading the book To Kill a Mockingbird. From growing up to life lessons to strong morals about that time period and many more. Harper Lee puts so many different situations into the novel that intentionally relate to the theme and overall send an important message about life to the reader. Reading this book brought up a few life experiences of my own. I would actually be shocked if someone read this book and could not in any way personally relate to the story somehow.

The book really spoke to me mainly because of Atticus. Atticus has to be one of my favorite father figures I have ever read about. He is such a strong character and is willing to stand up for what he believes in, which I admire very much. Most importantly, he represents a phenomenally important role model for Scout. A lot of the time he is considered "bad parent" by most of Maycomb simply because of the way he raises his children. The people of Maycomb obviously do not dig beneath the surface to see if there is a reason behind what he does, which usually there is. He has taught Scout and Jem many life lessons and morals that will later on help them become thoughtful, honest, strong and kind people.

 For example when he says, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it". This quote spoke to me because I often, unconsciously, judge people before I really get to know them, I know a lot of the people reading this have too, I mean really, who hasn't? It has almost come natural in our society to judge people simply on how they look, talk, or the way they do things. This was such a good thing for Scout to hear, especially at a young age, because it is so important to get to know people before you decide who they are on your own. To me, Atticus has been an absolutely outstanding friend, father, and role model to his children. 

"As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it-whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash."-Atticus (Lee 233)

This is another important quote, from Atticus, that again shows me what type of person he is. This is bringing to light that Atticus is such a tolerant (for the time period) and benevolent man. He sees one man just like he sees the next man, no matter what color skin they have. This is another reason why I love Atticus and his way of thinking. Of course I already know to treat everyone equally (which I normally do) but by reading this book Atticus has sort of renewed my thoughts and given me a new perspective on life itself. I see Atticus as a role model for myself (I know he is not real). I mean what better character to choose than Atticus Finch? 

I also love my own dad, hopefully he's not "offended" if he reads this.

Hopefully you enjoyed.

My Boo Radley

Personally, I am both scared and intimidated by the general concept of Earth and outer space. I know the basic idea but it's hard for me to grasp that millions and millions of people live on one planet not knowing if other life exists somewhere else. Could I go out and buy "Earth/Outer space for Dummies"? Yes I could. Would this help me? No it would not. I could study up on the subject and would probably learn a lot but in the end I would still be wondering if there is life somewhere else. You don't realize that this idea is strange until you really think about it. We live on a sphere with millions of other humans and species not knowing if another planet is like ours or once was like ours.

Thinking about outer space freaks me out. The major motion picture films fabricating this topic do not help at all. Green aliens flying down from saucers in the sky? To think that people could be a little more creative. I will admit that E.T. was a great movie though. I saw E.T at a young age and this was a partial influence on what made me start to wonder about these kinds of things.

Visual aid of E.T. (extra terrestrial) 

It amazes me that there is a massive galaxy far beyond from where I am. I would be shocked if someone did not find this somewhat intimidating. Not knowing what is out there and what's going on scares me. Although it is always nice to wonder about things and believe that there are places undiscovered that may be far greater than where we are now. The number one absolute idea that completely blows my mind are crop circles. Oh yes we have all seen pictures, videos, documentaries, etc. and we have all "ooooh'd and ahhhh'd" in fascination. Imagine if you woke up to find some obscure inscription or somewhat of a symbol on your lawn, I would die. I'm not talking about someone doing a horrible job mowing your lawn and it vaguely looking like a smiley face. Absolutely not. Think extremely large intricate designs that would have no way of being done overnight. There are actually crop circles and this has happened, which makes me slightly paranoid.

Crop circle

My experience relates to Scout's experience with Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird because we are both scared and intimidated about something we initially do not understand. Scout was scared of Boo Radley and did not know much about him other than what people have told her. This applies to my situation because I find Earth and outer space mysterious and somewhat ominous. In the end of the story, Scout was able to see Boo as a nice person, having met him and seeing what he was like for herself. On the contrary, I have not overcome this anxiety and fascination of mine. Hopefully in the near future I will.

Introduction to my blog

Welcome to my blog. Here you will see my opinions on various topics posted for the world to see. Why should you read this blog? I will throw enthusiasm into some of the dullest topics on earth. A lot of the time I will read a blog or a review that is completely over analyzed or it's just simply boring. If you enjoy blatant facts listed out from one to ten then I suggest that you read a different blog. Often I will put humor into what I'm writing about so if you are a tedious or dull person then I'm sorry. I would like to think that both my opinion and commentary will enrich the reader's knowledge and will give them a new perspective on things.

English is such an important subject and class because you gain great communication, reading, and writing skills. All three of those things are important in becoming successful career wise, and also as a person. English class to me is the part of the day where I gain the most knowledge. Yes, I learn things in math and science but for some reason I feel that English is something that is actually going to help me succeed both personally and academically in life. Am I trying to be a suck up by saying English is my favorite class, knowing that my English teacher can read my blog? No I am not, I truly believe that it is very important to be knowledgeable in the subject of English.

Hopefully this blog will enlighten the online world and my readers will walk away with a new point of view.
Enjoy!