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Post by Phalon on Mar 20, 2017 6:39:59 GMT -6
I finished the book last night. I'll hold off on commenting until you ladies are done.
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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 20, 2017 18:45:13 GMT -6
I've read the book at least once, and I've seen the movie several times, so you don't have to wait on me to finish the book to start the discussion.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 22, 2017 4:40:07 GMT -6
I'm in no rush. Let's wait a bit until Scrappy jumps in - I know she's busy with work and school right now.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 26, 2017 9:10:49 GMT -6
I was flipping through Netflix last night, and saw they have "To Kill a Mockingbird", though I don't know how long it'll be offered. I didn't watch it yet though; Xena Sis knew I was reading the book, said the movie is one of her favorites, and suggested when I finished, we'd have to have a movie night.
I'm obviously putting her in charge of the popcorn.
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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 27, 2017 0:59:35 GMT -6
I was hoping it would come on satellite sometime soon so we could do a watch discussion. I don't recall the last time I've seen it.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Apr 7, 2017 21:08:30 GMT -6
Yes.....you should allow anyone else involved to take care of the popcorn.
I'm done!
Confused a bit though. Did Jem kill that guy?
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Post by Phalon on Apr 8, 2017 6:07:02 GMT -6
Speaking of popcorn, did you ever order that Amish popcorn? If not, the farmer's market where I got it the first time is opening later this month. I can pick up some for you if you'd like - just lemme know.
I've be wanting to reread the last few chapters to get a clearer picture of what happened exactly, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
From what I gathered the first time without rereading it yet, Atticus assumes Jem killed Ewell because of Scout's retelling of what happened. Scout was in that costume though, it was dark, and she doesn't see exactly what happened, so she assumed Jem did it because she didn't know Boo was out there. Sheriff Tate goes out, and comes back with the 'he fell on his knife' story...which made me wonder if Tate kills him. There are two knives - a kitchen knife and the switchblade, which Tate supposedly takes from a drunk in town earlier. It's likely the switchblade is Ewell's, but the kitchen knife? Boo Radley's.
Boo killed Ewell is what I gathered. The sheriff instead says he fell on his own knife so Boo wouldn't have to stand trial. Just as Tom Robinson didn't get a fair verdict, neither would Boo - the jury's mind would be prejudiced against him because he's considered the town psycho, just as the jury was prejudiced against Tom Robinson because he was black. The book is about prejudice, and it comes in different forms.
Ewell, with his blatant false accusation, in essence killed Tom Robinson; Ewell is now dead. Justice is served, though not in a court of law.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Apr 9, 2017 8:10:08 GMT -6
Hmm....I hadn't considered that The sheriff killed him. I did wonder about the switchblade. I hate not having a clear answer. I like the idea that Boo killed him more and the sheriff just switched out the knives. I need to write a paper.
"Who killed Ewell?"
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Post by Mini Mia on Apr 9, 2017 19:37:50 GMT -6
My impression has always been that's it was Boo who killed him. I'm the only one who has seen the movie, so that may be where my view comes from. Having seen the movie more times than I've read the book.
BTW: I haven't yet bought/read 'The Watchman.' From what I've read, the dad is a racist in that book. I wonder what happened to change his view?
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Post by Phalon on Apr 10, 2017 6:08:31 GMT -6
Oooo! A paper! I love writing essays. Apparently, there are some other people who wondered if Tate killed Ewell...it's just a message board discussion, but there are some interesting theories (actually there are a lot of "Who Killed Bob Ewell" websites out there; this is just one): www.gradesaver.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird/q-and-a/who-really-killed-bob-ewell-87/page/3I will probably never read "Go Set a Watchman" because of all the controversy surrounding its publication - many feel that Harper Lee was exploited. I read that she was deaf and blind in her later years; her sister was her caregiver and was very protective of her. After the sister died, the manuscript for "Go Set a Watchman" was "found" by Lee's attorney, who took it to publication. Close friends of both sisters say Harper Lee, because of her physical condition, wouldn't have known what she was signing when the contract to release "Watchman" was presented to her. Harper Lee, before her health failed, stated many times she'd never write a book other than "To Kill a Mockingbird". "Go Set a Watchman", supposedly a sequel to "Mockingbird", was actually written before "Mockingbird". Her original agent, the publishing company of "Mockingbird", and literary critics contend that "Go Set a Watchman" was a first rough draft of "To Kill a Mockingbird"; Lee took the flashbacks in the rough draft, and developed them into "Mockingbird", never meaning for the other parts of the story to be published. Some booksellers, out of respect for Lee, refused to sell "Go Set a Watchman". That would probably explain the inconsistency in the character of Atticus between the two books. If "Watchman" was a rough draft, he could have had traits that Lee dismissed during the rewrite, developing him into a different character altogether. I jotted something down about Atticus' viewpoint about the Ewell's in general in notes I took for the first five chapters that I thought might have been foreshadowing. It turns out it was foreshadowing, but not in the way I expected. No time now to explain....gotta run. |
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Post by Phalon on Apr 11, 2017 6:16:27 GMT -6
I reread last night, actually picking up more details than I did the first time around (probably because when I first finished the book it was after 2am when I got to the last page!). Definitely think the author intended Boo to be the one who killed Ewell.
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Post by Mini Mia on Apr 11, 2017 11:31:36 GMT -6
I doubt Boo would have left Scout behind if there was any possibility Ewell might come to. 
And I picked up on something I never considered before. From Scout's description of Boo, I got the impression he might be allergic to the sun.  Or an albino? I plan on doing a reread too.
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Post by Mini Mia on Apr 21, 2017 22:41:53 GMT -6
I plan on doing a reread too.
I thought I had added that I finished the book, but I see I didn't ... so ... I've finished reading the book.
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Post by Phalon on May 21, 2017 6:47:24 GMT -6
Xena Sis and I were going to have a girls' night last Wednesday since neither of us had to work on Thursday; the plan was to order pizza, and finally watch "To Kill a Mockingbird". She was babysitting her grandson overnight though, and the poor little guy was sick, so we spent the better part of the night cleaning up vomit instead. (Bluck!)
I sat down to watch the movie last night, but it was late and I kept dozing. I have to say though, that thus far (I was alert up to the part when Atticus shot the rabid dog), I liked the book much, much better than the movie. I'll have to start from the beginning again tonight.
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Post by Mini Mia on May 21, 2017 19:55:34 GMT -6
It tended to come on late night here when I was young and I'd end up falling asleep while waiting for it to come on or while 'resting' my eyes during a commercial. 
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Post by Phalon on May 22, 2017 6:23:22 GMT -6
BOLL! Yes, I'm quite familiar with "resting" eyes during a commercial...and the results.
I watched the movie last night, and the "making of" extra feature. I liked it, and would re-watch again - I'll probably rent it again at a later date - but I loved the book. Though the film followed the book quite closely, there are glaring differences in my mind, other than the obvious fact that, due to length, the book was more detailed.
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Post by Mini Mia on May 22, 2017 17:49:36 GMT -6
Both are really good. Too bad Harper Lee didn't write more books/stories.
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