Partner readng 5

How would you describe the author's use of language in this novel? do you each enjoy how it is used? explain? have you learned a new vocabulary word while reading this novel?

Well first of all the authors language can kind of describes the type of a person the character is. Such as Ewell uses very foul words which shows his lower class. However Mayella doesn't use foul words. Jem and Scout also at times use slang words, which are normal fro their age. When scout is speaking to Uncle Jack, she says "I don’t mean to sass you", and Jem answers "shoot no wonder, then."This type of language also describes the setting which is Southern America. There are some words I didnt understand such as

Stifle

It means: impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of

Line from book:

Atticus tried to stifle a smile but didn't make it.

Title:To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Genre: Classic

Pages: 376

Summary:

During an evening Mr. Tate and some other men turn up at the Finch house to talk to Atticus about the Robinson case. The next day is Tom Robinson’s trial. After lunch the kids go to the courthouse. They can’t find a seat, so Reverend Sykes takes them to sit with him in the balcony. At the trial, Sheriff Tate testifies that Mr. Ewell and his daughter Mayella told him that Tom had beaten and raped Mayella, but that he hadn’t called a doctor to examine her. Mayella is the next witness. She gives her version of the crime. Finally Tom Robinson, the only witness for the defense, is up for questioning. Tom gives a very different version of events, in which Mayella was trying to kiss him despite his refusals when Mr. Ewell showed up and Tom ran. Dill and Scout return to the courtroom to find Atticus. Jem whispers that Atticus has just gone over the evidence and there’s no way they can lose. Atticus tells the jury that the prosecution is relying on the jury’s racism to convict Tom even though there’s no evidence any crime even took place. Mayella’s injuries at the time suggested that she was beaten by a left-handed man, and Tom’s left hand is useless (though Mr. Ewell’s isn’t since he is left handed). After four hours of deliberation, the jury finally delivers its verdict: guilty. As Atticus walks down the aisle and out of the courtroom, the African-Americans in the balcony silently stand up as a gesture of respect. Atticus and Jem especially are bitterly disappointed at the verdict, but they feel a little better the next morning. Jem and Atticus talk about the legal system, and how it happened that the jury could convict Tom when he was so obviously innocent. Atticus also tells them that there was one man who wanted to find Tom not guilty but he couldn’t hold out against everyone else.

Quote: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” This quote reminded me of the trial.