Poem Analysis

I, Too, Sing Amercia
By: Langston Hughes

When I was reading "I, Too, Sing Amercia" by Langston Hughes the speaker made me upset but only to a certain degree because as I read through it is sad but also a proud moment when someone can be that brave. They are brave because they are willing to accept themselves and be patriotic while also giving the push it needs towards equality. I think Ive felt like the person does in the poem. I have felt like I wasn't accepted among people but I was able to accept that however, he has the whole government against him and if I was in the same situation I would stand up for myself like he did. The speaker probably wanted you to feel sympathetic but also respect towards dark skinned people just how you respect your friends and family. The words and phrases that lean you towards those feelings are darker brother; to relate back to the topic of racism, strong; to show bravery, laugh; to show self respect and laugh at the insults that come and go, nobody'll dare; not letting others treat him like trash, beautiful, and ashamed; so people feel guilt because they were treating another human like garbage because of a skin colour difference. I can make a connection between "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and this poem through Atticus Finch, Dolphus Raymond, and Tom Robinson.I can make the connection between Atticus Finch and this poem because he understands that just because someone is a different skin colour or race it doesn't define them, their personality, or life. I can relate this poem back to Tom Robinson because he knows what kind of person he is and is able to stand up for himself looking beyond the consequences. This poem also relates to Dolphus Raymond. Just like Atticus he knows that  black people are humans and deserve equal rights as they are humans as well.

Poem!

Keep your head up,
if you're down.
Sadness is a dying flower,
Sometimes you need to frown.

Keep your head up,
no need to fret.
Life is a roller coaster,
that I can bet.

Mockingbird Drawing-

WORD SEARCH

R W N V J W Q N J T N H B A Y E M I X C

I E W O L I E Y R R N A P N L T A F Y U

E M S R I F P D B V R O Q B J A L T K E

W B F P O S G U M O P Z A B E D E M J N

F J B R I J N K R L S M P D S I V L C C

Z I D L X R Z E E L O F M D L C O L I Z

F U C E E J A C C H O J R C K U L X B L

A P W C Q E T T T S Z I Q X V L E D A H

D S Z T K I J A I S E X N N M E N D L X

Q Y L W C G F Y J O U D S K S L T Q L H

O A V C C N M F Y V N O N X N J N A Y S

M N I J U E R K D S Q Z G O R P D E S F

B E N E V O L E N C E W B O C S X V O B

C B X G C U R T N E S S V X L D I O N E

F H B C V E Z H X Z X I J D I A C R O N

K Y L Z G Q X V K F W Y B I Q A N N M I

V V X N O K H J D M D A A I R A A A A G

P U I K B E E G X Q A D Y N Q Z T G T N

W L R Y L W T S H R G U A S W P V J U J

S U O I C I P S U A J L O F G I F X N X

 

ANALOGOUS

APOPLECTIC
AUSPICIOUS
BENEVOLENCE
BENIGN
CARNAL
CONDESCENSION
CURTNESS
ELUCIDATE
LINGERED
MALEVOLENT
MONOSYLLABIC
PURLOIN
RESPIRATION
UNFATHOMABLE

To Kill a Mockingbird Crossword

Across
2. Scouts first grade teacher
4. was addicted to morphine
6. Atticus' eldest child
7. shoots a mad dog
8. on trial in Maycomb
9. loves planting azaleas in her garden
10. Jem models a snowman after this person
11. the Finch families cook
12. only attends the first day of school
13. drinks coca cola out of a brown paper bag
14. mysterious neighbor
Down
1. refuses to take money from his teacher
3. town gossip
5. Scout and Jem's summer neighbor and friend

Obituaries

Tim Johnson A beloved dog Tim Johnson lived a long life wandering the community sniffing for bones and lady dogs. Sadly his existence had to come to an end when he caught rabies. He left a paw print on many hearts that day when Atticus Finch put a bullet into him. He was put down which was the best thing that anyone could have done.

Tom Robinson Tom will be missed by his darling wife Helen Robinson and their children. Tom Robinson lived on the outskirts of Maycomb with his wife and children. Many men and women respected Tom. He was a great man always caring for others and tried to help in any way he can while asking for no favors in return. He will not only be missed by his family but his neighbors and church as well.

Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose Will be missed by the community along with her servant Jessie. Mrs. Dubose was an elderly women when she passed away. She had prize winning camellias in her garden because she enjoyed gardening. She enjoyed gardening as well as being read to. Jem Finch read to her for the last of her days. Courage is a broad subject and Mrs. Dubose showed a big fraction of it as she suffered yet somehow gathered enough stamina to push through morphine withdrawals. Mrs. Dubose died drug free as she wished.

Letter to the editor

Dear editor,
I'm here to address the very upsetting topic of racism. It brings upon great sadness to see Maycomb's citizens torn apart because of skin colour. Skin colour isn't a choice so why should black people be treated any different than white people. Many white people think they are superior to black people and it makes me so angry because I don't understand. When slavery was abolished after the north won the civil war you would think people would have the decency to have respect for one another. I believe everyone should have equal rights as we only have one earth so why not share is peacefully? White people are so much privileged then black people. Whether they choose different actions, or views it doesn't and shouldn't effect you. They are not some disease, they are human beings like everyone. In perspective of being in love with a black women I don't see a difference other then black people are usually way more accepting and nice to fellow citizens because they can look past everything everyone has put them through. If there were Negroes in the jury I strongly believe Tom Robinson would have actually have a chance to protect his values and life. Negroes are so harshly judged and yes some may not be the best individuals but I can say the same for white people. You can judge people by the actions of others but it is not right to do so. Learn Some respect.

Written By,
Dolphus Raymond.

Mr. Heck Tate's Interview with Atticus Finch

Q : Atticus, why did you choose to defend Tom Robinson? : Heck Tate
A : I chose to defend Tom Robinson because I value equality. I believe everyone is equal and that skin        colour should not define who someone is. If someone believes that skin colour does define who someone is then they have poor judgement. I have two kids that I want to behave a certain way and show certain qualities to shape them into good people who have a fantastic judge of character but in order to do that I have to show those certain qualities myself. : Atticus Finch
Q : If a Negro had raped your child would you handle the situation the same way? : Heck Tate
A : I would have wanted nothing to do with the man who did it. I would at least try to get the man arrested but saying that I wouldn't care what his skin colour was it would just purely be about him raping my daughter. Mr. Ewell in my eyes showed many qualities that made him untrustworthy in my opinion. How I would react would be reflecting off my accusation. I would not accuse an innocent man but if I knew he was guilty I would take him to court in the hopes of him being locked up for the rest of the duration of his life. : Atticus Finch
Q : Do you think of yourself as an honest man Atticus? : Heck Tate
A : I am an honest man. I could not teach my children to be honest if I wasn't myself. Being a lawyer is not always easy because you can either get people who you think are guilty or are not guilty. I would never lie for the person I defend but it is my job to defend my client so that's all I will try to do. : Atticus Finch
Q : Do you think lawyers have lied in the past to protect their client? : Heck Tate
A : Not only in the past but in the present lawyers do lie for their clients. Some times it may not be the case of the lawyers lying but the client lying directly to the lawyer. Some lawyers, not all, but some do indeed lie for their clients because sometimes they just don't care whether they win or lose because they still receive a paycheck at the end of the day. The reason why I would never think about lying is because I have a conscience and at the end of the day I don't want to live with the burden of lying in court for a man or women. : Atticus Finch
Q : Do you think Mr. Gilmer lied during Tom Robinson's case? : Heck Tate
A : It is completely possible but as I said before it could just be a result of Mayelle or Mr.Ewell lying to him n the first place. : Atticus Finch
Q : Honestly, did you think Tom Robinson had a chance of wining this case? : Heck Tate
A : No, once a black man or women is accused for a crime by a white man or women it is always in the white man or woman's favor because here in Maycomb we do not have equal rights. Tom may have stood a chance if there was black citizens in the jury but there were not. I tried my best to fight for Tom's freedom because I do truly think he is innocent of the crime he was accused of. Tom Robinson was a respectable man.

Aunt Alexandria's Society Column

Many towns have different aspects to them which makes them unique however, with Maycomb being such nice small place it disgusts me how such a major concept here is racism. I recently moved to Maycomb to live with my brother Atticus Finch and his children Jean Louise "Scout" and Jeremy "Jem" Finch and first noticed how racist people are in one of the many meeting of the missionary circle I had joined. I thought joining a missionary circle was a fantastic way of caring for the citizens of Maycomb. The missionary circle I did indeed help many families and others but it revolved around helping only the white citizens. In perspective of being a white citizen I believe many places like Maycomb should have equal rights. Equal rights should become a law. After the civil war ended and the North won causing slavery to be abolished people should in fact learn some respect. Recently there was a trial held as Tom Robinson was accused and found guilty for rape. I am one of many people that thinks he was not tried fairly because of his skin colour. Tom Robinson was a kind man with a huge heart and did not deserve to be treated that way in front of his wife and children. Personally, I do not know if he was guilty or not but he only had one person in that court room on his side and that was my brother Atticus. Atticus is a great attorney but had no chance to begin with due to there not being any black members allowed to be a part of the jury. Since this affair had begun Tom Robinson's family has struggled and I believe this should be one of the missionaries circles biggest worries however, it is not. The missionary circle is made up of very respectable women although they have a lack of judgement clouded by racism. Being a part of a missionary circle should be about helping every one of the citizens regardless of their skin colour.

Mr. Underwood's News Column

On Monday evening a trial was held on behalf of the accused Tom Robinson at Maycomb's very own Courthouse. Robert E. Lee Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping his 19 year old daughter, Mayella Violet Ewell. The accusation was brought up a few months prior to the date of the court case to give Tom's lawyer Mr.Atticus Finch, as well as Mayella's lawyer Mr.Gilmer time to prepare. The first person to give his testimony was Heck Tate, sheriff of Maycomb. Heck Tate gave his testimony and described what happened on the night of November 21. He described Mayella Ewell's injuries and was let off the stand. Naturally, most of Maycomb's citizens are going to trust him because his role is maintaining law and order however, there was still three testimonies to be heard and a ton of gossip whirling through both white and black crowds. Next on the stand was Mr. Ewell. Mr. Ewell argued that he asked the county to clean up the nest of Negroes by his house for years but nothing had been done. Agreeing to the injuries Heck Tate had said still left Mr.Atticus Finch's question of why didn't he call for or seek out any medical attention for Mayella unanswered. During Mayella's testimony she told her side of the story of what happened on the night of November 21. She claimed she invited Tom Robinson into her home to chop up a chiffarobe for her as she was feeling slightly weak. Her statement did seem valid until she sat there in silence as Atticus asked the same question repeatedly, "Where were the other children?". When Tom Robinson's turn arrived he got up to the stand and began speaking in a tone that was very believable. Tom's side of the story was the same as Mayella's during the first portion although the last portion had a whole different approach to the truth behind the case. Mayella's statement was he had jumped on her and she was unable to get away but Tom's stated was Mayella seemed very lonely as she said she had never kissed a man so she might as well have kissed a black one and shortly after she kissed him Mr. Ewell arrived home and Tom ran away scared because he didn't want anything like this event to happen. No matter how fast Tom Robinson would have ran he could not escape the inevitable.

Everyone on the stand pledged themselves to the truth so it was left to the jury to decide who was telling the truth and who pledged themselves to the truth but lied anyways. Tom Robinson was found guilty of his crime and was sent to jail. Maycomb's citizens have much controversy over this subject because many believe Tom was not treated fairly as racism was still a major part of developing peoples opinions of people as well as situations they are in.

Miss Maudie Atkinson's Advice Column

Q: How do you handle a tragic situation such as your house burning down?

Dear Anonymous,
Handling a situation such as my house burning down is not a simple thing. First you need to keep calm because otherwise you will just frustrate yourself if the damage isn't able to be fixed. Never let go of your past because memories can make you a much stronger person. It's important to not let the situation impact you in such a negative way that your emotions take over. However, it is perfectly normal to be upset, and time will heal most wounds. My house burning down was indeed tragic but I'm able to take over my life and start new and not let my house burning down become such a major part of my life that it takes over my life. Good luck with the situation you are dealing with! 

 Sincerely,
Miss Maudie

Q: My flowers keep dying and I have noticed how healthy your flowers in your garden are! How do I grow such beautiful Azaleas?

Dear Anonymous,

Growing healthy azaleas take time. First, if you live near water you may may want to raise the flower bed otherwise the flowers could rot. Azaleas LOVE moisture so make sure you nourish them with tons of water. Mulch and drainage will help you a lot. Try and grow them in a more shady area as well. Azaleas should be trimmed and pruned once they start to grow and when they dry out because the more you do that then more buds you will get the next season. 

Sincerely,

Miss Maudie

Q: If someone asks me why they shouldn't kill a mockingbird what should I say?

Dear Anonymous,
Mockingbirds are only there to make beautiful music for us to hear. They cause no harm to anyone or anything and are far from a pest. Its a sin to kill a mockingbird because all they do is sing their hearts out to make music for us to enjoy. Mockingbirds resemble innocent people. You wouldn't want to kill an innocent man or women so killing an innocent Mockingbird would not be of any benefit.

Sincerely,

Miss Maudie

Ms.Stephanie Crawford's Gossip Column

During the summer when Dill arrived to Maycomb he was intrigued by the mysteriousness of Boo Radley. He brought curiosity among Scout and Jem. Dill, Jem, and Scout invaded Boo Radley's privacy as they kept trying to get Boo to come outside. Atticus began to get very annoyed. The more the kids disobeyed Atticus the more frustrated he got and he snapped one night. Scout and Dill were still very young so he took hs anger out on Jem by slapping him across the face. This continued for a few nights and it will most likely continue.

I overheard Ms.Maudie talking to Jem and Scout about her house burning down. She always wanted something like a fire to happen to her house so she could move on and get a smaller one. The fire was not an accident she wanted this to happen so she ended up setting fire to her house and tried to make it look like an accident.

Atticus is only defending Tom Robinson in court because Calpurnia asked him to. Calpurnia had a love affair with Tom a while back and she really cares for him. The reason behind him saying yes was because she loves Calpurnia. He wishes times were different. Calpurnia is hoping that Tom is released from all charges so they can be together.