Journal #1 Ch 1-3 as Scout

Scout’s Journal

Dear Journal,

I miss the summer. If only Jem, Dill and I could play together again, I would be so happy. I miss the Tarzan reenactments, the long summer days, and Dill’s eccentric personality. I will always remember the time Dill dared Jem to touch the old, shady Radley Place. The mischievous look on Dill’s face, the terror in Jem’s eyes that he tried to hide with a confident remark of, “Touch the house? That all?” of course, it didn’t fool me. I saw right through Jem’s deception, and I think Dill realized that Jem was intimidated by that cursed, malevolent house. Nevertheless, Dill egged him on, as immature as he was, and it got to finally got to Jem, so he did it. My heart skipped a beat as Jem catapulted past the Radley gate, and hurtled towards the looming mansion. The dead silence amplified the smack of Jem’s hand against the wooden structure of Radley Place, and his heavy, footfalls, rate increasing with every step. Jem blurred past us, racing towards our house. We followed him closely, and once we got to the front porch, panting and out of breath, Jem gasped, “There. Dill, you owe me The Grey Ghost.” The long summer days filled with adventure, fun and imaginative thoughts have gone, but I wish they would last forever.
After my first day of school today, I wish I could be more like that rat Burris Ewell, the one whose cooties scared Miss Caroline up onto the table today. I suppose I should tell the story of today’s events in the order they happened, so that this entry makes more sense, should I ever choose to read it again. My first day of the First Grade went awfully. I could think of worse ways for it to go, but still, a bad, bad day. I met my new teacher today, she’s from Winston County in Northern Alabama. Everybody in Maycomb knows that when Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, Winston County Seceded from Alabama! Not too many folks around here are going to take kindly to this Miss Caroline. First thing I got in trouble for wasn’t my fault. Miss Caroline was mad at me ‘cause I knew how to read. I told her what Jem said about me reading The Mobile Register ever since I was born, but she didn’t believe me, and told me to tell Atticus to stop teaching me how to read. You think she would be happy if her students were smart. This fact irked me. Must be part of this new “Dewey Decimal System” teaching method that they are using. Jem says that the school is going to try it out on the first graders, then make the rest of the school go along next year. It isn’t fair. Second thing I learned about Miss Caroline was that she was going to have a real hard time gettin’ used to livin’ in Maycomb. Today, she tried to give Walter Cunningham a quarter to buy himself lunch. Everyone over the age of 5 in Maycomb knows that the Cunninghams won’t accept ANY money. I suppose the reason I know this is the time Atticus had to work for he Cunningham’s and was paid with firewood and a bushel of potatoes.
As I said earlier, I wish summer would come around sooner. I realize that my school year will be spent with Miss Caroline, possibly getting whipped and put in the corner like today. I will perservere, just to make Jem and Atticus proud. I will write again soon with more information on my school year.
Until then,
Jean Louise Finch