TKAM post #5 Ch 13-15 as Atticus

Atticus

 

I am extremely stressed. I have been repeatedly harassed by my colleagues for defending an innocent black man, and I can tell that this case is affecting Jem and Scout as well. I know they have been made fun of at school, and their friends have been shooting insults at me, but they have been performing admirably, as always.  I hope that the presence of their aunt Alexandra will distract them a little, and I hope that through her visit, they will learn to tolerate her, which is by far better than their current opinion of her.  Just last night, Alexandra convinced me to talk to Jem and Scout about the family history. I think I came across a little odd, despite my attempt to look cheerful. Perhaps the act of clearing my throat gave it away to them. Such smart children. I told them that the Finch family has a dignified history in Maycomb county. I told them that their aunt wished to impose that they should act more like a lady and gentleman than their current state. I think Alexandra can be a little pushy, even towards me. I think she expects a little too much from Jem and Scout.

            Today, Scout asked if she could go over to Calpurnia’s to spend the day with her. Alexandra simply snapped, saying in an overly firm tone, “you may not.” Scout replied wittily that she hadn’t asked sister, but asked me. I demanded that Scout apologize to her aunt immediately. Scout is going to have a hard time learning to like my sister. Alexandra feels the same way I fear, because she violently kept at her embroidery, the needle making loud noises as it passed through the taught cloth. The needle’s rate got increasingly faster, until after a long silence, Scout went up to her room.

            Later that night, I heard commotion in Scout’s room, so I went to investigate. Turns out, Dill had snuck away from home, and gotten all the way into Maycomb, where he had been hiding for almost two hours under Scout’s bed. That rascal, it is just like Dill to sneak out. After we got Dill something to eat, we put him to bed for the night. Many phone calls and letters later, we decided that Dill could stay with Miss Rachel. Scout and Jem were very happy to have at least one person around that didn’t spread vicious rumors about their father. Charles Baker Harris is a good influence on those two, because he treats them the same even though their father is having terrible judgment wrongfully passed upon him.

            As I read at the office last night, Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Ewell showed up at my door. They wanted Tom Robinson. I told them he was asleep in the jail, but they wanted him anyway. I suppose they would have killed him that night, if it weren’t for Scout barging in on our conversation. Jem and Dill following, she jumped into my arms and completely shocked Mr. Cunningham. I turned to Jem, and in a solemn tone told him that he needed to take Scout and Dill home. Being stubborn like his father, he refused. A large man grabbed him and told him that he was going to make him go home. Scout fought back, kicking that man in the groin. He stumbled backwards, and Scout shouted, “don’t you touch him!” She turned to Mr. Cunningham and they talked for a while about his son Walter. Mr. Cunningham turned to his men and told him it was time to head home. A voice from above said that it had our back, and we turned to see Mr. Underwood holding a double barreled shotgun hanging out the Mobile Register office window. Tom Robinson appeared from behind the jail bars and asked if they had gone. He understood what they would have done to him. I cannot imagine what he must feel right now. How cruel of the world to have wrongly accused an innocent man of something he did not do. I cannot imagine.