Reading Selection 02.07

Chapter 1 of "To Kill A Mockingbird"

Summary

Chapter 1 presents the basis for all the characters in the book. The narrator, Jean Louise Finch, is a girl who attends elementary school and is still innocent. The reader can tell that the narrator has a good relationship with her older brother, Jem Finch. As the chapter progresses, Jean explains about her family coming to the United States and each of her uncles' success. Atticus Finch, Jean's father, is a widow and works as a lawyer in Maycomb. The kids do have some memories of their mother, even though she passed away when they were both very young. At home, Atticus receives help from Calpurnia, a woman who has helped with Jem and Jean and does the chores of the house. The narrator explains how her and her brother made a friend during the summer, Charles. Charles was the nephew of one of the Finch's neighbors, Miss Rachel Haverford. During the summer, the three become good friends and decide to visit and disturb Boo Radley. Boo Radley is a neighbor who stabbed his father and who has not been out of his house for years. The kids certainly don’t know what they are getting into by disturbing Boo Radley’s environment.

Personal Reaction

I personally liked this chapter of the book, even though I just started reading it. At first, when I was assigned to read this book, I had a feeling it would be boring but it turns out, I started liking the book by the first chapter. I like to read suspense books and “To Kill a Mockingbird” seems to have a bit of it. The tone of the narrator is very different, yet interesting. If I were Jean, Jem, and Charles, I would not have bothered to even look at Boo Radley’s house. I believe that if someone has not done any harm to you, you must leave them in peace. The book seems like it will be getting better, due to the kids’ curiosity.

Note-Taking

If I had to take notes on this chapter of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” I would probably use the list typ of note-taking because I like to break the chapter down to make it more simple to read. A list would allow me to get the main points of the chapter and to understand the chapter quicker.