As depicted throughout the chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is a very moral man, much more moral than many of the other characters in the book. As the children ponder why Atticus never told them of his special talent, Miss Maudie gives them her explanation. “‘If you father’s anything, he’s civilized in his heart. Marksmanship’s a gift of God, a talent…you have to practice to make it perfect, but shootin’s different from playing the piano or the like. I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things.’”(130) do you think Atticus was right in giving up his talent because he felt that he had an unfair advantage over other living things? This part of the novel is a strong characterization of Atticus and the type of person he is, for any other person could’ve just walked around proclaiming that they were a brilliant shooter and gained the respect of people, but Atticus chose not to tell his children and to give up.
This part of the story is part of the theme that people aren’t always the way they seem. For example, at the beginning of chapter 10, Scout describes Atticus and how feeble he is, and how he is nearly blind in one eye, which makes the news that he was an expert marksman an even bigger surprise, because from the way Scout depicts Atticus, it seems as if he is an old man who can’t do much. Also, in chapter 10, leading up to the revealing of Atticus’s talent, Scout asks Miss Maudie and Calpurnia if Atticus has any special talents, and she and Jem are disappointed that their father isn’t able to do the activities other fathers can participate in, such as the football game. Those events kind of foreshadow that something is going to happen because Harper Lee spends several pages talking about it. After her explanation of why Atticus laid down his gun, Miss Maudie says, “‘People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.’” (130) Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Is this statement always true? Or is it only true sometimes? If there is a time, when can (or can't) people take pride in their talents?
Click here to read some quotes on talent
Some particular quotes are:
- "No one respects a talent that is concealed." Desiderius Erasmus
- "Hidden talent counts for nothing." Nero
- "Talent does you no good unless it's recognized by someone else." Robert Half
Those are all quotes that go against what Atticus thought about his talent. Do you agree or disagree with these quotes?
Atticus's character is very different from most people. He tries hard to see the good side of things--which plays a part on his job as a lawyer. I agree that he does not flaunt his talents because he has realized that he felt he had an advantage, but I cannot disagree with this fact because Lee clearly stated this. I think that there is a deeper meaning with his hidden talent. According to Miss Maudie, Atticus used to show off, for "if he shot fifteen times and hit fourteen doves he'd complain about wasting ammunition." (130) I feel that Atticus used to enjoy this talent but, using his talent, did something wrong (shot a mockingbird perhaps), and learned from his mistakes. Why do you think that Lee decided to include this quote? Why do you think Lee said Atticus shot doves out of all birds?
ReplyDeleteEveryone has a particular talent. No talent should be shown off constantly. But it is sometimes necessary to use them. For example, when the dog was threatening their community, Atticus had no choice but to shoot it. I feel that talents that involve death are not necessary to flaunt unless when under extreme circumstances.
This chapter helped me understand more about Atticus and why he is different than most characters in the book. Since Atticus is so moral, it is why he gave up his "unfair advantage." Although it is not right, it shows and characterizes Atticus even more, by showing his important decisions and how it affects him. I agree and disagree with the statement, "People in their right minds never take pride in their talents." This definitely depends on the type of person. For someone like Atticus, he is modest about his talents, and he does not like to show off. For someone more open, they might boast about their talents, instead of hidiing it. This statement is not always true because it can depend on what the specific talent is. For Atticus's shooting talent he chose to ignore it and not tell his kids. One of the reasons he might have done this is so they do not feel entitled, which shows how moral Atticus is to another extent.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Hughie’s post for chpt. 7-8
ReplyDeleteI believe that Harper lee included this scene in the book for a few more reasons than the ones you have already mentioned. By this point in the book it is already clear to the reader that Boo (Authur Radley) is not the type of man that people claim he is. Jem is able to see past the townspeople’s blindness and see a good person in Boo, exactly like Atticus sees that Tom Robison is a good person. Though Scout does not understand this, she agrees with Jem that there is some goodness in Boo. Their curiosity is great because they know he can't quite be normal or up to Maycomb’s standards. Though to some it might appear creepy that Boo placed the blanket on Scout’s shoulders, but from Atticus’s reaction Harper Lee seems to be trying to say something else. She composes this idea that Boo, whatever he might do, or whoever might be is for the better. Curiosity killed the cat as the saying goes, but will Jem’s and Scout’s curiosity save Boo in the end? Do the children see Boo differently than the adults? Is this for the better or worse? Is there a reason Boo targets these children instead of anyone else?
People should take pride in there talents. If talent is a gift from God, wouldn't most people in Scouts time believe that God wouldn't have given if the person weren't to use it. Mrs Maudie says "Marksmanship's a gift from god, a talent." If Einstein had not used his talent for math where would we be? Possibly for the worse since his research led to the atom bomb but he also discovered the Theory of Relativity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Einstein_1979_USSR_Stamp.jpg
ReplyDeleteDo you think Atticus would stop Scout from cultivating one of her talents because it’s unfair? I think most likely he wouldn’t say that to her, excepting the time the time he made her stop beating up guys. Most people have talents, some people have the talent to lead others or the talent to teach, is it unfair to teach if someone is naturally talented at it?
Everyone has a talent and they should express that talent because if they don't there is now point in having it. However, if the talent is doing something morally objectionable like killing an innocent animal then it can be expressed but not too much. This is why Atticus is very moral and realizes that he is taking advantage of his talent. If the talent is soccer or shooting a gun it is very different. Imagine how many animals Atticus would be killing if he fully expressed his talent. I think that Atticus should have continued shooting but not on living animals but at targets like cans. Do you think there is a better solution so he doesn't have to give up shooting, or do you think that he made the right choice?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christian in the sense that Boo's identity is further seen and revealed. Boo is like the mockingbird, innocent and unharmful. Boo hasn't done anything wrong to the kids and if anything, he's done extremely generous deeds. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are so innocent. Likewise with Boo, the kids cannot kill Boo with rumors if he has not done anything wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhen ms. Maudie says the quote about not revealing talents i feel she is really saying talents do not need to be screamed from a mountain top. People should be modest about talent and let the other people talk about it. This is why Atticus is such a strong figure and why he is viewed as a moralistic and mature character.
In the beginning of chapter 10, Scout thinks Atticus is not "cool" like the other parents. What is ironic about that is that what she thinks is "cool" is driving a dump truck and working in a garage, which shows how Maycomb effects her. It is also ironic that they don't care about smarts and the only thing that makes Atticus cool is killing an animal like a barbarian. Do you think Maycomb will ever change it's ways?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zach. This action really shows that Atticus is the ultimate gentleman. He is so self confident that he does not need to show off or conform to the norm in order to be respected. His respect for himself and his humble, moral spirit make him an example of a gentleman. He is a talented shooter but does not need to show it. He is a talented checkers player but is still willing to let his children beat him. This is his parenting style. He clearly leads by example, and it appears to work. In the end of chapter ten, Jem says that Atticus is a gentleman, just like him. This shows that Jem is following his father's good example of modesty
ReplyDeleteJack, I disagree with what you are saying. I think the fact that he is covering up the fact that he has a good shot with a gun is conforming to blend in with other people. He is covering up his full potential trying to be a gentleman. While he still should be a gentleman I do not think that he should not be himself. By doing this he is portraying an impression on Jem and Scout that he is just some boring old guy who spends his time in the office. If that is his parenting style than he is a bad parent. A boy that is Jems age needs guidance from and adult figure and by leaving him to his own resources with Scout, he is not getting the proper attention. Although to be modest is good it is OK for a HUMAN BEING to show some pride at some point in time.
ReplyDeleteAtticus is a complicated character. Harper Lee doesn’t give him any scenes that have some real, deep emotion so the reader is left wondering what he is feeling most of the time or thinking, “why would he do something like that?” When you think about it, people use emotion to portray many things. Sometimes people just give a look backed by emotions and it is just as good as words. So, without some emotion to explain Atticus’s choses and actions what does the reader have left? In the end, people could have many opinions as to why Atticus does what he does but most likely they’ll be different because they’re the readers own interpretation. Therefore, with that said, Atticus hid his talent for shooting because it was something he was not proud of. Maybe one day while practicing his shooting when he was younger he killed a mockingbird and fell into a sea of shame or simply didn’t want to be labeled as someone who was special because then he would be noticed more as someone unique and put under the spotlight. Which, considering Atticus’s character does not seem like the type to want attention but more like the type that will end up as an “inside person,” a person who is nice, full of wisdom, but keeps to himself. At the same time Atticus does spend a lot of time down town at work, so he falls into his own category as someone who cannot be fully explained in one single way.
ReplyDeleteHow does this picture relate to Atticus and his character/beliefs?
http://www.juncadella.net/barcelona/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/villano-alone.jpg