Tuesday, July 1, 2014

What are some myths and their sources in To Kill a Mockingbird?

BOO RADLEY.  Scout speaks of "According to neighborhood legend..." when recounting her stories about Boo. Some have come from her classmates, and some have come from adults, such as Miss Stephanie. "Jem received most of his information from Miss Stephanie Crawford, a neighborhood scold..."


INDIAN HEAD PENNIES.  Boo's pennies were gifts of good luck and magic. According to Jem, "... they come from the Indians. They're real strong magic, they make you have good luck."


THE SMELL OF DEATH.  Dill claims to be able to tell when a person is going to die. "... I can smell somebody and tell if they're gonna die. An old lady taught me how."


HOT STEAMS.  Dill was also a source of knowledge about Hot Steams, "... somebody who can't get to heaven, just wallows around on lonesome roads an' if you walk through him, when you die you'll be one too..."


THE ROSETTA STONE.  According to Mr. Avery, it was written on the Rosetta Stone that "It's bad children like you make the seasons change."


THE GUILTY JURY.  Scout probably learned this part-fact, part-myth, from Atticus. "A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted."


DOLPHUS RAYMOND.  Stories abound about Mr. Raymond; Jem prefaces his gossip with "they say..."  Of course, Scout and Dill discover the truth during a break in the trial.

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