And the Oscar Goes To...

Wow!  I am absolutely honored to have won this award.  After 4 nominations, it’s about time!  While it is so special to up onstage with you all tonight, I really wish I could be back in Maycomb County.  The experience of filming To Kill a Mockingbird was like no other.  While I had read the book, the movie turned out to be completely different.  In my opinion, the changes were definitely for the better.  The order may be mixed up, some characters changed, scenes were added or decreased, but the movie and the book stand alone. The morals and values stay the same even if they plot line is altered.  I have learned so much through experiencing humanity and living it.  I know what kind of person I want to be; Atticus was such a role model to me.  A big shout out to Scout and Jem for being the best children I could have ever dreamed of.  Finch’s all the way!

-Gregory Peck

Academy Award Winner, Best Actor in Leading Role

(Fake) Acceptance Speech

Emmett Till VS Tom Robinson

A couple of weeks ago, we read about the trial and death of Emmett Till.  We just finished chapters 18-21 in To Kill a Mockingbird, the chapters containing the trial of Tom Robinson.  I thought it would be thought-provoking to compare and contrast the two stories.  I was, honestly, expecting more similarities than differences, but my hypothesis was wrong.  I think that by differentiating the two trials, I have a better understanding of the racial hatred during those time periods, as well as the trials in general.   I hope this helps you out, too!

Connections

Text to Text--To Kill a Mockingbird to Mean Girls


When I read chapter 16, I immediately saw a version of Mean Girls playing in my head.  The specific scene that I note a connection to was the lunchroom scene.  Janis was showing Cady around the lunchroom so that she could make an informed decision on where to sit the first day.  
"As the country went by us, Jem gave Dill the histories and general attitudes of the more prominent figures: Mr. Tensaw Jones voted the straight Prohibition ticket; Miss Emily Davis dipped snuff in private; Mr. Byron Waller could play the violin; Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth," (212).
I felt that Jem was thrusting his beliefs and "attitudes" of these people unto Dill.  Because Dill doesn't know any better, he goes along with it.  While Jem isn't necessarily being judgmental, he is using prejudice which is even worse.  Jem is giving people reputations without investigating further.  Against what is most believed, Jem is not as humane as expected.   Mean Girls was written for the teenage audience so that they would learn the harms of stereotyping.  Although I have already learned that lesson in the movie, I guess it doesn't hurt to catch up with it again in the most unexpected 

Text to Self--To Kill a Mockingbird to Geometry


This year in math class, I'm studying geometry.  As an introduction to the year, we had to start solving a "crime scene".  This was intended to show the connection between law and math.  
"'Judge, if you'll allow the question plus another one, you'll soon see,'" (236). 
Sometimes while proving in geometry, or in a case for that matter, it takes a couple steps to see why any of them were necessary.  There are also other similarities.  In both, there is a goal that must be proved with certain facts given to help complete that goal; postulates are comparable to those given facts of a case; theorems resemble the testimonies because they aren't necessarily facts, it takes steps to prove that they are facts and they will eventually help prove the ultimate goal.