To Kill a Mockingbird
@ Harper Lee
Chapter 9 TKAM

This chapter begins with Scout getting into a fight with Cecil Jacobs who taunts her that her father is defending “niggers”. She confronts Atticus who tells her it’s true but asks her not to use the n word. She gives him the eternal child answer that “everyone uses it”; he tells her “less one”; she uses this as another chance to have him stop sending her to school. Doesn’t it break your heart that someone so smart dislikes something that she should be enjoying? Apparently, scout has been engaging in a campaign to use every excuse to get out of school since September.

There is a wonderful dialogue between Atticus and Scout about why he’s defending Tom Robinson and he begs her to fight with her head and not her fists. She asks if he will win and he tells her no and she further questions him. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”. She asks if it’s like fighting the Yankees, and he tells her that this time they are fighting their friends. Remembering this conversation, she walks away from Cecil as he further taunts her.

And then came Christmas which is spent with her relatives, one of whom is her cousin Francis her nemesis but also her favorite Uncle Jack. Scout proceeds to use her new favorite word “damn” around Uncle Jack and he tells her that she isn’t to ever use profanity around him unless “there’s extreme provocation.” Then they all depart for Finch’s Landing which from its description, is a very stately manor on a former plantation. She tries to have a conversation about Christmas gifts with Francis but you can see that these two are as different as oil and water. Aunt Alexandra starts in on Scout right away with Atticus about her unladylike appearance and behavior.

Francis starts taunting Scout about Dill and the gossip surrounding his family background as only an insecure child can do about another. Then he starts repeating what he’s heard about Scout running wild with a N-lover father. She chases him into the kitchen, which is apparently off limits, and sits outside waiting for him to come out. When Aunt Alex goes looking for him, he yells out that Scout won’t let him out. When he does come out, he continues to taunt her until she socks him in the mouth. He lies about what she called him, and she just agrees, Uncle Jack punishes her and takes her home. She tells him she “Hates Him” and runs to her room.

Later we get a touching scene where Uncle Jack goes to her and she tells him that he wasn’t fair. He didn’t stop to ask her what her side of the story was. When she tells him what happened, he feels terrible, but she begs him not to tell Atticus since she’s not supposed to fight with anyone over this again.

Later, she hears Uncle Jack and Atticus on the porch talking about why UJ will never marry and that’s because he doesn’t want to have children. He says that Scout taught him his first lesson this afternoon and that she was right. Atticus teaches him his second lesson, that when a child asks about something, you tell them the truth. Atticus isn’t bothered about UJ punishing Scout, because he knows that the worse is yet to come and Scout needs to learn to keep her cool. They start discussing the case and Atticus tells him that he doesn’t expect to win the case but is hoping to on appeal. Scout then overhears him saying that he was appointed the case and his hope that Scout and Jem can survive the fallout. Then he calls out to Scout to “go to bed” so you know that this conversation was intentional. She was also happy to know that Uncle Jack hadn’t gone back on his word and told Atticus about what happened that day.

What a frightening position it is when you are duty bound to do something that negatively affects those around you and you have not recourse but to carry it out. But on the flipside is the wonderful opportunity Jem and Scout get to learn about duty and honor from the most important man in their life, their father.

Great summary, Pauline.
I just love how much emotion Harper Lee packs into each chapter. You can just feel the ire in Scout and how difficult it is for her to remain calm when her family is being verbally attacked. I don't condone violence, but it felt good when Scout socked Francis in the mouth. The Finch men are pretty solid thinkers who own up to their errors. I think Scout learned a great lesson when UJ apologized to her. It would have been easier to just let it go, but he admitted that he had been unfair to her. This episode is a dry run for the unpleasantness to follow.

Poor Scout. She tried the best she could to please Atticus, knowing that he rarely asked her or Jem for anything. It took all her inner strength, but she walked away from a fight when Cecil. Even after finally reaching her limit with Frances (who definitely had it coming in spades, and I only wish Jack had a shot at him too), she wanted to protect Atticus from knowing the cause of the fight. I really liked her Uncle Jack, and I wish we would see more of his interactions with the kids and Atticus. Even though it was very mean spirited on Frances' behalf, we finally learned the truth behind Dill's home life. All in all, this chapter left me feeling blue and worried for the Finch family.

Great summary Pauline -

This chapter to me is all about justice and the introduction of standards - Atticus defending Tom Robinson even though its a battle he can't win.. suggests that Atticus will always take the honourable way, and expects Jem and Scout to do the same, which is why Scout is so indignant against UJ -"you never stopped to gimme a chance to tell you my side of it - you just lit right into me "

I found this to be quite an emotional read but there's some light relief in Aunt Alexandra's determination that Scout should act like a girl and play with tea-sets and wear pearls -as if