To Kill a Mockingbird Post 3: Chapters 4-7

Chapter 4

Wrigley's Doublemint Gum (ad from the 70s)

Scout trudges through the rest of the awful school year. On the way home one day, she sees a piece of tin foil in a knothole in a tree in front of the Radley's house. She sees that it's two pieces of Wrigley's Doublemint gum and equivocates putting it in her mouth. She does so, and runs home and tells Jem about it. Jem freaks out and demands she spit it out. Scout obeys, reluctantly, telling us that the flavor has diluted anyway. When Jem and Scout revisit the tree on the last day of school, they find two Indian Head coins inside a wedding ring box. Following the code, "Finders keepers", the duo decide to claim the pennies as their own, but discuss trying to find their owner.

"School's out!"

Summer. Finally! Dill returns, school work ends, and playtime begins. Naturally, Scout asks to be stuffed into a tire and rolled down the hill. Unfortunately she rolls right into the Radley's front yard! Luckily, she makes it out alive and unharmed, but the fear probably took off an hour or two of her life. Jem leads up the next game and suggests that the three of them pretend that they're the Radleys. What started off as a simple activity evolved into a complex, almost theatrical performance from the trio. Once Atticus catches them and asks if they're interpreting the Radleys, Jem lies and denies everything. Atticus the proceeded to get on with his business. Jem's logic was that "he didn't say we couldn't, so we can [play our game]."

Chapter 5

Jem and Dill's relationship grew stronger every day. My brother and my cousin are both six years older that I am. When I was little, I sometimes felt like Scout did in this chapter. Left out. Scout then began to spend time with a neighbor: Miss Maudie Atkinson. Scout asked her about Boo Radley and the first thing she told her is that his real name is Arthur, and he is still alive. They have long conversations, and Scout is told that most of the rumors about the boy are false. But one of the top rules for reading any story is to never take a character's word for anything. Persistant as a ringing cell phone during church, Jem decides that he is going to give a note to Boo (or Arthur?) Radley. Dill came along with him. Atticus busted them after their failed attempt.

Chapter 6

Curiosity killed the cat, and it almost killed Jem because he snuck out that night with Scout and Dill. His goal this time was just to peer through the shutters and get a good look at Boo/Arthur. After seeing a silhouette of a man wearing a hat, Jem dashes away and hears the fire of a shotgun. His pants get caught on the fence and he wiggles out of them to escape. The kids run away and notice that a group of people from the neighborhood have gathered around the Radley Place. They go up to them so as to not seem strange. They are informed that Mr. Radley shot after a Negro in his yard. Forgetting he isn't wearing any pants, Jem is quickly reminded when his father asks him where they are. Dill says that they were playing Strip Poker.

Chapter 7

Back to school. These are Scout's three least favorite words. This year wasn't any more auspicious than the first grade. On the way home, Jim tells Scout that he found his pants at the Radley's house and that they were folded neatly as if they were expecting him. Scout her brother find another item in the tree in front of the Radley's house. A ball of twine. The two leave it there for a couple days, and then claim it as their own. The following days they find two soap figures that look like Jem and Scout, chewing gum, a spelling bee medal, and an old pocket watch. The next day, the knothole in the tree was filled with cement. When the kids ask Mr. Radley why, he tells them that the tree was dying. Jem notices that the tree was very much alive, and didn't look at all like it was dying.