TKAMB Chpt. 1-3

Journal #1

Chapters 1-3

Perspective of Ms. Caroline

This group of first graders here in Maycomb, I have to say are quite interesting children. It's not exactly a good interesting either. First I have miss Jean Louise Finch who goes by the name 'Scout'. She comes to school already knowing how to read. My job as a teacher is to teach. How can I teach if these children are already taught by their parents how to do everything. So I tell her that she ought to tell her father to stop teaching her at home, for that's what school is for. Not only that, I can just tell by the looks of her that she is trouble. Next I have a kid, whose name is quite peculiar. Burris Ewell! What a name! I was teaching my class, and as I walk by Burris something crawls out of his hair! I nearly fainted. Another child Little Chuck Little helped me to my desk, since I was still in sheer panic, and got me a glass of water.Chuck told me to calm down and said it was just a cootie. I didn't know cooties could move? Didn't know the Ewell's name at first. Poor child didn't even know how to spell his name when I asked him for it. After my nerves had settled down a bit I excused the boy, and told him to go home and wash up. I cannot have critters running around my class room, and most definitely don't want to see another "cootie" in a child's hair. What made everything even worse about Ewell happened when he stood up to leave. He was the most filthy person I had ever seen in my entire existence. His neck was an unnatural color of grey. The back of his hands were disgusting, and his finger nails were an atrocious shade of black. As he was leaving I told him to come back tomorrow bathed as well. This comment started an up roar. "You ain't sending me home, missus. I was on the verge of leavin' - I done done my time for this year." Now this comment didn't quite make any sense to me. The people indigenous to Maycomb have quite interesting vocabulary, so I ask what he is actually talking about. An older boy in the class says that he is one of the Ewells and that the whole school is full of them. The Ewells have reputation for coming on the first day of school ever year and not being present the rest of the year. I wasn't going to let this child go so I tell him to sit down instead of going home as I had ordered him to before. As I said this once again Burris got upset that I had ordered him to stay and at once was ready for the attack. " You try to make me missus." he says to me. My little hero Little Chuck Little once again comes to my rescue. He tells me that I'm better off sending him home then having him stay here or continue this argument. He tells Burris to leave and see something quite odd occur. Ewell seems to be afraid of Little Chuck Little who I noted is half his size! As I second what Chuck had said that most foul words came out of Ewell's mouth. It is too savage for me to write down, but I can tell you it was horrible. The child made me cry. All the kids, the rest of them sweethearts (though I would never admit it aloud), came around my desk trying in all the ways that they could to comfort me. After a while of their comforting I smiled, blew my nose and carried on with my day. If this is only the beginning of my school year I wonder what is yet to come.