My First Birthday By Charles Baker Essay

The Birthday by Mike McCormick seemed to start out strange at first but as the reader keeps reading the story it gets more bizarre,and as a result it could change the reader's perspective on things, resulting in a whole new point of view of life in the future. It’s a short story about a kid who is having a birthday party, and his dad who just happens to drop to the ground and starts spewing smoke out of his nose and mouth, and an occasional spark would occur around him, at first one might think he was struck by lightning or electricity but that's not the case here. The kid's mom then quickly got everyone inside and decided to call Uncle Steve, at first the reader might think, maybe he is a doctor, maybe he knows how to fix this strange problem the dad was having. But all we knew was that he is just their uncle. When uncle steve arrived he asked the Nate if he wanted to go help fix his dad, as uncle steve was checking on Nate's dad he seemed to be using strange methods and tools like screwdrivers and pliers, while also tugging at his arms, wrenching at something underneath his armpit, and sticking his finger between his teeth feeling for something, but somehow that made him work again.

The sky was always blue holding sunshine rays in her world. Her name was Rosaline Deponte, my great-grandma. The continuous smile that she showed on her face reminded us how precious life is and to not take things for granted. Cold wood floors that could easily freeze toes, single-walled construction, shut rows of jalousie windows, and the smell of warm sweet bread on the counter 24/7, that was Rosaline’s house.

When Dill runs away from his mother and new stepfather from Meridian, Mississippi to Maycomb County, Alabama, it’s because he never truly felt at home with his parents in Meridian. When he was in Maycomb with the Finches and his Aunt Rachel, he felt like he belonged. Jem and Scout first found Dill hiding under Scout’s bed one night and he told them one of his make-believe Dill-like tales (158), but later that night he told Scout the real reason he ran away. Dill felt neglected by his parents, saying “they stayed gone all the time, and when they were home, even, they’d be off in a room by themselves” (161). Dill tried to get along and spend time with his new father by planning on building a boat with him, but when Scout asked about it, Dill only said, “He just said we would.

“ Atticus Finch is the same in his house, as he is in the public streets” (46). This quote shows that Atticus is not just nice outside of the house, but also in the house which prove that Atticus is not a two faced monster. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is proven to be an influential character to many people in the town of Maycomb. Throughout the book, Atticus never changes, but other characters views on Atticus or racism do for the better. Not only can parents stride to live up to Atticus's’ name, but the younger population of the town can look at Atticus as their role model. Attius has proven that he is saint like in his code of honor as a lawyer, a father, and as a man.

Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem matures through three important stages of his life. Within these stages Jem’s experiences such as creating plays about Boo Radley, reading to Mrs. Dubose, and processing the Tom Robinson trial all taught him

Anyways, I came in that lovely Sunday afternoon and had Calpurnia put my things into the front bedroom, you know the one off to the left of the front door. Well anyways, everyone welcomed me to town, even that Mr. Radley fellow came over and said he was glad to meet me. Within the first couple days of being there I became the Secretary of the Maycomb Amanuensis Club

He tells Atticus that Dill ran away. Scout and Dill are shocked because Jem told

In addition, Jem abandons all of his childish morals: “Jem looked the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. ‘Atticus,’ his voice was distant, ‘can you come here a minute, sir?’” (p.187-188). Dill, Jem and Scout’s best friend, ran away from his home and came to the Finch’s house. Jem has broken “the remaining code of our childhood” by telling Atticus about Dill, rather than keeping it a secret. He has matured past his childhood years, and realizes that sometimes it is best to involve adults.

Through the life he lived, Atticus was a positive example and taught his children how to think critically, and how to be a caring person in a life full of darkness. Atticus was a devoted, compassionate and honorable father to his motherless children teaching them about right and wrong in this world. He taught his children how to function as respectable adults. His children, Scout and Jem, did not call him “dad” but instead use his real name “Atticus”. “He [Atticus] spoke to his children in an adult like manner, extending them the privilege to think and reply like grown-ups.

Who knew spending time with a grouchy neighbor could change you as a person? In to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem Finch the main character's brother faces many obstacles in the story while he tries to come of age. He starts to come of age during his time with Mrs.Dubose. Even though he is just reading to her for one month in that one month that he reads to her Jem changes as a person. Jem’s coming of age experience is developed at Mrs.Dubose house through tone,conflict and irony.

Atticus has an interesting parenting style which makes him and his kids more like friends than a family. This family has lived in the same small town, Maycomb. While living in the same place has its advantages, it also brings many difficult memories and situations back. As mentioned throughout the book, Jem and Scout lost their mother at very young ages. Scout was only two, so her knowledge and memories of her are very vague. Jem was six

Having watched Scout, Jem, and Dill grow during Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” we relies how they aged and matured. Having been raised in a time of racism and Great Depression the children have been through many traumatizing events stripping them of innocence. Harper Lee’s novel is narrated by Scout, she shows a more innocent and curious point of view of these unforgettable events in the novel. The novel study's how Dill manages to change from a young curious boy into a more thoughtful person. Although he only appears during the summer time we can see the great changes in his life. Jem has become a young man, no longer interested in child games and takes charge when Mr. Ewell sends a threat to Atticus. Scout learns that

You can see the reunion when Dill (Jem and Scouts friend) comes back to Maycomb from is his home in Meridian. “How’d you get here?” Asked Jem “He had taken thirteen dollars from his mother’s purse, caught the nine o’clock from Meridian and got off at Maycomb Junction” (Lee 189). Dill had run away from home because his mother had remarried, and he wasn't getting enough attention that a child should be getting. So he decided to go to the second place he calls home and that's with the Finch family. And for this character he has reunited with this family once again. You will also see the reunion when Atticus invites his sister who is also Jem and Scout’s aunt to be staying with them. Her name is Aunt Alexandra. “I looked down at the street. Enarmored, upright, uncompromising, Aunt Alexandra was sitting in a rocking chair exactly as if she had sat there every day of her life”. “Well, your father and I decided it was

While many may view a family as a mother and a father raising a few children, Atticus Finch proves that a family doesn’t have to fit the mold to flourish. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus raises his two children, Jem and Scout, after his wife passed away. Just because Atticus isn’t married, doesn't mean he isn’t able to provide for his children physically, emotionally, and mentally. Miss Maudie comments on his parenting by saying, “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (Lee 61). Atticus is a good parent for his children because he is able to set an example without remarrying. Scout and Jem learn to be honest, kind, and respectful to everyone from Atticus. Scout, the novel’s narrator, doesn’t feel any sense of emptiness by not having a mother to raise her. The Finch’s may not be a traditional family, but Atticus’s parenting shows that they are able to be successful and happy.

Some parents shield their kids from danger, then there are the parents that know they can’t so instead they prepare their children for the harsher side of the world. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a well-known coming-of-age convoluted novel that encompasses a trail between a black man and a white man that forces the town of Maycomb to go through experiences that taught them many life lessons. In the novel, there is a strong father and son relationship that deepens as the story progresses, showing how much a parent impacts their child’s development. Jem Finch is a prime example of how Atticus Finch’s ways of raising his children differ compared to most parents. Atticus guides both his children, Jem and Scout, throughout life, but