First Chapter, First Impression

     This first chapter has been all about getting to know the backgrounds of important parts of the story. Harper Lee is building the setting in Maycomb County, Alabama, and telling the story subtly though the view of an almost six year old in her “tired old town” (Lee 6). Lee uses the first few pages to tell the reader of the Finch family’s background and how they do not know much about it. All they have is Simon Finch who we learn died wealthy, which makes me infer that Scout’s family is well off, even during the Great Depression. Scout lives with her father Atticus, her brother Jem, and Calpurnia their family cook. Through Scout telling us about her family we learn her mother died of a heart attack. When Scout talks about their battles being “epic and one-sided”(7) I inferred Calpurnia is the closest thing the Finches have to a mother figure because that is feeling for a young daughter to have about her mother. Although it is very subtle in the text, Scout thinks Jem still misses his mother. He sighs and she knows not to bother him which contributes to her perceptiveness.

     Scout already seems to be very opinionated and perceptive girl with no filter. For example, the very first time she meets Dill, she asks where his father was, not noticing it made him uncomfortable. She asks until Jem, her brother, tells her to “hush”. This instance foreshadows a lot. Firstly, it shows her respect for her older brother because she listens to him right away and stops asking. I also think Scout’s persistence and curiosity will be what causes the adventure in this story. Her brother will join her so as to protect her, and Dill will be the curious sidekick to them both. Scout tells us “Dill gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out”(10). Lee explains the mystery of the Radley house to the reader through Dill, who also does not know about it since he is new to town. Jem and Scout give him warnings and the whole backstory to the mystery of the house but that seems to make them all more curious and more daring to see what the house is all about. Dill and Scout even dare Jem to touch the Radley house. After teasing and provoking him, Jem finally goes and touches the house. The other two boys don’t notice it, but Scout thinks she sees the shutter move. This again, shows how perceptive she is and I think it foreshadows a special connection she will have with that family, or at least Boo Radley.


     So far, I like the book. It has a childlike/innocent tone that I really enjoyed with Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. The Great Depression and the aftermath of the Civil War are already apparent in the story like when Scout made an FDR reference and when she talks about the “disturbance between the North and South”(4). From what I have read so far, I think this will be an interesting story with a great mystery about the Radley house.