Entry #3

Blog #3
Chapters 8-9
Perspective: Uncle Jack


Dear Journal,

Merry Christmas! I’m staying with my brother Atticus and his two kids, Jem and Scout. They picked me up at the train station yesterday and I’ll be staying with them for a week. I am so excited to be staying with them over Christmas. The two of them have grown up so fast. When they picked me up last night little Scout started cussing. Then at dinner, she said it again. I can’t believe my little niece is beginning to have quite the dirty mouth. Of course I sat her down after dinner and told her to watch herself or she’ll be in a heap of trouble.
This morning we opened presents. I picked up two air rifles for the two of them. I think they are both really happy. It was unanimous that it was one of the best gifts they got. However, I didn’t get anything really special this year, just a few pairs of socks and some doctor gear. The best gift I got was a lesson. It was a lesson from Scout. It all started when we went to Finch’s Landing. After a fabulous dinner I was strolling around when I saw Scout punch her cousin, Francis, right in the mouth. She was tormenting him. Immediately I ran over to stop the fight. Francis told us that she had called him a bad word and then attacked him. Little Scout agreed. She tried to be evasive but I grabbed her. She teetered in my arms then started yelling that she hated me. It is awful to hear your own niece yelling such hateful words at you.
That night when we got home I came in to talk to her. She said I wasn’t fair. Then she came right out with it and said I don’t understand children very well. She told me that you always need to hear both sides of the story. You can’t just go off of one person’s view. Then she told me that Francis was calling my brother bad names because Atticus is defending a black man in a case. That Atticus was going to ruin the family name because he is helping a black person and that he lets Jem and Scout run wild. I can’t believe I just thought she was being malignant.
I was so in shock of what happened. Anger grew from within me knowing what horrible things had been said. My instinct was to call Alexandria and fix that boy right. Scout wouldn’t let me because she didn’t want her father to know what made her made. As hard as it was, I gave her my word. I’m writing this entry now after everyone got to bed. I should probably get a little sleep myself.

Write more soon,
Jack Finch