Essay 12

Colin Burlingham Mr. H Salsich 8 English 1/21/10 “No son, it’s not right.” (Lee, p. 184): An Essay About This Quote in To Kill a Mockingbird and in My Life _____(TS)There are always things that are not right in this world. (CM)According to Dictionary.com, "right" means, "in accordance with what is good, proper or just." (CM)If I am in need of the right guidance, I usually go to my dad, who points me in the "proper" direction and in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus does the same for his son, Jem. (CS)In fact, I have heard the words "no son, it's not right" as much in my life as Jem has heard it in his. _____(TS)The quote, “no son, it’s not right,” brings back many memories in my life and the lives of Jem and Scout. (SD)The clearest memory I can think of took place two years ago when my family and I were up in Vermont and, reading the local town paper, I came across an article about a car bomber who blew up a market and many people were hurt or killed (S-V SPLIT). (CM) This was terrible, and my dad, who just happened to be looking over my shoulder, could tell what I was thinking. (CM)He knew the guidance I needed and said, “no son, that’s not right.” (SD)In To Kill a Mockingbird, the phrase, "No son, it's not right" came up in one important part of the book, right after Tom Robinson's trial. (CM)At the time, Jem was very mad because Tom had lost the trial and Jem kept saying it was not "right," and Atticus agreed with him. (CM)In most situations in the book, when something was not right, it was Atticus who comforted Jem in his time of confusion, just as in my life, it’s my dad who comforts me when I am confused; we have this bond of comfort in common. (SD) On a smaller scale, when my cat died in my neighbor's yard, we were all extremely upset. (CM) Knowing the neighbors had put out rat poison, I felt that my cat died unnecessarily. (CM) While I was still grieving, I told my dad about the loss of my cat; he replied, “I know it’s wrong son, but its life,” and this made me feel angry. (CS)As you can see, this quote and the concept of what’s right is meaningful me, and to the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. _____(TS)To me, right means, "correct guidance, proper and true." (CM)Things that are right, are like the sun and the moon; they come and go constantly. (CM)"Right" is a reoccurring theme in To Kill a Mockingbird as well as in my life. (CS)We will always find a path to follow in our life, one that is just and true; the question is, will we take it?