Journal #2 - Chapters 4-7 - Perspective: Ms. Maudie Atkinson

I didn’t like staying at home because I was always lonely and bored so I loved going outside. Since I was a widow all I would do around my house is take care of my garden and tidy up around the house. I love flowers and other plants that grow from my garden. Scout spent a lot of the summer with me on my porch and we would sit there and watch the sky. Jem, Scout and Dill loved playing around on my yard and I loved having them around. But they always left Scout by himself so he came to my house and we would sometimes just talk about stuff that going on. We were close neighbors and I always invited them to my house when I made cake. I grew up with Jack Finch and Atticus so that’s why I treat Scout and Jem like a part of my family.

One day Scout asked me about Boo Radley whose real name is Arthur. I told him that Arthur is still alive because he hasn’t been carried out yet. Scout thinks that Arthur died and Mr. Radley stuffed him up the chimney which to me sounds crazy. Scout really thinks that the Radley’s place is malignant just because nobody in that house gets out and he hears all these rumors from who knows where. I was just telling Scout that Arthur might just want to stay inside and not come down because his family believes in foot-washing baptisms. I told him Mr. Radley used to be a foot-washing Baptist and anything that’s pleasure is a sin. I also told Scout how some of the foot-washing Baptists came out of the woods and told me that I was going to go to hell because I spend too much time outdoors and I should be inside reading the bible. Then Scout said, “You’re the best lady I know.” He really talked to me like I was his friend and that’s what I liked about Scout.

Scout thought that Arthur would stay home because of women. Maybe he didn’t want to be near women because it was against what the bible says. But Scout and I were just talking about the things we hear about Arthur and we were trying to figure out what makes him stay inside his house. I just know that the boys are going to try to put themselves in a dangerous situation just to make Arthur come out and Atticus is going to get mad. I told Scout everything I knew about Arthur and his childhood too. Arthur used to be a sweet little kid but I guess people can change when they get older. All Arthur is, is a chameleon boy and nothing more. But I wanted to take the kids for a little walk with Atticus. The kids went across the street to the Radley’s place while Atticus and I were talking then we heard something and we were worried because we thought something happened to the kids but they just tried to open the gates of the Radley’s place and it sounded like something big broke. I knew something like this was going to happen, on Dill’s last day too.

We pulled the kids aside and talked to them about how that was wrong. The kids didn’t think it was necessary to start quibbling after they had been caught harassing the Radley’s again. Atticus was furious and he was going at it with Jem until Jem stopped. I just can’t believe they would try to pull a fast one. I just couldn’t believe that all boys unanimous to go into the Radley’s place on Dill’s last day. I thought that Scout’s evasion towards the Radley’s place would keep them all out of trouble but apparently I was wrong. This is where we say goodbye to Dill until next summer and I’m going to go back to being bored all alone at home. I wish Dill could stay more because then he can play with Scout and Jem.