Journal #2 - Chapters 4~7 - Perspective: Miss Maudie Atkinson

Oh how I wish that I could be like the kids, just carefree and happy all day long. Those kids across the street Jem and Scout and then Dill, seem to get together real nicely. I always see them playing and laughing with each other.  Although they are always pretty good kids they can get a little rowdy and suspicious sometimes. That’s why I only let them play around in my front yard. Because with all the hard work and effort I put into making my garden look beautiful, I don’t want any of them to come here and mess it up. Life is very simple for me. I go out into my garden full of peace and tranquility and watch as the kids play games and go off sneaking into the Radley’s yard.

That’s a whole different story for me. Now I feel very, very strongly about how the neighbors and treating the Radley’s. So when I see the three of them making up new games that entail acting like the Radley’s, my gut just wants to yell at them and tell them that they shouldn’t do that because the Radley’s are definitely people that you don’t want to mess with, especially Arthur. I will have to admit that Dill is quite the chameleon when it comes to acting. I see other to staying one person, but Dill’s all over the place taking on character roles and adapting to them so well that he could have been the person himself.  

I remember the good days when I would call out to Jem and Scout and another neighborhood kid to come get some hot milk in the summer. The milk came right from my very own cow. I almost forgot about the cakes! Those kids had the grandest time ever when I made those cakes. They would scarf them down so quickly that I almost felt bad for making the pieces too small. I love watching their grins spread across their faces. To know that I made someone happy was a great feeling for me, compared to all the other ones I get around here in a house that I hate.

After losing my husband, things really started to go downhill for me, especially my concern about the Radley’s. I knew things were creepy around there. I felt that there was always a malignant spirit surrounding and taking over every house close by. Sometimes I feel real bad for all the dirty pranks and tricks they do to torment them. I just can’t watching them trying to dare each other to go and touch the house or get Arthur, or “Boo” as they call him, to try to come out. I swear that Jem is becoming more and more like his uncle, Jack Finch. He always was a troublemaker and rude at that.

Today I couldn’t believe what had happened. I was just living life when all of a sudden I start hearing a loud commotion over at the Radley’s and next thing I knew Mr. Radley was walking out of his out with a shotgun that he shot up towards the heavens. At that point a couple of the neighbors were gathered and I could assume by everyone’s facial expressions that there was a unanimous decision that the Radley’s needed to be left alone and to warn the children. Being a strong believer in faith, I wasn’t very happy with what had come about this whole idea of trying to get Arthur to come out. For God’s sake, if he wanted to come out of the house he would! I see Jem across the street teetering in hesitation on whether he should go over to the house or not.

Not all things are bad though. I still enjoyed spending time with Scout out on the front porch watching the sunset make the day transition from afternoon, to twilight, to evening.