Dill
Pickle
The summer season,
the months sweet.
Like a Dill
pickle
sweet but sour.
With him
there is no
dull hour.
Until leaves turn brown,
Ach, sour!
Oh, how the taste makes me frown.
Questions: How was Scout's summer different with Dill absent? Was there a visible contrast in Harper Lee's writing between the start of the summer versus after Dill's arrival? How does the character Scout get along with Dill? Is his friendship important to her? If so, why.
I agree that when Dill arrives for the summer, it brings joy to Scout. In my opinion Scout experiences joy for two reasons. First of all Dill is "in love" with Scout, and second of all Dill allows for Scout to be a kid again. The Tom Robinson case is really affecting Scout. She is used to being innocent and not really knowing what is going on in the world around her. As the Tom Robinson case starts to become more intense Scout is beginning to loose her innocence. For instance Scout is learning more about the black citizens of Maycomb and how they are human just like her. Scout is surrounded by prejudice in Maycomb and Scout's new found information about black people may allow her to think into whether Tom Robinson is really bad or not, or if it is just the town's prejudice influences the decisions of the jury. All of these deep thoughts may make Scout feel as if she is growing up to fast, but Dill helps her re-gain her innocent childhood memories.
ReplyDeleteIn Scout's coming-of-age journey, the summer without Dill marked the end of her childhood innocence. Her previous summers had been filled with games and laughs, while this year she was forced to spend time with Aunt Alexandria. Without Dill to relieve the pressure of the impending case, Scout feels the weight of having to internalize her emotions. She doesn't yell, scream, or fight as much as in previous summers. She and Jem have stopped bothering Boo Radley. Scout sees the world from a more mature point of view, and the adult issues of the town begin to affect her. She is also facing the societal expectation of being "ladylike," and without Dill to play around with, Shout has fewer and fewer ways to avoid being a girly girl. The summer stops being quite as "fun." Dill brought joy to both Jem and Scout, and without him they are forced to accept that their summers of childhood play were truly over.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Dill will make a reappearance? Was he only there to represent innocence and play? Or will he develop into a character with further significance?
As Margaret's question stated, How does the summer change from when Dill arrive, versus when Dill wasn't their? I think that their is a very visible difference between when Dill is their and when Dill wasn't their. One example of this is that when Dill wasn't there, Scout spent most of her time with Aunt Alexandra. However when Dill arrive he adds spice to the summer. When I say spice, I mean he brings back the concept of Boo Radley. Also Dill gives Scout a friend to play with because she is being "put aside" by her brother.
ReplyDeleteWill Dill never be allowed to come back to Maycomb? Will he be a ally of Scout as she is being harassed about Atticus defending Tom Robison?
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ReplyDeleteDill is a very important character in the TKAM. Without Dill, Scouts summers are far less interesting, especially with the addition of Aunt Alexandra. In the time that Scout would usually play and frolic, she is now subject to Aunt Alexandra's constant criticism. Especially now since Jem is more matured and distanced, Dills presence is necessary for Scout in her youth to keep her tom boy and adventurous aspects from being faded away with maturity. But it is difficult to say how long Dill will remain in Maycomb since he is a runaway and his parents are probably in conniptions about his disappearance.
ReplyDeleteHow long do you think Harper Lee will have Dill stay? Why did she have Dill runaway instead of coming normally? What does this mean?