Monday, February 14, 2011

To Kill A Mockingbird - Chapters 1-11: Personal Response (Part 1)

What memories of your own childhood come to mind as you read about Scout's experiences?

I remember many childhood memories in relation to Scout's. Although they are scattered all over the place, please bear with me as I try to articulate my thoughts as best as I possibly can.

In relation to Scout, Jem and Dill's plays, I remember that when I was still young, around eight, nine-years-old, I always acted out scenes from television drama-serials or from fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs. Although now as I look back, they might seem very childish, they provided me with an avenue for imagination and creativity. They also provided me much entertainment and strengthen family bonds with my sisters at the same time. What great fun we had!

With regards to Boo Radley, when I was in Primary 3, I remember that there was a Malay boy, who I shall not name, in my class who always played truant, did not submit homework on time, and shouted at the teachers. At that time, due to my lack of experience, I could not comprehend the behaviour of my fellow classmate. As I was considered a "model pupil" to all my classmates and teachers and I had always excelled in all my exams, I unknowingly pitied him and was comforted that I was in no way similar to him. Those few months of events built upon my prejudice of him. Although, I never expressed my prejudice and discriminate him, I despised him to the bottom of my heart.

This view changed when my form teacher, Miss Goh, told me about the background of this Malay boy. He came from a very poor background, with barely enough money to make ends meet. His parents had little education and had to go to work the whole day from morning to night and spent very little time interacting with their child, a big difference from my background. The boy, though in Primary 3, could not even do basic Mathematics and English questions meant for Primary 1 students.

There was once where he was supposed to see the teacher after school but ran out of the school compound when the teacher looked for him. We chased him but failed to catch up with him. As a result, the teacher instructed me, the class monitor, to contact the boy's parents. When I spoke to his mother, I could hear that she was truly sincere about the wellbeing of her son, unlike some parents who could care less about their child.

Through this incident, I understood that not many people were as fortunate as I was. We have to stand in others' shoes and look at things in their perspective. Regardless of one's actions or words, we have to remain calm and understand why they speak or behave this way (like Atticus, who tries to understand Mrs Dubose and Bob Ewell), and not condemn them without further understanding or clarification. Relating back to Kill A Mockingbird, I was prejudicial against all Malays because of that single incident against a single Malay boy, where there was a misunderstanding that I had not fully clarify the circumstances. The responsibility of nurturing a child also falls heavily on the shoulders of the parents. Only with good nurturing, a brilliant child can then be produced. I also learnt many other meaningful lessons like respect and responsibility through this incident. Though the incident has gone by for more than six years or so, I have never for a single moment forget the name and appearance of that Malay boy, and the teacher who taught me a lesson that I would never forget throughout my life.

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