Comment on ShengHua's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on ShengHua's blog and on one of his blog posts.

http://www.caustic-potash.blogspot.com/

ShengHua's blog has a simple background, with words that are easily read.

However, if his words could be just a little bit bigger, then it would be okay.

His blog post about the theme of change in Emily of Emerald Hill is well written, and it provides insightful information to what change is all about in Emily of Emerald Hill. It covers the pointers sufficiently, and is enough to fill one's mind with what is needed.

However, he could have added in some of his own personal reflections. That would have made the post much better and insightful.

There is nothing much to say, really. Overall I feel that his blog is rather well done.

Thank You.

Comment on Darrell's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Darrell's blog and on one of his posts.

http://www.causticpotashhh.blogspot.com/

When looking at Darrell's blog I actually have to squint to see the words.

Darrell's blog has actually very miniscule and microscopic words.

One actually has to either move nearer to the screen or zoom in to see it clearly.

Furthermore I feel that Darrell has not put in much effort into his reflections and comments. His comments are not very insightful, and they only cover the topic at a very superficial level.

He should go into more depth about his own reflections, such as: the cause of the problem, how it can be solved etc.

Thats all I have to say.

Thank You.

Comment on Marcus Lau's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting about Marcus Lau's blog and on one of his blog posts.

http://www.blanketboymarcus.blogspot.com/

Marcus' background is simple, the font is easy to read.

However, one thing i would like to point out is about the length of his posts.

True, long posts might reflect on his character and the way he thinks. It also shows hoe deep Marcus has gone when posting his blog post.

However, there are always two sides to a coin.

Long posts might not sustain the interest of readers. Although it provides insight, it might cause the reader to feel bored very easily.

Marcus' post about success is really thought provoking.

It is true that everyone has their own definition of success.

Different people find success and happiness(which is closely liked to success) is different things.

For example, some may find an interest and a love in drawing, music etc.

I myself find an interest in Pokemon.

His post also ends with a cliff-hanger:

"So, what is your definition of success?"

This really lets the reader to ponder and reflect about him/herself.

Reflections are really important in our lives.

This blog/post has really intrigued me.

It lets us reflect, and to ponder about more questions and possibilities.

This blog is definitely a "must-read".

Thank You.

Comment on Sze Chuan's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Sze Chuan's blog and on one of his blog posts.

http://www.causticpotashhhh.blogspot.com/

Sze Chuan's blog has a background of light green. The palm trees also give viewers a calm and soothing effect when looked at.

Sze Chuan has done a

Poem Analysis - The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

I feel that Sze Chuan is only giving a brief description and narrative about the poem. What he should actually have done is to give a detailed analysis about the poem. This way, he not only will learn more about the poem, he will also learn the ways to analyse the poem. e.g. the literary devices, effects of poem etc. With a full analysis, I feel that his blog could become a very complete blog.

Thank You.

Comment on Joel's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Joel's blog and one of his posts.

http://www.jneater.blogspot.com/

Joel's blog is actually very simple. It is merely black words on an orange background.

However, i feel that his words are actually too crammed. His words stick together, and there is no breathing space in between. He should improve on that area.

I would also like to comment on Joel's post about the swiss vandal.

Actually, Singaporeans should be thankful to them.

Have we actually wondered - what if the person who managed to go over the fence was a terrorist planting a bomb? it would surely result in a large number of deaths.

Singapore should reflect, not only on this case, but also about the Mas Selamat case as well.

Has Singaporean security de-proved in the last few years? are we getting too complacent?

This is something we ALL have to ponder about as we all have a part to play in Singapore's safety.

Thank You.

Comment on Cleon's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Cleon's blog.

http://www.bloggingcurrently.blogspot.com/

Cleon's blog has many comments on other people's blogs. This would allow him to have some reflection on other people's blogs, and how he can improve on his own blog. His design is simple and eye catching. the words can be easily seen, and a reader does not have to frown at the screen to see what he has written.

Cleon has done some posts about other matters such as good quotes about emily of emerald hill, and how to write a good essay.

This allows him to have a recap on what he has learnt so far, and will help him in his revision in the future. i feel that he is an example to us and we should all learn from him.

Thank You.

Singapore fencers.

Singapore's LIANE WONG represented our nation for the women's foil event..

however she was knocked out in the quarter finals.

here is our fencer that did us proud, LIANE WONG

Singapore's, and Hwa Chong Institution's very own RANIA RAHARDJA represented our nation for the women's epee event.

however she was knocked out in the direct elimination round.

lastly, JUSTIN LIM represented our nation in the men's foil individual event.

he too was knocked out at the direct elimination round.

i would like to thank the fencers for all that they have done and hope that they would achieve better results in the future.

volunteer's job

i, as a volunteer has been assigned a job "video assistant".

what is that? i will tell you now.

my job was simply to capture the match between the two fencers on film. simple enough?

it was, the volunteers found out, easier said then done. sometimes, the fencers moved so fast that we were unable to catch them on film. but after a while we got used to it.

i must say, we did quite a good job.

what we were controlling was practically a large camera on a ten metre tripod (its not easy)

once we gotten the hang of it, it was quite easy.

fencing - the other sword fighting

now, let me give you an introduction on fencing!

fencing, is the sense of "the action or art of using the sword scientifically", and dates to the late 16th century, introduced to denote systems designed for the Renaissance rapier.

fencing is one of the four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games. Currently, three types of weapon are used in Olympic fencing:

Foil — a light thrusting weapon; the valid target is restricted to the torso, the chest, shoulders, and back; double touches are not allowed. This weapon follows the rules of "right of way." In the 17th century it used to be named fleuret and it was developed in France.

Epee — a heavy thrusting weapon; the valid target area covers the entire body; double touches are allowed. There is no "right of way" in épée.

Sabre — a light cutting and thrusting weapon; the valid target area is the saddle line, which is from one side of the fencer's hip to the other, and up, this also includes the head. The target area does not include the hands. This weapon follows the rules of "right of way." The sabre is also used for training because of its light weight.

well that was just some basic information. i am fencing the sabre.

let me continue with my YOG journey.

The YOG experience

after being a volunteer at the inaugural singapore 2010 youth olympic games, i have experienced what being a volunteer truly feels like. before i go into any details about my time there a brif introduction about the sport i was helping in must be given.

to your spirit, i thee wed.

I have never heard of ghost marriages untill now. to some, like me, have no idea what it is. hence i decided to do some research and here are my findings.

A ghost marriage is a marriage in which one or both parties are deceased. Several cultures practice a form of ghost or spirit marriage, but China is probably most famous for its ghost marriage tradition. Ghost marriages are sometimes featured in Chinese films and novels, and occasionally stories about ghost marriages make their way into the West. The practice of ghostmarriage is linked to centuries of tradition and complex beliefs about the spirit world.

in one form of the ghost marriage, both parties are deceased. Chinese culture places a heavy value on partnership for people of marriageable age, especially women, and if someone of marriageable age should die before he or she can marry, the family may choose to hold a ghost marriage. Some families believe that it is unlucky or even dangerous to allow someone to remain buried without a spouse. The family consults with a priest or expert to find a suitable spouse, relying on astrological profiles to find a match.

If a match is found, a formal wedding ceremony is held in a temple, complete with the burning of offerings so that the partners have objects to use in the spirit world. Paper stand-ins are used for the bride and groom, with these stand-ins being burned at the end of the ceremony along with the rest of the offerings.

For Chinese women, a ghost marriage can be especially important. By tradition, many Chinese families keep tablets which represent their ancestors on the family altar. The family is responsible for praying for their ancestors and providing offerings, including food and spirit money which can be used in the afterlife. Chinese women who die unmarried are not entitled to a tablet on the family altar; a ghost marriage, however, ensures that the woman will have a tablet on the altar of her husband's family, so that she will be taken care of in the spirit world.

There are a variety of other reasons to perform ghost marriages. Some families hold marriages to appease angry spirits, while others choose to perform a ghost marriage to avoid allowing younger sons to marry before older sons. If a younger son marries first, this is viewed as inauspicious. Families may also utilize ghost marriages to carry on a family line; if an only son dies and he is wedded in a ghost marriage, the family can adopt a grandson to continue the family name.

The people involved in a ghost marriage do not necessarily need to be deceased. Wealthy families may hold a marriage between a living woman and a dead son, with the woman providing the justification to adopt a grandson. It is also possible for a living man to marry a dead woman, although this is less common. Some people may also hold ghost marriages to satisfy an engagement contract in the event that one of the fiancees dies before the marriage is held.

I have never heard of ghost marriages untill now. would you want to do it when you have left this world?

Diary entry about the Youth Olympic Games

Dear Singapore

Congratulations! you have been chosen to hold the inaugural Youth Olympic Games!

I am so envious! when can i do something great like you?

You must feel so excited, with so may visitors coming over. you must be interested in making new friends. do you know where your new friends are coming from? you don't? let me tell you then! did you know that there are 205 countries sending their representatives to you? don't you feel proud!

hmm? specific countries? no problem! but not all 205 of course! some renowned countries are: australia, brazil, germany, hong kong, china, france, italy, argentina the united states of america, switzerland, and many many more!

i beg your pardon? what will i be doing? good question! as you know, i am in fencing, hence i will be helping you out in the games! you are not alone after all! i am a YOG volunteer, just like the many others!

well yes! that definitely means that i have less time with you! i am helping put fom the 13th to 18th of August, hence i will also be missing three days of school.

what i feel about all of this? well i feel that you, singapore has surpassed all odds in hosting this event. initially, do you know that you were not even considered to be a host? they felt that you were too small, and had no capability to host this event. well you certainly surpassed all odds, and showed the world what you were made of!

yes, it is getting late, and i have a long day tomorrow.

congratulations to you singapore, i will be cheering for you! i love you!

Signing off

Marcus, beloved singapore lover.

Young mind, overwhelming perseverance.

There were two constants during the 10th of August's morning session of the Youth Olympic Flame torch relay.

One was the flame itself, as it weaved its way through Sengkang, Punggol and Hougang.

The other was schoolboy Low Wei Jie, 12.

Dressed in an orange T-shirt, blue bermudas and flip-flops, he clutched on to his digital camera and stuck with the relay.

He ran. And ran. And ran. Over two and a half hours, he covered almost fifteen km, undeterred by a heavy downpour along the way.

His morning's adventure was not without some pain. His flip-flops may have held up, but his feet hurt, and there were bloodied scratches on his right ankle.

Then he discovered to great consternation that the camera he had borrowed from his parents was not waterproof and had jammed.

However, what i would like to comment on is not his journey, but his sense of determination. All the way, through the torrential downpour, he only had one intention -- to take pictures for his scrap book. He was not deterred by the fact that he had ran for two and a half hours, nor by the fact that his legs had blisters and were bleeding.

Such a strong sense of perseverance, who would not look up to him?

He is part of the minority in Singapore. such a value is rare, and hard to find. Students should look up to his as a role model. If such determination were to be put into use in our daily lives, our dreams would no doubt be achieved. Let us strive to have a determination like Wei Jie as one!

National Day 2010

This year's national day parade was an overwhelming success. On the 9th of August, singaporeans witnessed the passing of another year of the their homeland, singapore.

Four minutes and six seconds. Time held its breath while the nation sang

Home together. At 20:10, the nation stood up as one to say the national pledge,

which set the scene for the One Voice moment. This showed the closeness of

the country and its citizens. The 2010 national day performance has been

Singapore's best so far.

This exceptional performance is the fruit of Singapore's united response during times of crisis, which allowed the country to take the advantage of improved global conditions.

Singapore has put up a good show. Not only to its citizens, but also to foreigners who are here for the Youth Olympic Games. Singapore, just like China in the 2008 Olympics, has made a shock-wave on the minds of people near and far. So much so that it has even caused a permanent resident to be moved o tears by its spectacular performance.

I feel that it boggles the mind when one thinks of how much Singapore lacked in terms of people, resources and others, turned itself form a third world country to a First World nation in a mere 45 years.

Furthermore, Singapore is now one of richest first world countries. She has topped other first world countries in per capita gross domestic product. Personally, i feel that the success of the country can be credited to Singaporeans, particularly Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, which was one of our fore founding fathers during the tumultuous times after World War Two. Great men have have made this country the world's cleanest, greenest and safest.

I can safely say that Singapore has done its fore founding fathers proud through National Day 2010.

Here are some shots of the spectacular fireworks.

Task 2

Point of view
It is written is a view of a person who has witnessed war. The author is also very pessimistic about war.

Evidence
Words such as "darkness" and "shines no light" are used. These words bring about pessimism as they are usually used in sad stories.

Elaboration
Light usually means a good thing, however in the context, it says no light, thus showing that there is no hope. Darkness is also usually associated with death thus adding to the gloomy mood.

Situation & setting
The setting is during a war time where even children with no education were sent out to war.

Evidence
This can be seen from "Who someone will teach to fight" and "chalk and blackboard will not be" as children should be schooling, but not at war

Elaboration
These two phrases show that children, even orphans were sent to war. And there will not be anymore education as all there is left for the children, is death.

Languaga & Diction
The writer is succesful in telling us the disadvantages of war by creating a sombre and gloomy mood.

Evidence
He uses strong words such as "darkness" and "no light" that can invoke the reader's emotions. These words instill a gloomy mood in readers.

Elaboration
Darkness and no light shows that there is no hope that the soldiers will come out alive even after the war has ended. Thus making us feel sombre and sad for the soldiers, in this case,children.

Personal response
I feel that war is horrifying as it brings grief, death and casualties. The poem also shows that people who went to war were forced to. This can be seen from the children who were sent to war. They did not even have a primary education but were taught to fight. Thus showing that war is inglorious and people who go to war were unwilling.

Children in Darkness( Task 1 for Home Learning )

Henry M Bechtold, the persona, was in Vietnam during 1967 - 1968. During that period of time, there was a war raging and he witnessed what was happening. The persona rarely talked about it, but he never forgot about it. Thus, he always visits Vietnam every now and then. He wrote this poem during one of his visits in 2009. He was in his hotel room in Saigon watching the news channel on the television. At the same time, he was finding inspiration to write another poem on sexism when a picture of a young boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle in hand flashed on the news channel. This reminded him of the Vietnam war that happened during the late 1960s and immediately, began to pen down his feelings of the war and it resulted in this poem.

The poem talks about children who die during war at a young age and also children who do not even have a primary education, going to war.

Is Maycomb a good place to live in?

i am an intrapersonalist.

Intrapersonal [pick one]:

a. Who would you want to be friends with in the novel? Explain.
b. Which character would you like to play in the movie version of the novel? Explain.
c. Write a diary entry for a major character of the novel.

answer:b

In the movie version of the novel, i would like to play the character of Jem Finch. Jem is a character which represents and is represented by the idea of courage. However, as the movie progresses, that idea in Jem is changed tremendously. Being Jem, i would be able to experience how a life of a teenage child is like in the maycomb society. Furthermore, i would have a clear idea of how Jem feels about justice in the initial stages of the movie. i would also like to feel how Jem's ideas and perspectives change in due course of the movie. At the beginning, i think that i would feel that maycomb is a society which is full of justice, peace, and equality.

However, in the middle of the movie, my idea of the maycomb society starts to warp, as i would be watching Tom Robinson's trial from the view of a spectator. Thus, the trial and conviction of Tom Robinson would shape the way i feel about the maycomb society. It was obvious from the evidence of the trials that Tom Robinson was innocent, however, he being black caused to judge to side with Bob Ewell, thus is convicted of the crime. this scene would cause my impressions of the maycomb society to go down.

Thus, i would like to play in the role of Jem Finch as i would like to find out how it feels to be in his situation, and would like to find out how a child's perspective and change from one end to another, from believing that the society is morale to finding out that it is biased and prejudiced.

Multiple Intelligence Test

before starting on the assignment today, we had to do a personality test.

it was rather accurate, to a certain extent. based on the choices i picked, i knew what my result was going to be. it certainly matched with my other results i had got with other personality tests i had done.

however, i feel that when people do intelligence tests, they lie to themselves most of the time, as while doing the quiz, thoughts like "is this true?" and "really? or is it the other one?" will hover through our minds, thus affecting our choices and decisions. we would be more self-conscious when taking quizzes like these.

thus, these quizzes are not be accurate no matter how much you try and how much you do not think about the questions.

ipad -- the revolutionary product, or the confirmation of failing tablets?

apple has stunned us with many of its creations:

ipod classic

ipod nano

ipod shuffle

and finally, the path-breaking iphone

however, it seems that Steve Jobs still has a few tricks up his sleeve

apple has rendered us stunned again with its newest invention -- the ipad

this device might, just like the iphone, revolutionize our lives

at a first glance, it looks like a giant ipod touch

however, the ipad has many secrets in store

the ipad is a tablet with a difference

The iPad has a larger 9.7-inch (25 cm) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with a pixel resolution of 1024x768, 16 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of flash memory, a 1-gigahertz (GHz) Apple A4 processor,Bluetooth 2.1, and a 30-pin dock connector to sync with iTunes and connect wired accessories

the release of the ipad has also caused apple to now have three "stores" for downloading

the itunes store, apps store, and now, the ibookstore.

Like the iPhone, with which it shares a development environment the iPad will only run software downloaded from Apple's App Store. The iPad will run almost all third-party iPhone applications unmodified (they can be displayed at iPhone size or enlarged to fill the iPad's larger screen), developers can also create apps specifically for the iPad's features. ^{developers have also said that apps specially for the ipad will soon be released.}

The iPad will come with the following applications: Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, YouTube, iPod, iTunes, App Store, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Spotlight. It will also include the iBooks application, which displays books and otherePub-format content downloaded from the iBookstore. The iPad syncs with iTunes.Apple ported its iWork suite from the Mac to the iPad; the Pages, Numbers and Keynote applications will be sold for $9.99 apiece in the App Store.Although the iPad is not designed as a cellphone replacement, a user can pair it with a Bluetooth headset and place phone calls using a VoIP application over WiFi or 3G.

however,a tablet has also been attempted at creation by hp's bill gates, and has failed drastically. just like hp, the ipad guarantees no success, and steve jobs might fall flat on his face, just like bill gates. the tablet is said to be the bermuda triangle between a handphone and a computer. it means that no one has successfully created a tablet which works perfectly and siuts the users. YET.

if the ipad is a success, however, it would revolutionize our lives, and might become, like the iphone, something hard to live without.

eagle

today i will be talking about the predator of the skies -- the eagle

how can we differentiate an eagle from the normal bird?

well, firstly, let me show you a picture of an eagle. its on the left.

eagles are differentiated from many other birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and beak.

they can fly higher, further and for a longer period time than any bird.

it has a sharp beak and sharp talons, which are not only sharp, but also strong. they also have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight to sweep down on unsuspecting prey.

have a look at the video below. firstly, spot the height at which the eagle is flying at. next. notice how fast the eagle swoops down to catch its prey. enjoy ^^

from this, we can see how powerful and swift the eagle is.

fun fact

1)there are more than 60 breeds of eagles!!

2) did you know that after a period of 50 years, the eagle can remove all its claws, beak and pluck out all its feathers (in an excruciating period of 100 days) just to live for another 50 years?

la lesson

today we spent time in LA discussing about the speech and about the various examples.

i got most of it correct :D

then we got into groups to discuss about the speech.

i will give you more details when i have done it.

thats all for now.

провидение - A Silver Lining

Yesterday, i attended провидение - A Silver Lining

It is a collaboration concert between HKMOY and HCISO.

The concert started promptly at seven pm, and ending only at nine-thirty at night.

For those who have missed his enchanting experience, allow me to fill you in with what happened.

It stared off with a bang, with students from the Hwa Chong String Orchestra strumming to different tunes of different melodies, enthralling the whole audience.

Many different melodies were played, and the audience, even though not knowing what was being played, enjoyed it thoroughly.

It then continued with the students from the Hong Kong Music For Our Young Foundation, which consists of the Belilios Public School Symphony Orchestra and Beijing Military Music and Arts Academy.

They played on for an hour straight, though it felt only like minutes.

In the end, they got together for a solid half-hour collaborated performance.

Unexpectedly, it ended with them playing the school song, causing the whole auditorium to rise to their feet.

It was definitely an enthralling and exciting performance, and one i would definitely attend again in the future.

Earthquake in Hati

Today i will be blogging about the earthquake that struck Haiti. Just talking about it scares the living daylight out of me.

On January 12th, the worst earthquake in 200 years - 7.0 in magnitude - struck less than ten miles from the Caribbean city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

On that fateful day, all hell broke loose.

The initial quake was later followed by twelve aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.0. Structures of all kinds were damaged or collapsed, from shantytown homes to national landmarks. It is still very early in the recovery effort, but millions are likely displaced, and thousands are feared dead as rescue teams from all over the world are now descending on Haiti to help where they are able.

There was great damage to the infrastructure, roads, houses and most importantly, the lives of the people.

Those who were unfortunate enough to have their houses destroyed had to relocate to other places to sleep such as on the streets, roads, etc.

The situation there is terrible.

People are even fighting for a simple cup of water, places to sleep, and some even go to the extent of taking off clothes of dead bodies to wear as they have nothing to wear.

People have been seen queuing up with pails to collect water to use.

Most people have been left under the rubble to suffocate and die.

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I feel that the earthquake in haiti was really a bad disaster.

However, things like this cannot be prevented.

The people there are really unfortunate that an earthquake like this has happened to them.

I hope that more aid would go to them,and help them with all their necessities, such as the building of their houses, roads, and more importantly, help them recover from the physical shock they face.

To Kill A MockingBird

today i will give a brief summary of the novel, To Kill A MockingBird.

in the next few blog posts, i will give more details such as characters, themes and so on.

it is lengthy, but it is the whole story in detail.

To Kill A MockingBird.

S cout Finch ( Jean Louise Finch ) lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The house is owned by Mr. Nathan Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without venturing outside.

To the consternation of Maycomb’s racist white community, Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Because of Atticus’s decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children, even when they celebrate Christmas at the family compound on Finch’s Landing. Calpurnia, the Finches’ black cook, takes them to the local black church, where the warm and close-knit community largely embraces the children.Scout goes to school for the first time that fall and detests it. She and Jem find gifts apparently left for them in a knothole of a tree on the Radley property. Dill returns the following summer, and he, Scout, and Jem begin to act out the story of Boo Radley. Atticus puts a stop to their antics, urging the children to try to see life from another person’s perspective before making judgments. But, on Dill’s last night in Maycomb for the summer, the three sneak onto the Radley property, where Nathan Radley shoots at them. Jem loses his pants in the ensuing escape. When he returns for them, he finds them mended and hung over the fence. The next winter, Jem and Scout find more presents in the tree, presumably left by the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor’s house, and during the fire someone slips a blanket on Scout’s shoulders as she watches the blaze. Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells Atticus about the mended pants and the presents.

Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, comes to live with the Finches the next summer. Dill, who is supposed to live with his “new father” in another town, runs away and comes to Maycomb. Tom Robinson’s trial begins, and when the accused man is placed in the local jail, a mob gathers to lynch him. Atticus faces the mob down the night before the trial. Jem and Scout, who have sneaked out of the house, soon join him. Scout recognizes one of the men, and her polite questioning about his son shames him into dispersing the mob.

At the trial itself, the children sit in the “colored balcony” with the town’s black citizens. Atticus provides clear evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father, Bob, are lying: in fact, Mayella propositioned Tom Robinson, was caught by her father, and then accused Tom of rape to cover her shame and guilt. Atticus provides impressive evidence that the marks on Mayella’s face are from wounds that her father inflicted; upon discovering her with Tom, he called her a whore and beat her. Yet, despite the significant evidence pointing to Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. The innocent Tom later tries to escape from prison and is shot to death. In the aftermath of the trial, Jem’s faith in justice is badly shaken, and he lapses into despondency and doubt.

Despite the verdict, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus and the judge have made a fool out of him, and he vows revenge. He menaces Tom Robinson’s widow, tries to break into the judge’s house, and finally attacks Jem and Scout as they walk home from a Halloween party. Boo Radley intervenes, however, saving the children and stabbing Ewell fatally during the struggle. Boo carries the wounded Jem back to Atticus’s house, where the sheriff, in order to protect Boo, insists that Ewell tripped over a tree root and fell on his own knife. After sitting with Scout for a while, Boo disappears once more into the Radley house.

Later, Scout feels as though she can finally imagine what life is like for Boo. He has become a human being to her at last. With this realization, Scout embraces her father’s advice to practice sympathy and understanding and demonstrates that her experiences with hatred and prejudice will not sully her faith in human goodness.