Response Journal- #10

A quotation that was particularly moving to me was when Scout explained that she was born knowing how to read and she says, "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing" (Lee 18). Scout is saying that she was born reading, so it has never seemed like a privilege to her- just as breathing seems to everyone. This idea made me think about the things that I take for granted in my life. The things that I have had since I was born, such as a warm home, food on the table, and new clothing. I have always had all of these things, so I do not see them as privileges as another person might. As Scout does not love reading, I do not love the things that I have had since birth because I do not understand how lucky I really am to have them.

Another quote that was moving to me was when everyone is Scout's class wanted her to defend Walter Cunningham and she thought, "Miss Caroline and I had conferred twice already, and they were looking at me in the innocent assurance that familiarity breeds understanding" (Lee 20). She is saying that when someone knows who another person is and has spoken or met with them before for one reason or another, it makes it easier for them to understand the person and therefore solve an issue with them. I can apply this to my own life because it is always easier for me to talk to a person that I am familiar with than someone that I don't know at all because a person that knows me will most likely understand where I am coming from and will respect my point of view. This idea can also apply to all of the prejudice in the world because if racist people could be familiar with and understand the other side if their argument that one race is superior to the other, they might see what the other side is going through and stop being prejudice.