Journal entry from Jem's point of view

               Hello, My name is Jem and I am the first son of Atticus Fitch and the older brother of Scout or her real name, Jean Louise. I was born after a year into my mother and fathers marriage. Four years after I was born Scout was born. Two years after she was born our mother passed away due to an unexpected heart attack that runs in her family. Us Southerners are from Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and I live with Atticus and we often adventure as a duo. Though I miss my mother dearly, we are living quite a comfortable life with Atticus. 

 

               Although Atticus is from Finch's Landing, Scout and I are from Maycomb. Maycomb is a very small town inside Alabama where life can be limiting. Nothing is ever in a rush because there is no where to be, nothing to do and nothing to see. Houses and structures are very drowsy and old. Take the Radleys house for example. Their house has low, once white with a deep front porch and green shutters but time has passed and now darkened to a gray with rain-stained shingles. Their picket fence had hardly anything left of it. Maycomb had many rainy days that shadowed the sun.

               Maycomb was full of agriculture. Many civilians’ jobs were affected by the crash as agriculture came to an all-time low. Mr. Cunningham was one of those workers. Scout is in Walter Cunningham's grade one class. She was telling me about how Walter did not bring lunch the other day and she had to tell Ms. Caroline about the Cunningham and their inability to afford these luxuries. Atticus had helped Mr. Cunningham as a lawyer but Mr. Cunninghams was not able to pay Atticus back, in currency at least. Throughout the following year we received various gifts from the Cunninghams such as a crokersack full of turnip greens, holly, smilax, and hickory nuts. It was the only way they were able to pay anyone back, this was the case for many farmers.