Chris Essay 17

March 5, 2010

Mr. Salsich

English

Ladies and Gentlemen:

An Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird and My Opinions

           

(TS) The terms ladies and gentlemen are used a lot throughout our society, but do you think it is right to use them? (CM) Most people do not see a problem with these terms and simply see them as the proper way to be polite. (CM) However, many people believe the terms are offensive, for example, when a man pulls out a chair, or hold a door for a woman, it makes some women feel inferior because they want to be independent and do it themselves. (CM) What do you think about these terms that are used in To Kill a Mockingbird and throughout life?

            (TS) Ladies and gentlemen are terms that apply to many people in To Kill a Mockingbird. (SD) Atticus is the first person who could be described as a fine gentleman. (CM) When at home, when at work, when in his neighborhood, and when visiting others, Atticus Finch is a kind, polite, and well dressed; he is a true gentleman. (Anaphora) (CM) No matter where he goes, Atticus is always polite, always well mannered, always well dressed with his suits and ties, always kind and thoughtful, always displaying the characteristics of a true gentleman. (Loose Sentence) Atticus was kind and told Mrs. Dubose, “[her] flowers are beautiful.” (SD) Calpurnia is fine example of a kind lady in the book. (CM) Most black house keepers in those times cooked, cleaned and simply did their job, but Cal takes care of the children as if they were her own.  Atticus once said, “We couldn’t operate a single day without Cal, have you ever thought of that?” (CM) She willingly stays longer when Atticus needs her to, and is genuinely kind to the children and Atticus. These traits make her a truly great lady. (SD) Boo Radley, a shy man that almost never comes out of his house, displays the true kindness of a gentleman on the rare occasions that he does come out. (Appositive) (CM) One example was when he neatly sewed and folded Jem’s pants, and placed them on the fence. This is an action of a true gentleman, who is considerate of others. (CM) Another example was when he was at the Finches house at the end of the book. He was so quiet and polite, never interrupting anyone; Scout even said, “Having been so accustomed to his absence, I found it incredible that he had been sitting beside me all this time. He had not made a sound.” (CS) In To Kill a Mockingbird there are many examples of ladies and gentlemen, whether their kind characteristics are prevalent or, subdued like Boo Radley’s.

            (TS) A fine gentleman, or a kind lady were terms used frequently many years ago, but are not used very much today, for many reasons. (SD) To me, these terms are sometimes used mistakenly to solely describe the physical appearance rather than the character of a person. (CM) A person may be dressed in prim formal attire, presenting themselves as a gentleman or lady, but once you get to know them they may be despicable and rude. (CM) This idea of a gentleman and a lady fits perfectly with the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover," because a person's character may be different than their appearance. (SD) Also, a person might feel uncomfortable when you call them a lady or a gentleman. (CM) They may feel that these terms are too formal, and make them feel uncomfortable when they are hoping for a more casual term. (CM) They may want you to call them something more casual or personal, like their first name. (SD) The term ladies can also offend some women. (CM) Some girls like to feel independent, and when they are constantly called a lady, or have to wait to have a chair pulled out for them they feel inferior, they feel weak, and they feel like they don’t have independence. (CM) At times, it can be polite to call someone a lady or a gentleman, but you should first ask them if they find it offensive.

            (TS) The terms ladies and gentlemen are terms that have been used and always will be used, but must be utilized differently in these changing times. (CM) Before calling someone a lady or a gentleman you should always check with them first. (CM) Although many people see it as a form of respect, some people do not like the terms lady or gentleman. (CS) Refraining from using these terms should not make you appear rude; even without them, you can still be polite.

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Self Assessment:

This essay was difficult for me because the entire essay is about the words ladies and gentlemen. They needed to be repeated so many times throughout my essay and it was hard to think of alternative words. The main difference between my first and second drafts is that in my second draft I cleaned my essay up and polished it with some more descriptive words from the dictionary. My favorite parts of the essay are my “special effects” sentences. I believe they are good and really add to the paragraph. Some of the sentences are a little confusing as it was difficult to fit my many ideas into a short essay, so if I were to rewrite this essay I would surely clean these up. I would also use a few more descriptive “dictionary” words to replace some of my current words. Overall I believe this was a good essay although not my best, and I would give myself a solid B or B+.