Complete Essay 6

Surprise:

Parents’ Secrets

An Essay by Inpyo Hong

8th Grade English

Pine Point School

November 01, 2010

(Hook)  Have you ever felt your parents are boring, when they are sitting down and watching the news on the television without doing anything special? (CM) In To Kill A Mockingbird (TKMA), Jem and Scout were shocked when they discovered their father’s, Atticus’s, expertise with a rifle. (CM) Moreover, I was also amazed when I sighted my “serious” father was watching a comedy program on the television. (Thesis) Thus, we may discover various surprises and amazing truths about our parents.

(TS)  In TKAM, Jem and Scout were astonished about Atticus's secret talent, shooting. (SD1) Tim Johnson was wandering down the main street toward Finch's house and “walking dazedly in the inner rim of the curve parallel to the Radley house.” (CM)Calpurnia called Heck Tate, a cop; she mentioned that Tim (the mad dog) was near where Scout, Jem, and Calpurnia were. (CM)Mr. Tate gave a rifle to Atticus, who said, "I haven't shot a gun in thirty years", and he shot Tim with only one shot in spite of his distance from the dog. (SD2) Jem said, "dead shot…” and he was amazed after Atticus shot Tim because Jem thought Atticus was a boring father. (CM) Miss Maudie confided to Jem and Scout about Atticus's secret, which was that he was the best shooter in the county when he was young. (CM) When Scout wanted to praise Atticus's secret, Jem told her to keep the secret about Atticus's expertise with a rifle. (CS)From this amazing experience with Atticus, Jem and Scout were astonished at Atticus's talent, and also recognized that Atticus was not a tiresome father.

(TS) As Jem and Scout was shocked about Atticus’s secret talent: shooting, I was also astonished when I discovered my father was watching a comedy program on the television and engaging in applause mingled with laughter. (SD1) When I was taking shower in my parents’ bathroom, I heard my father’s big laughter, which was very hard to hear or discover nowadays. (CM) I went out of the bathroom very silently to find out what happened, and I could discover my father was watching a comedy program. (CM) He was watching the comedy show “very secretly.” (SD1) I could not believe what I discovered, and it was very hilarious to me. (CM) What I knew about my father was that he only watches news on the television but nothing else; he was acting that he only watches the news. (CM) Furthermore, my father had mentioned that all the comedians are insane and criticized me when I was watching a comedy show. (CS) Therefore, I could recognize that my father was not a “boring” father, who only watches the news.

           (Hook) Consequently, we cannot conclude that parents such as “television maniacs” are not actually boring. (CM) Parents might be very opposite of what we have thought; they might be very interesting. (CM) As I stated above, Jem and Scout’s surprise about Atticus’s expertise, and my amazement about my father are my great examples that show why parents might be very opposite of what we have thought or seen. (Re-statement) Parents are safes (coffers) because they have many surprising secrets that we do not know.