Essay #17

SECOND DRAFT FOR GRADING

Austin
English 8
Mr. Salsich
3/5/10

Gentleman:
An Essay on Gentleman in To Kill a Mockingbird and my Life

(TS) People do not always realize the importance of gentleman in a society. (CM) Without gentlemen, there would no role models for proper manners. (CM) If no had proper manners like courtesy and respect, society would fall into a turmoil of disregard, inconsideration, and selfishness. (CS) That is the purpose of gentleman, and why they exist in all places like To Kill a Mockingbird and my life.

(TS) In To Kill a Mockingbird, the town called “Maycomb” contains several men and boys who can be referred to as “gentlemen”. (SD) One of them, nicknamed “Little Chuck Little”, has a polite attitude and proper manners. (CM) Even though the atmosphere was filled with Burris Ewell’s rudeness, Little Chuck Little maintained his courtesy towards his teacher by using the term “ma’am” when he said, “Let him go ma’am…He’s a mean one, a hard-down mean one. He’s liable to start somethin’” (Lee, 36). (CM) Not only did this statement show the common courtesies of gentlemen but Little Chuck Little was making sure his teacher remained unharmed, demonstrating proper treatment towards a lady. (SD) Another well-mannered character is the shy, but incredibly brave Boo Radley. (CM) Mr. Ewell came so close to killing a little girl, but Boo, being the gallant, young gentleman he is, would not let any harm, any danger, or any peril (anaphora) fall upon a young lady. (CM) He also displayed his civility when he was “Escorting [Scout] me down the sidewalk, as any gentleman would do” (Lee, 373) because customary gentleman manners consist of being a host or guide for ladies of any age. (SD) If Little Chuck Little and Boo Radley continue behaving as they are, they may one day become as respectful and honorable as Atticus. (CM) Atticus is the best gentleman in To Kill a Mockingbird because he is unbelievably polite and respectful to everybody. (CM) He used to be neighbors with a mean, old, and cranky lady named Mrs. Dubose, and regardless of her verbal assaults towards his children, he greeted her warmly everyday and gave exquisite compliments on her garden whether or not she deserved them. (CS) Maycomb is full of gentleman, and those three examples showed how there is no extent to respect and courtesy in the life of a gentleman.

(TS) There are a few gentleman in my life, and I aspire to be like them by mimicking their actions. (SD) One of these gentleman is my father, who may seem grumpy and irritable on the outside but on the inside, has a sincere and kindhearted spirit. (CM) My dad is constantly going out of his way to make my families life as comfortable and fun as possible; no matter the cost, he loves us so dearly he does his best to accommodate all of our needs and wants. (CM) Not only does my dad treat the family generously, he privileges my mom on nights they go out, doing customary acts like holding the door and pushing her chair in, but he also makes the evening as romantic as possible so my mother enjoys it to the fullest extent a gentleman can offer. (SD) Trevor, my cousin who is another young gentleman I know, is a courteous and friendly fellow, making him a pleasure to have around (Appositive S-V split). (CM) He always dresses in nice, semi-formal outfits, showing how he respects the people he’s with because of his dressing manners. (CM) Not only does he dress well but he is incredibly polite and friendly whenever my family visits; he always warmly welcomes us into his abode, engaging in sincere conversations with each of us. (SD) Trevor and my father inspire me with the good moral and the positive attitude of a gentleman. (CM) When I see how polite they behave and how gracious they are, I notice how much people appreciate having them around. (CM) I don’t like being a bothersome person to have around, and from my dad’s and Trevor’s demonstrations, I know that being a gentleman will prevent that circumstance from taking place. (CS) Gentleman are the foundation of a stable society, polite society, and a happy society, which is why my father and cousin are gentleman, and why hope to be just like them when I grow older.

(TS) Everywhere, gentlemen exist, making our lives better with their respect, courtesy and proper manners. (CM) Without the gentlemen, the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird would all become Bob Ewells: impolite, selfishness, and socially nasty. (CM) Not only would book characters be affected, our own lives would fall into chaos because everyone would be rude to one another, destroying discipline and respect. (CS) Everyone knows a gentleman, and every decent human has a little bit of gentleman in them because deep down, we all know how to be courteous, and in the right time, our true, respectful nature shows.

Self Assessment
The part of this paper that took the most time didn't involve writing; it involved deciding what to write about. In To Kill a Mockingbird and my own life, I notice and encounter so many proper manners because this book is filled with people like Atticus and my family is always making sure I behave well and act accordingly. The most significant difference between this draft and the first draft is the length of the sentences. In my first draft all the sentences were very short and to the point, but in this draft, I made some of the sentences longer and more detailed, hopefully, without adding any unnecessary words. I think the best part of this paper is some of the sentence lengths because the sentences that do not have any unnecessary words contain a lot of detail that makes the sentence sound elegant. I think the part of the paper that could still be improved is the sentence clarity and weeding unnecessary words. Those two matters go hang-in-hand because if there are less words, the reader has less trouble (if any) understanding what each sentence tries to explain. I would give myself a B- on this essay.