We continued to analyze the Southern Gothic genre as evidenced in the opening chapter. Bobby located strong textual support by noting the physical description of the Boo Radley's home, as well as the rumors surrounding Boo as a "nocturnal malevolent phantom". We then noted how these elements were juxtaposed to the ancestral history of the Finch family, and discussed how the family's history of slave ownership and its repercussions mirrors the haunted gothic elements. We further discussed the significance of the characters' names-Scout- a pioneer and searcher and Boo ,the novel's ghostly presence. I elaborated on the historical references to the Depression and the meaning of the "Hoover cart" -a hollowed out car drawn by a horse, as well as the historical references to the Battle of Hastings. Tomorrow, we are having a practice test on our short story unit. For homework due next Monday I assigned reading chapters 2-4.