Chapters 9 &10

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" chapter 9, it starts out with a fight between Scout and a boy named Cecil Jacobs. Atticus forbid her to fight and at school Cecil said that her dad defended the word "niggers". Scout doesn't know what that means so she asks Atticus and he just tells her that the word is common. Common as in vulgar, low class, inappropriate. then we find out that Atticus is just defending a "negro" Tom Robinson. He has a family down by the town dump and he is also a member of the church. He claims that people are saying that he shouldn't be defending him. He says that he want s to and feels the need to help them out. They get a visit from one of their uncles Atticus sister. Later on Scout starts to use a lot of cuss words to try to convince Atticus to stop sending her to school. 

In chapter 10, they start to talk about Atticus how he is now fifty years old and really doesn't do much but seat at a desk all day and things like that. Now with the whole town talking about him it just makes everything else worse. He doesn't even want to show Jem how to shot an air rifle so he leaves that for their uncle to show them. Then they mention that killing a mockingbird is a sin because mockingbirds don't do anything they just make music for people to enjoy. This is where the book gets it's title. Then they start to talk about Atticis and Miss Maudie explains his skills and then claims that she doesn't really know what he can do. Then it leads to Scout looking at dog acting funny, they find out that the dog has been infected, it has rabies. Then they call Atticus and they have everyone go inside so they don't get bitten by the dog. Then the sheriff comes in and asks well who is going to kill the dog and everyone puts it on Atticus to do so. Everyone doesn't think that he is capable in doing so, until he gets down on his knees and kills the dog. Everyone is in shock and then they find out that Atticus nickname is "one shot finch". He is known as the best shooter in the county. Jem then realizes that his dad is the way that he is and that want s to become just like him.