Chapter 9 - Allusions

Confederate veteran: a veteran of the Civil War who fought for the South.

General Hood: Lieutenant-General John B. Hood, a Confederate officer. See a picture of General Hood.

House of Commons: the lower branch of the legislature in Great Britain

Let the cup pass from you: On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed to the Lord: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done [Luke 22:42]." By asking the Lord to "take this cup from me" he was praying that he might avoid his fate (in Greek, one of the figurative meanings for "cup" is "fate"). Uncle Jack's comment to Atticus calls upon this reference because he understands that his brother was not looking forward to his fate: having to defend Tom Robinson.

Lord Melbourne: (1779-1848) Queen Victoria's first Prime Minister, Melbourne also had the reputation for being something of a ladies' man. See a picture of Lord Melbourne and Queen Victoria.

Missouri Compromise : The Missouri Compromise (1820) allowed Missouri to be admitted to the Union as a slave state but stipulated no more slave states would be allowed above the southern border of Missouri. See a map of free and slave states from the time of the Missouri Compromise.

Mount Everest: The highest known mountain in the world (29,028 feet), Everest is part of the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and Tibet. See a picture of Mount Everest.

Ol' Blue Light: a reference to Stonewall Jackson.

Prime Minister: the head of a parliamentary government, such as Great Britain's.

Stonewall Jackson: a Confederate lieutenant-general. Find out more about Stonewall Jackson on the Stonewall Jackson Homepage.