In the first chapter, Scout gives a detailed description of her family and the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout mentions that her father, Atticus, went to Montgomery to "read law." She says, "When my father was admitted to the bar, he returned to Maycomb and began his practice" (Lee 5). Scout goes on to comment that Atticus' first two clients were hanged in the Maycomb County jail after refusing to plead guilty to second-degree murder. She also mentions that Atticus' first experience in the courtroom was the beginning of his distaste for the practice of criminal law. Atticus' occupation as a lawyer is significant to the plot of the novel because he is faced with the difficult task of defending an innocent black man in front of a prejudiced jury. Atticus faces discrimination from his community members for defending Tom Robinson, but follows his conscience and valiantly defends Tom. Despite the fact that Atticus' arguments clearly depict Tom's innocence, the prejudiced jury wrongly convicts Tom because he is a black man.
Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...
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