Post 2: Chapters 12-24
Post your thoughts, comments, reactions, predictions, questions, etc. about the middle part of the novel. Be sure to include textual evidence to support your response. See assignment sheet for more details and rubric.
Then, respond to three classmates' posts.
Then, respond to three classmates' posts.
Libby Evans
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised when reading these chapters as a class when I learned the real story behind Tom Robinson’s case. I believe Tom Robinson’s testimony the most because he is a good man and he has no reason to lie. At first I thought that Tom Robinson would have nothing to do with the situation and Bob Ewell would be the only culprit, however, it was really Mayella Ewell who was seducing Tom. I was shocked when I heard this because it is so unlikely for this to happen, especially during that time. The trial was very interesting to listen to and I liked hearing everyone’s stories since they were all very different. You could detect who was lying just by their body language described in the book: “Mayella jumped at the question” (Lee 246). Mayella was obviously trying to hide something during her testimony, and I noticed little things like her palms sweating, or she would hesitate before answering. I think that the jury knew that Tom Robinson was innocent, but they didn’t want him to win because he was a black man. This is very unfair that they ended a person’s life just because of the color of their skin. If Mayella was proven guilty, they wouldn’t have killed her, and her only punishment would have been the judgments of other people. If I had been there, I would have stood up for Tom, and tried to make Mayella feel really guilty for her actions so that she would tell the truth.
I completely agree with this, he shouldn't have been found guilty and there was so much evidence that he wasn't. I wish they put their biased opinions at rest and based it off evidence. I was also shocked by Mayella's decisions but at the same time I felt that it may have happened because he is nice to her. I would have also stood up for Tom and made Mayella tell the truth.
DeleteI was also surprised. I enjoyed how Harper Lee used physical cues and body language to show emotion,feeling,whether or not people were lying etc. Tom's case was definitely the more believable testimony but him being proven guilty shows you the amount of racial tension in Maycolm.
Delete- Ethan Krupinski
I also agree because I did find it a very good little cue when Mayella jumped.I think that it really proved that Tom was innocent and that she was lying.But I guess this also shows how terrible the entire court system was to have a witness who was obviously lieing cause a man to be charged guilty.And I think that it also shows that maybe her father did beat her.
DeleteI too was very surprised that Mayella had approached Tom Robinson. Mayella was very shaking at the trial because she knew that she was guilty. And like you said she would have nobody to talk to, but what does it matter she has no friends anyways and that is why I feel bad. The trial was very interesting to hear many different people comment on their view of the situation. I like the quote you used for I believe it was very significant to the story.
DeleteI agree that nearly everything supported the idea that Tom Robinson was innocent. The evidence clearly supported Tom as innocent yet the biased opinion of the jury and the majority of white citizens caused him to be proven guilty. There was clearly a fault in the way the criminal justice system worked as there was an all white jury and at the time colored citizens were unjustly believed by many to be unequal to white citizens.
DeleteI completely agree with you. I also think that the Ewell's testimonies were staged. They were both stumbling and confusing themselves. They also hesitated a lot when answering the questions. I also hate how Tom was convicted because of his skin color. He was innocent and everyone knew that but he was still arrested. I was sad when he died because I thought that he might get acquitted.
DeleteI thought this too at first. But just like you stated, when she jumped at the question I thought she either didn't know what to say as if her dad framed him and told her what to say, or if she was the reason it occurred. Then, later on in the trial Tom gives his story without any flaws and it just proved that she was apart of it.
DeleteI was also very surprised that Mayella was the one to blame for the trial. I completely agree with how you said that Tom Robinson's case was the most convincing and that he is a good man. I also agree with being able to detect when people are lying. Several times Mayella hesitated or looked at her father before responding to Atticus' questions. I think that what you mentioned about how it was unfair to kill Tom because of his skin color, but it was so he could not escape the prison. However I agree with what you said about the jury probably thinking he was innocent but they convicted him due to his skin color.
DeleteI agree with the fact that Tom Robinson was innocent. However, one way or another Tom Robinson was going to be found guilty. The prejudice and discrimination in that trial was too big for Tom Robinson to walk like a free man again. I do agree that it is definitely unfair that Tom was killed because of his skin color. I also agree that the jury was probably thinking he was innocent.
DeleteI agree. I think everyone in the courtroom knew the truth, they just either didn't want to believe it or they didn't want to black man winning a trail against a white woman. The fact that Mayella who was in the wrong through the entire trial, lieing and saying he tried to take advantage of her when it was really the other way around is really sad. Also the fact that so many people went along with this is very sad. It couldn't have been spelled out more clearly who was guilty yet they all chose it push that aside and go in Mayella's favor simply because she was white.
DeleteOctober 4, 2018.
ReplyDeleteDuring Tom Robinson's trial I wish he was found innocent because he is and that the white people wouldn’t have used their biased opinions. The mood during these chapters are mysterious because we want to know what's happening, anxious to see if Tom is found not guilty, and fearful for Tom and Mayella’s interaction with each other. I really wish Mayella had a better childhood and wasn’t so isolated with only her family. She deserves better, however she did know the full consequences as to what she tried to do, she didn’t deserve to be beaten by her father and to be so isolated. “‘When he’s- riled, has he ever beaten you?’ Mayella looked around, down at the court reporter, up at the judge. ‘Answer the question, Miss Mayella,’... ‘My paw’s never touched a hair o’ my head my entire life,’” (Lee 209) This implies that she is nervous to the question and was most likely beaten by her father but she is too scared to admit it. I wish she had more trust in people and isn’t scared to tell the truth as to what happened. I predict that Scout, Jem and Dill will try to get Tom Robinson out of jail and somehow have Boo Radley to help them. I predict that when trying to get Tom out of jail the Ewells will stop them and get into a fight, resulting in Jem breaking his bone. I hope that Mayella feels terrible after what she did and never does this again.
I disagree with your change to the story because I personally feel like if Tom was found innocent the story would be irrelevant.The whole point of his trial is not to advance the plot in the story, but to convey the massage Harper Lee was trying to show.What that message is could be up to interpretation. And your comment about Mayella I also agree with because the characters in this story are supposed to be ugly and horrible people because it shows again how ignorant everyone was.
DeleteI also wish that Tom Robinson was found innocent because it is sad to think that someone died for something they didn't do, but it is an important part of the plot that really adds to the character's emotions and development. I agree that Mayella was lonely and didn't know the full extent of her consequences when she kissed Tom and lied in court. None of the things that happen in this book are fair or just, because most things in life aren't fair. If everything was good and fair in this book, it wouldn't seem realistic or correct.
DeleteI agree with Alex's opinion. The trial was the centerpiece of the whole series and if he won the trial the whole significance of the story would change to have a theme of hope. While it would be interesting, i feel like it wouldn't be very culturally accurate and wouldn't represent the time well.
Delete- Ethan Krupinski
I disagree with changing the end of the trial. That would never have happened in Jim Crowe times and it only makes sense to do so in the trial. However, I wish Tom either escaped from prison or got freed eventually and not killed off.
DeleteI also disagree with the changing of Tom Robinson's trial. The fact he was found guilty is what keeps this story so real and believable. It shows how even an innocent black man is always guilty in court during the racist times of the Jim Crow laws in the south. Had he been innocent in the trial, everything that followed wouldn't seem real and would almost seem more like a fantasy.
DeleteI disagree with your statement because I believe that Tom Robinson pleading guilty was very important to the story line and the plot. It shows what reality was in this time period, so if the trial conviction was changed, the story would not have the meaningful values it does.
DeleteI agree I feel that if Tom Robinson would have won the biased white people rule could have came to change. I believe that Mayella is scared of her father which is a bad sign to life because he is basically all she has and he beats her. It is obvious that Mayella's pa hit her and that is why she paused when asked the question. Sadly all of your predictions ended up being wrong because Tom Robinson tried to escape.
DeleteI do not think that the story should have been changes. The story was a major eye opener during the Civil Rights movement. It displays the impossible uphill battle that African Americans were needed to climb. They were treated unfairly, and Harper Lee was showing something that actually happened, as it was based on the Scottsdale Boys.
DeleteI also wish that Tom was found innocent and that the all-white jury should not have been biased, but I think that with the time period this was a major part in society. I agree with the moods that you listed and I also agree with the fact that Mayella knew the consequences to what she did and that she did not deserve to be so isolated and lonely and be beaten by her father. I think that the quote you used supports this very well. It shows that she had hesitation before answering the question and she could be lying. I think that your prediction is very interesting and I agree that they will attempt to free Tom from jail and that it could be the cause of Jem’s broken bone.
DeleteWhile morally I agree with you and wished all of the characters had a better life, I do think the book is better because of the dark parts it incudes. If Tom had not have been convicted guilty then the story would not really be historically accurate, and the message behind his trial would be lost. Mayella's situation, though very unfortunate, gives depth to the story and makes it more interesting to read. Without these sadder parts, the book would not be as good.
DeleteSomething that I thought a lot about while reading Tom Robinson's trial was the symbolism behind it all.I believe that Harper Lee used this trail as a metaphor for everything wrong with her country at one point.One of the best examples is Tom Robinson who is a black man who was accused of something he did not do but I think it goes deeper than that.I think that his Trial was used in this book to show the deeply rooted racism that was in The United States at that time.And I also found it interesting that she chose to put the character of Scout to watch it all.I thought it was so interesting that Harper Lee chose to show how someone as innocent as Scout would react to this Racism that is so deeply routed in her town and country.I think that this whole trial and book is a metaphor for the future generations reacting to this racism that has been around forever and to show people that no everybody at the time believed this was right.And it took someone innocent to show this.Scout is only six years old so she has not grown ignorant like the people around her.She has no preconceived bias's or prejudice. She is just there to show someone clear of mind without bias to show how ugly this racism is.And now I can clearly see why this book is on the Great American Read, not because it is my personal favorite, in fact to be honest I though it was boring at times.But because of the message in symbolism that is shown in such a simple story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the trial itself is a symbol for all racist events at the time. I also find it interesting that Harper Lee chose to have the narrator as a young girl because children don't have the same prejudice thoughts as adults, and they see the situation as the way it really is.
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DeleteThat's something I didn't think about. I didn't look at it as a metaphor. Reading this now I agree however I still wish more then one person found him innocent but was still found guilty by majority. I really like how you saw this completely differently then what I thought of this.
I agree with you. This can very well be demonstrating a more symbolic idea behind the trial. I also agree how it is interesting to see this all unfold in Scouts eyes.
Delete- Ethan Krupinski
I totally agree with you, Alex. Like Mrs. Kington said, this book takes place during a rought time period and resembles the one trial with the young black boys. There is one thing I didn't understand if it was placed after that one trial. That is, why did Tom die? Why couln't he get the justice he deserved? I still do not understand why Harper Lee killed him off.
DeleteI agree with you as the time was difficult for colored citizens and the criminal justice system was inarguably biased. I also did not consider the idea that Scout, Dill, and Jem's presence during the trial was used to show an unbiased and more fair view on the trial. The evidence of the trial definitely proved Tom to be innocent yet the biased opinion of the jury members caused Tom to be proven guilty.
DeleteI agree with you and also think that the symbolism in the trial makes it all the more important. Scouts narration, in these particular chapters, was one of my favorites parts. It allows the reader to be as innocent as Scout is and puts everything into perspective. The innocence readers see through Scout's eyes balance out the bias we see from everyone else.
DeleteI found your statement really interesting to read because I did not think about the fact that this book could have been symbolism with the wrong things in the world during her times. Now that I read this, I completely agree with the statements you concluded to. I actually also found it interesting that Harper Lee decided to make the protagonist int he story so young. I know the story was suppose to be based of off her at that age because this is when the trials were going on, but I still liked that she decided to make the main character so young because she could have made her any age. I liked experiencing the story through Scout's eyes, because I feel as if the story was easier to follow with a kid being the narrator. We also get to experience Scout growing up and learning many life lessons because if she was not a kid in the book, there would be less times where Atticus had been lecturing her and giving her important advice.
DeleteI also agree with you because this whole trial really did reflect on what America once was. And even though it may be hard to believe,racism was and still is one of the biggest conflicts in our country today.
DeleteYou bring up a very valid point. I agree with about the true purpose of Harper Lee writing this book. Perhaps Harper Lee thought we needed to see how we acted back then so we could reflect how we act now. She must still feel like the book is needed to teach lessons still in this day and age. I also like how you brought up the point about how Scout is our character. It is an interesting yet understandable choice for Lee to make. As a child, you are like a sponge, soaking in the culture, behaviors, and beliefs of the people around you. As a child your view on the world is so much more innocent that when you grow older and realize how wrong the world is. We see Scout go from being eager to learn what the world has to offer to crying over the unfairness of the world she lives in. Her innocence is taken as she learns that she doesn't live in the perfect world she thought she did.
DeleteI agree that the trial had a deeper meaning in the story, possibly relating to the book's title. For example, I believe that Tom represented the mockingbird, and it was unjust to harm him if he was innocent. I also think that Boo Radley could relate to the mockingbird because he was being bothered and he wasn't harming anyone.
Delete*not everybody at this time*
ReplyDeleteDuring the trial chapters, you could tell Atticus tried his hardest to prove Tom Robinson innocent. Him being proven guilty really shows you what the time was like. It shows that no matter what, the black man almost always lost. What I found frustrating was how he did lose, but it actually adds a whole new level of significance to the novel. This demonstrates the whole racial tension of the people in Maycolm and shows how a person's life can be drastically changed because of their skin color. What is most interesting is this very adult-like situation is showed in Scouts eyes. Scout notices when things aren't right and when things shouldn't be. What I also found interesting was Dolphus Raymond who met the kids outside of the courtroom. Dolphus was looked at as a drunk who offered alcohol to kids but within his conversation with the kids you realize that he is normal and is only putting up an act for his benefit. When asked why he trusted the kids with this secret he says kids are the only people who could actually "understand." I found these chapters to be the most interesting out of the whole book because it gives you a whole new look on the people and racism in Maycolm.
ReplyDelete- Ethan Krupinski
I do agree with you, I think that this trial really was a good representation about the time period and how prigeduce everything was.And I think that the people in Maycomb were a little bit over exaggerated though because I really dought that at the time only a hand full of people would have found him innocent.Because it's like at this time the Scottsburo boys trial happened and really showed how bad it was so for me I just though it was kind of unrealsitic.Like a lot of Americans were mad about the Scottsburo Boys trial and I think this would have forced the jury to make Tom innocent because of the public outrage.
DeleteI also find it interesting that Harper Lee chose to write the book from the Scout's point of view. I liked how Dolphus Raymond said that kids understand better, because it is very true. All of the adults' minds habitually think of prejudice thoughts and comments when someone talks, but the kids listen better and haven't caught the prejudice "disease" yet. This could add to the theme of not judging someone before you fully know them.
DeleteI agree I also find his character very interesting because he is acting so the people don't like him. I also agree with how he was guilty (Tom) and how the racism is in this time period and location.
DeleteExactly, This time was unfair to blacks and it was almost impossible to win a case being black. I was also surprised to see Dolphus being a noral person, who just acts drunken and disheveled.
DeleteYou made a valid point stating that it was racially bias in the courtroom. You could clearly see that the evidence was leaning into Tom Robinsons favor, but since he was black, the opinions were towards the Ewells.
DeleteI agree with you that the African-Americans almost always lost when put in a situation with white people, and it was represented well in this trial. Atticus made a very good case for Tom, and it was obvious he was innocent and the Ewells were lying. If the roles had been reversed and Tom was the white man and the Ewell’s were African-American, then Tom and Atticus would have won the trials. I also agree that these were the most interesting chapters in the book especially with the addition of Dolphus Raymond, and how he is only acting for his benefit, and believes kids trust him the most. These chapters gave me a new outlook on racism and people in Maycomb as well.
DeleteDuring the middle part of the book, I noticed a couple of things. One thing I noticed was the lack of care for blacks. How they had to sit in the top of the courthouse and how Tom was convicted and sent to jail for no real reason. "...When it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins."(Lee chapter 23). Of course this is pure racsism, but it makes sense for Tom to lose. In real life, a black man would have lost under those same conditions during that time period, so the book is just really telling a truthful stor, in my opinion. A prediction I had throughout the book so far is that Bob Ewell will try to kill Atticus for throwing shade on him during the trial. Bob will hopefully fail in his attempt. " Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life."(290) Towards the end of the book, I think Bob and his family will get what they deserve and finally be put in their place.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your view on how this book really opens your eyes on how much racism there was. You always hear about it, but just the small comments and details throughout the book really help you grasp how awful it was back then for blacks.
DeleteI agree with how you noticed how much racism there was. The whole book is filled with examples of discrimination between the white and black races. It is a really good point to make when you said that the Tom Robinson case is a good example of how it would've happened in real life. Also, it is really important to bring up that at some point later in the book Bob Ewell is going to come back and try to hurt Atticus. I also really agree with what you said about Bob Ewell and his family getting punishment for what they have done. Both with Tom and for Bob mistreating Mayella.
DeleteI completely agree with you on how African Americans were treated as outcasts back then. This trial and book displayed what really occurred in the 1930's between blacks and whites.The discrimination and prejudice through the trial were very evident through the verdict and even the fact blacks had to sit on the balcony. I also agree that Bob Ewell will try to get payback on Atticus for making him look bad during the trial. Hopefully he will fail, but I think in the upcoming chapters it will definitely happen.
DeleteThe Tom Robinson trial in To Kill A Mockingbird was the climax of the book. Atticus has been trying to defend him for a long time. They both know that Atticus will lose and Tom will go to jail but Atticus still tries. I like this about Atticus because he is still trying to help Tom even though he’s being threatened and there is little hope. I was surprised that the trial was so short. Mayella and Bob’s testimonies were contradicting and obviously fake. Neither of them could get their stories out easily. After the verdict was given everyone in the balcony stood for Atticus. They all respected him for what he did. “I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet” (Lee 241). This shows that everyone in the balcony stood for Atticus. Even though he didn't win he tried for Tom. One thing that I was confused by was Tom’s death. Why did Tom try to run when he knew that he wouldn't make it? I wonder why he decided to run instead of letting his sentence play over. I wonder when Boo Radley will show up again. He hasn't been mentioned within the last few chapters. It was interesting how one of the Cunninghams on the jury tried to defend Tom. The Cunninghams had more respect for the Finch’s after Scout stood up to them. I like how they were willing to help Atticus because of that.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think that it shows Atticus' true character for standing up for something even though he most likely won't win and will get judged for standing up for a black man. I disagree though when you say the trial was short for people were surprised how long it went on, and there were little witnesses. All of the blacks respect Atticus very much for what he was doing for Tom Robinson a fellow black man. I am also very confused why he tried to escape knowing his crippled arm. Boo Radley will be mentioned later. I also was perplexed to see a Cunningham standing up for a black man.
DeleteI also agree and I found it very interesting that a Cunningham defended Tom Robinson. I think that the reason Tom tried to run was because he wanted to die. I think he did not want to endure jail time and maybe he saw the future as bleak even after he would get out. Or maybe it was out of distraught or devastation but either way I feel as though Tom simply saw no positive future and decided to just end it as soon as possible.
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DeleteI agree with you, and I also think the trial was able to display Atticus's true character.He knew since it was an all- white jury that there was no hope to win, but he still gave it his all. At the end of the trial when all the African Americans stood up for him, it showed how much they appreciated his efforts in the case. I think the trial was so short since nobody wanted to give a testimony on behalf of Tom Robinson, and the Ewell's did not need to give many testimonies since the jury was already on their side. A Cunningham defending a black man was also interesting to me.I think Tom Robinson tried to escape since he knew he would be stuck in the jail the rest of his life. No matter what Atticus did he would never be able to get him out. Tom saw death as a better option than being stuck in jail for the rest of his life.
I don't think the trial was the climax of the book. When Tom Robinson tries to escape but is then shot is I believe the climax. There is the most tension and build up to that point and then it is the aftermath of what happened to finish out the book.The trial was to me was the rising action.
DeleteThroughout to Kill a Mockingbird, all different characters are introduced. The character that intrigues me the most, other than Boo Radley, is Dolphus Raymond. When Jem first describes him to Scout and Dill he is viewed very negatively. I thought the story of his wedding was very interesting, but I doubt of the reason for the bride’s suicide was the one Jem told. Something about that just didn’t seem right. Also, I found it strange that he would hang out with black people more than white people, and I wondered if the blacks treated him like he was black, or if they treated him like just another white person. Last, what Raymond said to Jem and Scout about ¨But you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to¨ (Lee 228). Dolphus Raymond lets everyone assume he’s drinking whiskey and is drunk because he has learned that people often need excuses, and that as long as he lives the way he wants everything is fine with him.
ReplyDeleteI also really thought that Dolphus Raymond was an interesting character in the story. I agree with you when you say that you found it strange that he would hang out with black people more than white people. It is a really good point to bring up because throughout the story Harper Lee states many times the tension and differences between the two cultures. So it makes sense that that would be confusing. I also think that his kind of personality is really unique compared to other people because back then, most people were very cautious and focused with staying within the socially acceptable boundaries of life as they were brought up to do so. Both Scout and Raymond are similar in these ways and connected in this way because Raymond doesn’t really care what people think about him and Scout doesn’t want to be a proper lady. He understands that the people around him are molded in a way that is hard to be changed, so when he acts like he is drunk, it takes a lot to do that and connects back to his personality.
DeleteDolphus Raymond is considered different and unusual for having mixed children and a black wife in the 1930s, but today, that is normal. He is just an example of a person who was way ahead of his time. I applaud him for not being ordinary. Everyone is different and should have their own say in what they do. Prejudice should never affect how a person behaves or acts. Things will never change if people are too scared to step out of the big crowd and be themselves.
DeleteDolphus Raymond is used in a very interesting way in the story. He understands the prejudice that Maycomb has and hides his true self behind an act of drunkenness. He is a bit like Atticus, a man who doesn't quite fit in to the ideals of Maycomb. However, because of the way he chooses to live, he's prevented himself from being able to be a productive member of society. Dolphus trashes his reputation by pretending to be drunk all the time, whereas Atticus bears the town's criticism and continues to try to change the corrupt system by doing his work.
DeleteI agree that Dolphus Raymond is an interesting character. The way he lives reminds me of Atticus and the children in the way that he does not care what color skin people have. His character overall is mysterious and compelling. When he says that he lets people believe what they'd like about him because it is easier is really different and understandable. It seem like something Attics would tell the children because they should be able to live how they'd like just like Raymond.
DeleteI agree that Dolphus Raymond is a very interesting character. He definitely isn’t what he appears to be. Even though he seems like a drunk and untrustworthy person he turns out to be understanding and not as prejudiced as most people is Maycomb. Almost everyone looks down on him because he married an African American woman, and chooses to be with black people more than white people. It is interesting that he pretends to be drunk just so that people have an excuse for his actions. People during this time just didn’t think it was right to associate with African Americans, and didn’t understand why anyone would do it. I also think the children of African Americans and whites during this time period are very intriguing. Dolphus Raymond and his wife have several children, and it makes me wonder; Are they outcasts in the eyes of blacks and whites? Are African Americans more accepting of differences during this time than whites?
DeleteI agree with what you said but i have another question. What was his purpose in telling the kids about it. It did not help him at all and his secret could get out. I also wonder if he has any children of his own because he seemed very tender and fatherly as he was talking to them outside the courthouse. In conclusion I agree with your post.
DeleteI agree that Dolphus Raymond is an interesting character. He is definitely very strange for this time period by hanging out with blacks more than whites. He also lets people assume he is an alcoholic so there is an explanation for his doings. This is another example demonstrating to the children that you should not judge people based on their appearances or rumors about them.
DeleteI totally agree. I love how we've been thinking a certain way about Dolphus Raymond, but when Scout gets to talk to him heart to heart, he teaches her that people need reason. They don't accept someone else's beliefs because that doesn't make sense to them. Dolphus is saying that Maycomb is stubborn. They are unable to accept other ways of life besides their own. They are unwilling to let black people to be treated equal because they haven't before and they're not willing to change. I loved this moment in the book because it teaches Scout a deep lesson that is usually only understood by adults, but Scout is being exposed to the unfairness of her world due to the bold prejudice and racism in Maycomb.
DeleteI agree completely agree. Dolphus Raymond in my opinion is one of the most interesting characters. I think that it is really interesting that he puts on an act to show everybody that he is not always in his right mind. I feel that it is horrible, but also necessary in his case. He likes to live with his children and doesn't want to be bothered. However, the people of Maycomb could not deal with the fact that he likes to live with colored people, so he has to put on an act. Although, I do feel Dolphus Raymond could have been a better advocate for equal rights if he had not been afraid of the people and stood up for his family.
DeleteI was very surprised to see that Tom Robinson that ran away and then got shot even though many believed he had a chance of winning the case because it took a very long time for the jury to decide the verdict. Even Atticus believed that he had a chance to win this case, Atticus also said that the case had been decided 100 years ago so this really meant something. "Atticus leaned against the refrigerator, pushed up his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "We had such a good chance," he said." (Lee 269) This quote just emphasizes how mad Atticus is because he believed if they won this case then the way of the law could possibly change. Tom Robinson believed that he would have lost so instead of taking the courts chances he took his own which many said if he didn't have a crippled arm he would have gotten over the fence. What if he got over the fence? He was going to be caught anyways. I believe that he should have let Atticus win the case, if it would have been most lawyers then I would have taken the risk.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read that Tom Robinson was dead, I was stunned. I never thought that would happen. He had three kids and a wife; he didn't deserve that. Atticus is upset about not winning the case and that Tom died, but I think he knows that he made a huge difference in Maycomb. Atticus for sure took a big risk; it wasn't for nothing.
DeleteI was also surprised to see that Tom Robinson had, in a way, committed suicide. What I do not understand is why the guards had to shoot Tom seventeen times. I'm sure that if Tom was a white man he would have been shot in the leg, perhaps. However, since he was black, the guards fired shots to kill. This is sad because, as you said, Atticus thought that he and Tom had a good chance of winning the case after all. I think that Tom definitely would have made it over the fence if he weren't crippled. I understand why Tom did what he did, but I think that if I were Tom, I would have taken the chance that Atticus thought they had. Tom probably assumed that he would not make it over the fence in time, but he took that chance over Atticus’. Maybe Tom didn’t want society to have a victory over him by killing him in the chair. Tom might have taken this risk so that no one else could get the satisfaction of “serving justice”. It is surprising that Tom almost made it over the fence. He was going extremely fast, probably out of determination.
DeleteI was also very shocked to see the Tom Robinson was dead. I suppose he belived death was a better case than remaining in jail. Even though Atticus believed they had a good chance of winning the verdict had basically been decided before they even stepped foot in the courthouse. If he did not have a crippled arm he probably would have gotten over the fence, but I agree that eventually he would have been caught. I think that if Tom was white then the guards would not feel the need to shoot him seventeen times or go straight for the kill. All in all, Tom's decision to basically commit suicide puzzled me because he had a family, and hope since Atticus was trying really hard to get him out.
DeleteI agree with you about Tom and Atticus. I was surprised when he ran away and got shot. I thought that he was going to wait for Atticus and a new trial. I also think that Atticus thought they had a chance of winning. I also think that Tom should have waited instead of getting killed.
DeleteI agree with you questioning why Tom Robinson did it but what if racial prejudice which was such a part of southern society had convinced Tom that it would never change. The inequalities he experienced may have convinced him that after he was tried guilty he had no chance but escape. So his escape attempt to him could have been his only chance at surviving no matter what Atticus said. This could explain why he did it.
DeleteI agree with you questioning why Tom ran, and I don't think he really did. I think that the police/guards in the jail were watching him closely because he is black and almost won the trial. I think they may have been talking about an exercise wall or something in the prison, and not the fence that leads outside of the prison. They probably shot him just because they could and no one was going to tell them anything different.
DeleteEmma Lang
In the trial and middle chapters, I found the most interesting and questionable concept to be that one of the Cunningham's connections, who served on the jury, desperately tried to prove Tom Robinson innocent. I find this to be interesting because Mr. Walter Cunningham, along with some other men, went to the jail where they held Tom Robinson and were willing to hurt Mr.Finch in order to most likely lynch Tom. The Cunningham,according to Atticus, was Mr.Walter Cunningham's "double first cousin." The fact that this particular man wanted to kill Tom just the night before and then changed his mind to want to set him free is quite questionable in my opinion. Jem also seemed to find this odd as he asked Atticus why he put a man who wanted to kill him on the jury. Atticus' response was '"When you analyze it, there was little risk. There's no difference between one man who's going to convict and another man who's going to convict, is there? There's a faint difference between a man who's going to convict and a man who's a little disturbed in his mind, isn't there? He was the only uncertainty on the whole list"'(Lee 254).I think that when Atticus said "uncertainty" he meant that this Cunningham was the only one who had the slightest chance of disagreeing with the rest of the jury, which he did. This Cunningham argued and debated with the other jury members for two hours eventually losing but I'm questionable as to why he did it. According to Atticus, "the Cunningham's hadn't taken anything from or off of anybody since they migrated to the New World" (Lee 256). After stating this, Atticus said "..the other thing about them was, once you earned their respect they were for you tooth and nail"(Lee 256). What Atticus believed was that after the night at the jail,the Cunningham's had a new respect for them leading to this particular Cunningham's dedicated attempt to free Tom Robinson of conviction. I simply found this to be the most interesting part after the trial as the beliefs and mindset of the Cunningham's is worth while to have an interest in because of their dedication to someone after they have seen a good reason to have respect in them. - Nicole Bahleda
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you in that it's interesting this specific Cunningham went from willing to kill someone to wanting to save them in a mere day. But you really did help resolve my suspicions through your use and abundance of quotes. Your sentences are to the point and I very much enjoyed reading this post. My only bit of advice is that if you're going to quote two sentences from the same page, just connect both of them with an ellipsis unless you have some evidence or an explanation that you want to put in between. Regardless, nice work.
DeleteI agree that the Cunningham juror was an interesting part of the trial. Despite his original racist ideology, he did gain some respect for Atticus and decided to fight with him in the trial. It is almost surprising how the Cunningham was convinced to ignore the prevailing prejudice, see Tom Robinson as a normal person, and fight for him as a juror. I also like how you use quotes from the book to talk about the Cunningham's role on the jury and then to talking about their basic principle of respect. You described how his newfound respect for Atticus made him go for an acquittal but I like to think that the Cunningham juror was actually convinced that Tom Robinson was innocent.
DeleteThroughout the book leading up to the trail, there was a lot of build up relating to how the community thinks of how it is wrong that Atticus is standing up for a black man in a trial. Most of them believe that all blacks are bad and shouldn’t be even glanced at let alone talked to. Tom was supposed to win because the evidence wasn’t pointing to him at all and it seemed that it would be stupid and pointless to convict Tom of something that he obviously didn’t do. By the end of the trial, it was disappointing but at the same time understood that when Tom lost the case, it was because of his word against another white persons. “I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: ‘Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty’” (Lee 240). Even though that we hoped that it turned out the other way where justice if rightly served, it makes sense in the book to make it that Tom lost the trial. This way, Harper Lee can show how society worked back then and how it didn’t care about what happened to blacks no matter if they did anything or not. Though they lost the trial, it still spurred the change of viewing the trials as black vs. white to looking at it as guilty or not guilty. The jury was in session talking about what they should say for Tom Robinson’s case for almost two hours more than they have in the past. “That jury took a few hours. An inevitable verdict, maybe, but it usually it takes ém just a few minutes”(Lee 253). The effort put in by Atticus showed the people of Maycomb that not everyone has to be against blacks and what they are. What Atticus was trying to show to the jury members was that both whites and blacks are people, all the same and should be treated better in that way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, and this was a very well structured observation. It explains the attitude of Maycomb very well and the quote is used very nicely. I also agree with your presentation of the aftermath of the trial and the reaction of Atticus during the aftermath. If I had any critism, it would be to trim your quotes a little more effectivly, but I still enjoyed reading your post.
DeleteAlthough I do agree with you that the trial was pointing towards Tom being innocent, i disagree with your point believing Tom had a chance to win. In this time period of the south, there was no chance for Tom to win because of the prejudice in the south and the lack of acceptance of change. Even when the Cunningham juror said that they wanted to vote not guilty, he was convinced that he should vote guilty. I agree with the thought of Atticus trying to show that blacks are people too.
DeleteJudge Taylor had done what he could in order to insure Tom Robinson a fair trial. He appointed Atticus to defend Tom. Judge Taylor knew that Atticus had the moral integrity to do his best to defend Tom Robinson. “Court-appointed defenses were usually given to Maxwell Green, Maycomb’s latest addition to the bar, who needed the experience. Maxwell Green should have had Tom Robinson’s case” (Lee 289). However, Judge Taylor knew that Tom would have the best chance of being convicted Not Guilty if Atticus were his lawyer. In chapter 17, when the Judge thinks that Atticus should make an objection to the prosecutor, he asks if Atticus had any questions. Atticus responded to this cue with “yes”. The Judge tries to give Atticus as much time to prove Tom innocent as possible. When Mayella Ewell gets caught in her lie about Tom Robinson and begins to cry, Judge Taylor looked at her sternly and said “‘Don’t you cry, young woman...’” (248). This is because he knows that crying will gain her sympathy from the jury. When Bob Ewell was at the witness stand, Judge Taylor announced that Bob Ewell was left handed. This remark made the jury aware that Bob could have very easily beaten Mayella. While Judge Taylor never does anything illegal, he takes advantage of the provided opportunities to help Tom Robinson win the trial.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting way to look at the Tom Robinson court case. Judge Taylor did a brave thing to stick up for a black man. Just like Atticus, he did something most white people wouldn't do at that time. Even though Judge Taylor tried to make this trial fair, the jury was not fair. It consisted of all white people and a Cunningham who shifted the votes because he an agreement with Bob Ewell. Like Atticus said, they were licked a hundred years before.
DeleteI really like this way of viewing the trial, and think that it provides a different perspective. You are correct in the fact that the judge, in a way, was looking out for Tom. More people in Maycomb are tolerant than appear, the judge is one of these people.
DeleteI agree, Judge Taylor did want the trial to be as fair as possible. Atticus hadkl. the best shot of helping Tom be pleaded innocent so judge assigned him. Atticus had good evidence with the help of Judge Taylor, but Maycomb is too prejudice to realize that Tom was innocent.
DeleteThese selected chapters from To Kill a Mockingbird was probably the best part of the book. The Tom Robinson case really made me be on the edge of my seat at all times. For exmaple, I did not really know who Atticus really was until reading the court case. Turns out, Atticus is a really talented lawyer. I never really expected him to be so direct and stern. One part of the book made me very surprised about Atticus was the end of Mayella's testimony. Atticus was bombarding her with questions with a strong passion: "'Then why didn't the other children hear you? Where were they? At the dump?' 'Where were they?' No answer. 'Why didn't your screams make them come running? The dump is closer than the woods, isn't it?' No answer" (Lee 250). Atticus proceeded to ask Mayella more questions. She never answered them. Atticus proved his case very well; Tom Robinson was not guilty. This section of reading let me get to know who Atticus really was; a strong lawyer who fights for people's lives, no matter their skin color.
ReplyDeleteI think that you make a really good point. I didn't imagine that Atticus would be so direct in his accusations, but after all that he and his kids have been put through, I understand how determined he was to win the case. On page 271, Atticus says that someone in the courtroom is guilty, and it is not Tom Robinson. This implies that Bob Ewell is the one who beat Mayella. Atticus was not afraid of what Bob might do to him. Atticus simply did what he believed was right and what was his responsibility to do. The argument that Atticus made was very strong. If it were a white man against a white man, Atticus definitely would have won. He used strong evidence to support his claim and did it in a respectful manner. I admire that Atticus was so polite and professional, even towards people he wholeheartedly knew were lying to his face.
DeleteI also found these chapters to be one of the bests and most interesting parts of the book. I agree with how you stated that you did not really know Atticus’ character until reading about the case. I think that the trial really defined his character in the story and showed that he is a determined person who was willing to defend Tom Robinson to the best of his abilities even though he knew they would lose the case. I like the quote that you used and I think that it really supports your claim because most of Atticus’ questions were either left unanswered or answered with hesitation.
DeleteI agree with your point that Atticus is a very talented lawyer. One part of the trial that stood out to me the most was which hand hit Mayella Ewell. I thought it was amazing how Atticus showed the jury that Bob writes with his left and how Tom's left arm is crippled. Also, when they investigated which said the bruises were on to conclude the point he was trying to make. I thought this was a very interesting and thrilling part of the trial.
DeleteI agree with your comment on the trial being the best part of the book. Lee wrote the trial in a way that made easy to follow, yet very intriguing and as you said, on the edge of your seat. Also, I agree with you claiming Atticus to be a great lawyer, and I too was surprised by his question attacking style when he was questioning Mayella.
DeleteI agree with your comment because Tom was a truly lucky man to have Atticus as his lawyer. Even though past events had an impact on this trial, meaning there was no way a black man could win against a white man, Atticus despite all of the prejudice people in Maycomb stood up for what was right. I also believe Atticus was one step ahead of Maycomb at all times. His mind was already in the civil rights movement.
DeleteI predict that in upcoming chapters Bob Ewell's will try to kill Atticus or send people to murder him. Throughout the trial, Atticus was able to show significant evidence that pointed to Mr. Ewell's being the one who beat Mayella. Through the conflict of the trial Atticus was able to use the evidence that Mayella was beat on her right eye, and Bob Ewell's being left handed to show it was probably him who beat Mayella since Tom was crippled on his left side. Since Bob Ewell's had previously physically beaten Mayella it made sense that it was him. He saw Mayella and Tom Robinson together, then beat Mayella and made her accuse Tom of rape. Due to the setting of the 1930’s black men accused of raping white women were almost always found guilt in the South. Through Atticus’s hard efforts he was able to break Mayella down, which weakened her testimony. Atticus was able to make Bob Ewell look bad in front of all of Maycomb, which I believe this will lead to Mr. Ewell's to try to murder Atticus in the upcoming chapters. "It was Miss Stephanie's pleasure to tell us: this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he's get him if it took the rest of his life"(Lee 247). The conflict of Atticus making Mr. Ewell’s look bad I believe will lead to several more conflicts between the two. By spitting in Atticus’s face it symbolises Bob had no respect for Atticus, and believed he was under him since he defended a black man. Mr. Ewell disrespects Atticus for being willing to do what other won’t, which is actually try for a black man. Since it was an all- white jury they still sided with the Ewell’s, but it showed some of the citizens of Maycomb how evident the prejudice within the city was. It also revealed more about the characterization in Atticus of how much courage and determination he possessed. This causes many to resent Atticus within Maycomb, and many white men to be willing to help with making Atticus pay for helping Tom. All in all, I believe due to what happened in court, Bob Ewell’s will attempt to murder Atticus due to his actions.
ReplyDeleteI think that Bob Ewell will definitely try to hurt Atticus, but not directly. Atticus' kids mean more to him than anything. Atticus has already shown Bob that he would take Bob's threats and anger rather than Bob taking it out on someone else. Since Bob Ewell was not getting the result and satisfaction that he wanted, I think he will take it out on something/someone that will affect Atticus more than Bob could directly. I think that either Jem, Scout, or possibly Calpurnia will be harmed by Bob Ewell in an attempt to punish Atticus for his actions at the trial. If Atticus' actions put his kids in harm's way, will he regret defending Tom Robinson, or will he still believe that he did the right thing? The Ewells were never respected people, but making then look bad against a black man is something that can not be forgiven.
DeleteI agree with you that Bob Ewell will try to harm Atticus. Bob showed that he doesn't respect Atticus by spitting in his face. During the trial Atticus repeatedly made Bob and Mayelle look bad and like they were lying. He made them stumble and confused and shifted the blame from Tom to Bob. I think that Bob will take that as an attacj and retaliate on Atticus.
DeleteJuliana Malinowski
DeleteWhile it is likely for Bob Ewell to try and hurt Atticus, I don't think it would be through the children. Besides, there are others more close by to target, such as Tom's wife. Living close to the Ewells, wife of the man who Mayella tried to tempt, Helen is a very possible target for harassment or assault. She no longer has a husband to defend her, and she has her children to look out for. I believe that Bob Ewell will turn towards Helen, looking to take his anger out on her instead of Atticus.
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DeleteWhile I do think that Bob Ewell will try to get ‘revenge’ on Atticus, I do not think he will attempt to murder him. Murder seems too risky to attempt because of the evidence that could point to Mr. Ewell as the murderer. Atticus’s evidence at the trial was overwhelmingly pointing to Bob Ewell as the cause of Mayella’s injuries. The evidence was not enough to sway the prejudiced jury, but it ruined Mr.Ewell’s credibility, and he is furious with Atticus. I think when he was insulting Atticus at the post office, he was trying to provoke Atticus so that he would get in trouble with the law. Evidently, this did not work, as Atticus merely shook it off. However, I believe this is not the last time Bob Ewell will try to get back at Atticus. Even though I do not think Bob Ewell with try to murder him, I still think that he will try to threaten or harm him in some way. I am predicting that Bob Ewell will try to harm or manipulate Atticus through others, like his children, Calpurnia, or Helen. Atticus’s compassion for others will make him feel guilty if anything happens to someone because of him. Mr. Ewell will definitely try to do something to punish Atticus for his defense at the trial.
DeleteOne of the characters that play a more noticeable part in these chapters in the book is Aunt Alexandra. Her characterization and disagreements with Atticus add to the idea of the setting and social ideas of southern Alabama in the 1930’s. She comes to live with the Finches in Maycomb from Finches Landing. She is widely accepted in Maycomb and is said to be “... one of the last of her kind: she had river-boat, boarding school manners; let any moral come along and she would uphold it; she was born in the objective case; she was an incurable gossip”.(Lee 147) She was seen of as the ideal southern lady and acted according to that.It is evident that she kind of invited herself to oversee how Atticus is raising Scout and Jem because she thinks they are not being raised properly. Aunt Alexandra said “ We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence”(145) even though Scout has Calpurnia. She doesn’t realy trust Calpurnia and does things like not let her serve the missionary society or make the food for a meeting. Aunt Alexandra also sometimes directly challenges Atticus’ parenting such as when the Finches came back from the trial. In conclusion Aunt Alexandra’s southern ways and beliefs impacted the story more in these chapters and may continue to do so.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that. Aunt Alexandra is shown to represent the entire county of Maycomb. She is kind of the opposite of Atticus, however she is a character that all of our main characters love. She is nice in the heart, but she is prejudiced and gossips and spreads rumors. It is the exact opposite of Atticus. She tries to influence the children to fit into the mold the town wants them to be. She is an interesting character because she is both a friend and an adversary to the children. She absolutely impacted the story in these chapters.
DeleteI agree as well. Aunt Alexandra is unique due to her was. She is very well mannered and has high expectations for Scout. Several times Aunt Alexandra has upset Scout and caused Atticus to have to step in. Aunt Alexandra always is saying how Scout adds to Atticus's problems, but she is making Scout act up. After the trial she was saying how it was bad for the kids to have gone. Though in the story Aunt Alexandra seems to always upset someone, she only does it because she cares and she simply has her own way of showing it.
DeleteI do agree with your point that she plays an important role in raising them, but I think it doesn't play a huge role in the story. I think her arrival was either based out of just getting a reaction, or, seeing as how this book is based off of real events, could be just out of recalling a memory.
DeleteIt's interesting how you also brought up Calpurnia, I never thought of that before. I knew there was something in between them, but I wonder if it has anything to do with something besides her skin color. It's obvious that Aunt Alexandra firmly believes Scout is not behaving like a "true" lady. She shows her aggressive side whenever Scout brings up something even remotely non lady-like, such as inviting the Cunningham's over for dinner. Miss Calpurnia taught Scout that she should treat whoever is at her house like a guest, meanwhile Aunt Alexandra is scolding Scout for even associating with Walter Cunningham.
DeleteIn chapters 12-24, we learned a lot of very interesting things about the county of Maycomb. While the main focus of these chapters is the trial of Tom Robinson, we learn about how prejudice and how it is missing in children. There were two examples in these chapters of the lack of prejudice in children. The first instance is when Dolphus Raymond lets the kids in on his secret. He creates the illusion that he is scum, therefore he is allowed to live with scum. However, he creates the illusion so they have a reason they could understand. He shouldn't have to give a reason to marry an African American woman, but he does. But what he drinks isn't whiskey, it is Coca-Cola. When the children ask why, he says "because you're children and you can understand it." (Lee 268) And almost immediately following the trial, we see the conversation between Jem and Scout. Jem is starting to accept the prejudice of the town, while Scout still questions it. Jem tried to explain why the Cunninghams were trash to Scout, even though he couldn't bring up a logical reason. He just said "we're still different somehow." (Lee 303) Scout sees all humans as equal, and now, as Jem grows up, he becomes more and more like the adults of Maycomb. Eventually, all the children become like the adults, including Scout, who becomes a lady.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the innocence of children is an underlying theme in these chapters. Events in these chapters show how prejudice is only being continued by the adults in the community, and that parents teach their kids this practice as well. It is apparent that Atticus was trying his best to keep his kids from getting the "disease" of Maycomb County, but when almost every other person surrounding them show prejudice, Jem and Scout, learning from the examples of others, would soon lose their innocence in the matters.
DeleteI couldn't agree more with the points you have made. I think it is also very evident after the trial. More specifically, when Jem is talking to Atticus about how he doesn't understand how the jury could have made that verdict. Atticus tells Jem that they have done it before and will continue to do it but it "seems only children weep." This proves your point that prejudice is not as big in children as it is in adults.
DeleteI agree that how the innocence of children, especially in Dill, during the Dolphus Raymond incident, and how children were slightly free from the racial prejudice that struck Maycomb County like a "disease". I also like how you showed how Jem slightly accepts prejudice but Scout still sees people as equal, no matter their race.
DeleteI completely agree with all of the statements that you have made. It's very interesting how Jem is starting to understand what's going on. I feel as if Scout is gaining and understanding of the situation, and choosing not to accept it because she knows that it's immoral. You can tell that Atticus has his head on straight because he is trying to keep his children protected from prejudice and racism or "disease" of Maycomb. Also, when Jem is talking to Atticus about the trial's verdict, you can see how Jem is developing the understanding and Atticus is letting him, while being down to earth about it.
DeleteI agree with your thoughts on Jem. I think he has managed to catch Maycombs usual desiese as Atticus called it, which is lots and lots of prejudice. The case of it in children probably either worsens with age or never shows up. For example, it didn't show up in Atticus, because he agreed to do Tom's trial. However, Bob Ewell has a very bad case of it, as he tried to kill Tom and basically seceded.
DeleteEmma Lang
Throughout chapters 12-24, I have found reading and learning about the Tom Robinson trial very interesting. I think that the trial itself is incredibly unfair and that they jury should have considered Tom’s testimony for the facts and not for his skin color. I also believe that his testimony was the most convincing and most believing. Mr. Gilmer's witnesses contradicted themselves a few times such as when when Mr. Heck Tate said was fetched by Bob Ewell and Mr. Ewell said that he was by his house when the act happened. As we continued to read the chapters consisting of the trial, I thought that the trial was more Mayella Ewell’s fault and that she lied the most when she was testifying. Her lies included how many times she has invited Tom inside the fence of her house, how many times Tom has helped her with certain tasks, how she was beat and overall what happened on that night. Before she answered with a lie, she typically hesitated or looked at her father. I think that she was intimidated by her father and this was the leading factor to her lies. She said “He does tollable, ‘cept when –’ … Mayella looked at her father and he sat up straight and waited for her to answer. ‘Except when nothin’,” said Mayella. ‘I said he does tollable’” (Lee 208). This proves that Mayella relied on her father’s actions and body language to answer the questions asked. Overall, I think that Tom Robinson should have been found innocent and that he was given an unfair trial.
ReplyDeleteJuliana Malinowski
DeleteWhile I agree that the trial was racially biased, there's also another factor that played into Mayella's answers. She is definitely intimidated by her father, that's a known fact we can all agree on. He strangled and punched her, she is terrified of him. I believe that whether or not Bob Ewell made any gestures such as sitting up or staring, or even attending the trial at all, Mayella would've lied anyway, to protect herself and her own reputation.
I agree with you. I think the trial was unfair, but also true to the time period. I think some characters in the book rebelled against the unjust justice system of the time. Judge Taylor assigned Atticus Finch to be the defendant lawyer of Tom Robinson instead of Maxwell Green, a new lawyer who usually takes the court-appointed defenses because he needs more experience. I think that in this particular scene, Harper Lee accurately illustrated how blacks were treated in unjust ways, and how some people resisted the system in small ways.
DeleteI do defiantly agree with you that the trial of Tom was very unfair and that it was more Mayella and the Ewell's fault then anyone. However, because of the time period and the real events that the book is based off of, I see why Harper Lee wrote the story she did. I also feel that if she did for some reason choose to write the novel in a way so that Tom is found innocent, the book would not be as interesting and it would not have the popularity that it does. I feel like because the story played out the way it did, it shows the harshness and prejudice of the time period. Overall I do agree with you that the trial was unfair and biased.
DeleteI absolutely agree. However, the end of the trial sent a message at the time. Harper Lee wrote this during the Civil Rights movement and opened peoples eyes to injustice. Also, because the trial was based on the Scottsboro Boys, Tom had to be proven guilty.
ReplyDeleteI think that prejudice played the biggest role in Tom Robinson's trial. Before the trial even began, Tom had no chance in winning. There was almost no one supporting Tom, and only one person on the jury was willing to say he was innocent. If the prejudice had not been there the trial would have gone completely different. Tom would probably have not been convicted and Bob Ewell may have faced charges himself. Atticus made a very good case proving Tom's innocence, but because Tom is black, he had a minuscule chance of winning. In any other setting, or circumstance, Tom would have won, but his skin color changed everything. "'Now don't you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain't ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man..."(Lee 238). It did not matter how good the evidence Atticus provided was, the only thing that mattered in the trial was that a white man accused a black man of some a crime. As the book carries on, I hope to see more of how prejudice affects the life of people in Maycomb.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is absolutely the case. Had the trial taken place is modern day, the chances of Tom being declared innocent would've been a thousand times more likely. The jury was definitely racially skewed, and in the Jim Crow south, there are not many individuals like Atticus willing to stand up for African Americans.
DeleteI agree that the prejudice played a big role in the trial. This book was published with the intent of showing how racism and prejudice played a serious role in the United States of America. The trial was meant to exemplify the corruption in society. The trial was based off the real life trials of the Scottsboro boys. It was designed to epitomize the prejudice and corruption in those trials
DeleteI agree completely. Without prejudice, the trial would have never happened. A majority of issues in this book have been based on some sort of prejudice, whether it be wealth or skin color. Atticus' case would have been completely accepted if he had been defending a white man, which shows the racism and prejudice at the time.
DeleteI completely agree with you about what you said about the trial. This time period was the worst time in the Untied States regarding prejudice. Without the amount of racism in the south at the time, this book would have been completely different and I feel like the trial would have ended with a much different outcome.
DeleteThomas LoGalbo
ReplyDeleteThese chapters of the book really remind me of the song Hurricane by Bob Dylan. The song tells the real story of Rubin Carter, an African-American boxer and his struggle with a corrupt justice system. The crime he was charged with was a triple homicide. Three patrons of the Lafayette Bar and Grill, in Patterson, NJ, were killed by two gun men. Carter was convicted by the testimony of two people, Alfred Bello and Arthur Dexter Bradley. Bello and Bradley were two petty criminals who had been involved in a burglary nearby. The surviving victim from the crime failed to identify Carter as one of the guilty men. Their testimony, although it was later revealed to be part of a deal to have lessened sentences for Bello and Bradley, was the chief evidence durring the trial. If this sounds similar, it should. Two whites of a low class and shady backround's word against that of a black man? Little to no evidence of the black man's connection to the crime, and no motive to commit the crime? Atticus pretty accurately sums up both cases during his closing arguments; "The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence... It had relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted..." (Lee 271). Both Tom Robinson's trial and Rubin Carter's trial were very similar in nature after all. Especially when you look at the source material. Tom Robinson's trial was based off of the Scotsborro Boys. In all of these trials, it was established that the crime was not in fact done by the accused and all had an original guilty verdict.
I agree that there are many cases that are similar to Tom Robinson's case in To Kill A Mockingbird. Due to how the justice system worked at the time, black men and women, once accused, had a very limited chance of being pronounced innocent. This occurred even when the accusers were little better than blacks in the eyes of whites. The jury had to be unanimous, but since they usually consisted of only white people,this verdict wasn't too hard to declare.
DeleteWow Tommy! I really love the comparisons you made between a story and the song. Seems easier just to listen to the five minute song than to read the book, huh? Anyways, I admire your storytelling ability of wrapping up a case in a mere paragraph, and then connecting this case to the case we have in our book, even using Atticus' closing argument to relate to both. The only thing I ask of you for next time is to pepper in a few more quotes. I understand it's difficult because you're focusing on the song, but I think you could, say, add a quote that shows the jury's guilty verdict and then relating that to the Lafayette's guilty verdict. Otherwise, very nice job.
DeleteI think To Kill a Mockingbird has many parallels with tales of racism all throughout because of how starkly put it is. The court case really points out the matters of racism that trail behind people even in the courtroom. The Ewells are some of the most morally unsound characters in the book and yet the town still trusts them more over a black man. And in the crime that is spoken about in Hurricane, the evidence is for the accused but not the testimony. Both of these supposed crimes are great examples of how skewed society can be.
DeleteEmma Baker
DeleteThat was awesome how you compared that to a song! In that time period it really was unfortunate how many cases there were like this. I have tried to make some connections like this before, but haven't found any as good as this one. It fascinates me how far our justice system has come to where everything has to be equal, while in that time on top of all the prejudice the jury's were very unfair. Also as talked about in one of our CommonLit documents we had to read, it talked about how we had rules to make some things like this more fair, but we implemented rules to get around that. Good job!
Juliana Malinowski
ReplyDeleteI predict that Bob Ewell will reappear later in the book. I don't believe for a second that he is done with Atticus. It is possible that he could attack the children, as it is obviously not past him to beat his own daughter. Aunt Alexandria shares this worry as well, saying, "'I wouldn't be too sure of that, Atticus,' she said. 'His kind'd do anything to pay off a grudge'"(Lee 293). Tom's wife is also in great peril, living alone, only the children with her now. Since the Ewells live near the dump, which is very close to the African American community in Maycomb, it would be very easy for Bob Ewell to strike. He would most likely get away with it as well, as Tom's trial shows the prejudice and racism in the justice system, and how African Americans were at an extremely unfair disadvantage. Atticus may be very wise, but I agree with Aunt Alexandria, and that Bob Ewell is not done with the Finch's yet. He still holds a grudge, and I think Bob will take his anger out on someone in the near future.
I agree that Bob Ewell is going to come up in a violent interaction later in the book. Calling back to the first page of the book, Scout thinks the Ewell's started the events that lead to Jem's broken elbow. I think that Bob Ewell will try to lash out at Atticus by attacking Jem and Scout. The Ewells have been portrayed as the scum of Maycomb. They represent the lowest of the low in society. I'm sure that he wouldn't be the most morally correct person in town considering how he beat his daughter, framed an innocent man. Trying to seriously injur or maybe even kill the children to get back at Atticus would not surprise me one bit.
DeleteI think you bring up a very good point, especially with the children. Scout and Jem are all that Atticus has left, so if he were to do something to them he would destroy Atticus. However, I don't think he would disturb Tom's family. I feel this way because you can infer that Bob was the attacker the night of the incident, so I don't think he would harm the family because he knows that Tom did nothing to his daughter. My one question is what would Atticus do if Bob Ewell would harm his children?
DeleteYou bring up a good point about Bob Ewell trying to harm the Finch children. He is the lowest of low and wouldn't hesitate to commit an awful crime. I think it was very optimistic of Atticus to say that Bob Ewell had gotten over his grudge when he spit on Atticus at the town. I think Bob Ewell will stop at very little to harm the family who has destroyed his last shred of dignity.
DeleteI believe that that is a possibility because now some people in Maycomb that are not racially bias, have a suspicion upon him. He could possibly have a roll in harming one of the kids after a drunk outrage that later proves Tom innocent because they then see that it was him who beet the child.
DeleteI do agree that Bob Ewell will most likely appear again later in the story, and that he will likely beat his kids more. He is also likely to hurt one of the main characters for not being on his side of things and his proximity to Helen, Tom's now-widow of a wife. Helen will also have to struggle with 3, fatherless kids and a lack of an income for these kids. The point about the prejudice shown in Tom's trial is a good relation to story as it shows the lack of restraint of racism.
DeleteThis prediction seems very probable to me. Bob Ewell may have won the trial, but it was even said that in a sense, his reputation was ruined. He played too big of a part not to come back, plus he made threats directed at Atticus. Similar to you, I think that you are correct that Bob will come for Jem and Scout. After all, you make a good point about him coming for his own daughter. I’ve never really made the connection between the Ewells living so close to the African American community, which is a really interesting point you bring up. This for sure shows that there is a chance Bob will strike since he was involved in Tom’s trial. He does obviously still hold a grudge, so everything you’re saying seems to be logical, and I agree.
DeleteChapters twelve through twenty-four described before, during, and after Tom Robinson’s trial. The trial, to me, was really interesting. I always thought it’s cool in literature and in movies when defendant lawyers come up with really obscure facts against the prosecutors that allow them to win the case. Unfortunately, even though the facts(or lack thereof) were really obvious, when the jury was done discussing the case, Judge Taylor began “...polling the jury: ‘guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty…’” (Lee 282). However, I like that Harper Lee stuck to the time period, and created a book that was informative as well as entertaining. After this scene, I predicted that Tom would eventually get freed through the hard work of Atticus, especially because usually in books the protagonists win or succeed in something. Tom was clearly not Atticus’ win because soon after, Atticus was telling Aunt Alexandra, “‘Tom’s dead…They shot him…he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing over’” (Lee 315). Atticus explained that Tom died from seventeen shot wounds while trying to escape from his holding place. He said Tom ran because he was tired of relying on white men and decided to take matters into his own hands. When I read chapter twenty four, I came up with a new prediction. I predicted that Atticus will continue to work on the case. He will cause Mayella to confess the truth and express why she did what she did to Tom Robinson, and Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, will be convicted. I believe this because To Kill a Mockingbird is going to end soon, and Atticus, as a “good guy,” or protagonist, still needs his “win.” I believe this will be his win because it relates to the one of the main conflicts in the book, Tom Robinson’s trial, and also because it fits the definition of Just Deserts, a writing technique that includes the antagonist getting what’s coming for them.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I think the trial was probably the most interesting part of the entire book. I thought it was crazy how Atticus was able to completely turn around what really happened instead of Mr. Ewell's false claim and even provided evidence and proved that Mr Ewell was one who beat Mayella and not Tom. I also thought that Tom could have gotten a second chance and his appeal and a second chance but it is very sad that he didn't get his chance because he couldn't wait for the appeal. He decided to run which costed him his freedom and his life. I definitely agree that Atticus needs his win and I hope that your prediction is right because that will be a great ending to the book out feel very satisfied after I finished it.
DeleteYes, I do agree that the trial was very interesting and that it was almost unfair when Tom was proven guilty despite the obvious evidence of his innocence. It was also upsetting when Tom was shot because, although Atticus probably could've gotten him out of prison, Tom couldn't wait for white men to decide his fate so he decided to risk his life an attempt and escape. However, I do not agree with your prediction. Typically most protagonists do have a 'win' but I do not believe that will happen. Once everyone learns that Tom has died they'll just carry on with their lives. Most people will probably say that he would've died anyway. I think Bob Ewell will never stop talking about it but eventually no one will care and won't think it would be worth it to find the truth.
DeleteThe character Mr. Link Deas is similar to Atticus Finch. This is true because he does not assume things about the African American community and he is not prejudice, unlike the rest of Maycomb. Link Deas is a very important and helpful character to Robinson family. During the court case in chapter 19, He makes his case that Tom is a good man and is not guilty of this crime. Not only does he stand up for Tom, he also stands up for Tom's wife after Tom is shot; "You don't have to touch her, all you have to do is make her afraid, an' if assault ain't enough to keep you locked up awhile, I'll get you in on the Ladies' Law, so get outa my sight! If you don't think I mean it, just bother that girl again!" (Lee 334-335). After Tom is shot, he hires Helen, Tom's wife, after having Tom employed for many years, and so she can support her family. However, to get to his house, and avoid the Ewell's house, who "chunked at her" when she passed, she has to go a mile out of her way. This is why Mr. Link Deas stands for her against Mr. Ewell and threatens him to leave Helen alone. This demonstrates how caring and kind Mr. Link Deas is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comparison of Link Deas and Atticus, even though it was a connection I hadn't noticed at first. I did notice that Link Deas was one of the only people in Maycomb brave enough to stand up for a black man, and also was one of the only people brave enough to stand up to the Ewells. However, the one difference I would note would be the way Atticus and Link react. Atticus is more peaceful and law abiding for lack of a better term, while Link Deas did something not according to the law by speaking up for Tom in court, and also using pure intimidation to stand up to Mr. Ewell. Atticus is a calm and collected person, good at defending people in legal circumstances, while Link is good at more "rural" support.
DeleteI agree with you. I think that Link Deas is a small but significant character in this story. I think he shows that not everyone is Maycomb has the typical Maycomb mindset. Link Deas was courageous when he stood up for Tom because he went against the social norm. He definitely is a caring man.
DeleteMorgan, I did not think about Link Deas being significant, but I completely agree with you. He is one of the good people in Maycomb who is not prejudice. He supported the Robinson Family a lot by giving Tom a job, and them his mom one after he died. He is also very brave by speaking about how Tom is such a good, loyal and honest man. Not many would have done something like this.
DeleteI agree with you that Mr. Link Deas is very similar to Atticus Finch. I really like how you connected the two together by showing how Link Deas stood up at the trail and said that Tom Robinson was a good man. Not only did both men stand up for a black man, but they stood up for a black man in front of the community. I also liked how you used an example stating that he stood up for Helen when she was being terrorized by the Ewells. I think it shows how confident and helpful a person is when they can stand up for a person who no one else would stand up for. Despite racism being a huge factor in segregation, Link Deas continues to stand up for Tom and Helen Robinson. I completely agree with you that Mr. Link Deas is caring and is similar to Atticus.
DeleteAunt Alexandra is a background, static character in To Kill a Mockingbird. But this does not stop her from being important. One might even argue that she is a dynamic character in the book.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning she is shown as just a another one of Maycomb’s prejudice citizens. She “Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand into a glove, but never into the world of Jem and me,” as Scout puts it (Lee 149). She constantly bases families off of the generations that came before and refers back to the family’s streaks, a quality that the group has supposedly held for a long time. She also considered a family to be “fine folk” if they had lived on the same plot of land for a long time. Shortly put, she is a commoner of Maycomb living. It’s hard to even see how she was related to Atticus at all with every opinion on a person. She is a person who seems to resent change and new thinking while Atticus is the epitome of controversial and new ideas. Alexandra Finch also reveals though the book to be spiteful of the way Atticus has brought up his kids.
By chapter 24, the reader has pretty much given up on Aunt Alexandra being anything but a background face of Maycomb when suddenly we hear that Miss Maudie protected Atticus.
In the mix of soft conversation the ladies start talking about Atticus being a misguided man while eating at his house. Miss Maudie speaks up and says “his food doesn't stick going down, does it?” (Lee 266) I was a little confused on this phrase. This idiom means that Miss Maudie has called them hypocrites - for eating his and talking about him behind his back. Afterwards Aunt Alexandra shoots her a look of gratitude, showing something a lot deeper about her. Instead of just having one side to her personality, Aunt Alexandra shows that she cares about her brother and still supports him even if she does not agree with him. This is a part some readers miss.
Through a short conversation the reader finds out that Aunt Alexandra was a character to show one of the books prevailing themes: people are not always as they seem.
I enjoyed reading about how you saw Aunt Alexandra as a very important character. I feel like many people would not have thought about Aunt Alexandra as an important character, but your textual evidence and backing up of it really proved how she impacted the whole racial prejudice issue in Maycomb. The second quote also shows how important of a family role she is and how she grew as a character, even though she is only a background character.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I did not see Aunt Alexandra like that until now. Your textual evidence supports your claim and shows some very valid points. I saw her as a burden to the family because she was very negative and did not support Atticus' way of raising his children. I definitely am looking at Aunt Alexandra in a different way now.
DeleteIsabella Hsia
ReplyDeleteSomething that really stood out to me during the trail was Mr. Link Deas’ interjection right before Mr. Gilmer’s cross examination of Tom Robinson. “‘I just want the whole of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble outta him. Not a speck’” (Lee 222). Considering the setting of where he was and what was taking place at that moment, it was a very gutsy thing do for him to stand up and defend the African American in front of a jury of white, plantation-owning men; in front of a town that gave Atticus hell for being Tom Robinson’s lawyer. What came next was expected; of course the judge was unhappy because one, someone just stood up and disrupted his court, and two, that someone is appealing to the African American ‘rapist’: “‘Shut your mouth, sir!’ Judge Taylor was wide awake and roaring. His was also pink in the face. His speech was miraculously unimpaired by his cigar. ‘Link Deas,’ he yelled, ‘if your have anything you want to say you can it under oath and at the proper time, but until then you get out of this room, you hear me? Get out of this room, sir, you hear me? I’ll be damned if I’ll listen to this case again!’” (Lee 222). The judge has this huge reaction, but that’s it. No references it ever again, because it was probably meant to be and read as ‘vouch for the African American and get destroyed’. But it meant more to me because I saw it as a form of rebellion, in front of the entire court. Yes, Link could have defended Tom in hopes that he’d be able keep him as a servant, but it doesn’t change the fact that what he decided to do was incredibly brave. I don’t know what exactly was going through his head, but the fact that he was willing to jump of and defend Tom Robinson in front of...everyone...meant a lot to me.
To be honest, I don't exactly know what was going through Link Deas's head at that moment either but I think I might know why Harper Lee put him in the court scene. Link Deas stood up in a form of rebellion and got a big reaction, and this was exactly what he wanted. He wasn't going to be a lawyer that called up witnesses with formality. He wanted something speak up in his own way, something the author could be encouraging us all to do.
DeleteI strongly agree on how the interjection of Link Deas is crucial. I feel like the interjection sort of saw a "cure" to the "disease of Maycomb County" because it showed hope that some people actually thought that racism was unjust and the courage of Link Deas was very inspiring and added a great touch to the court case and the novel.
DeleteAfter reading before, during, and after the trial I think that Tom Robinson was innocent. I also think that the jury only voted guilty because he was a black man, and that they knew he was innocent. I think that if a white man were on trial, charged with the exact same crime with the exact same evidence, the jury would have acquitted him. I think this because at this time period especially blacks were often racially segregated and therefore often did not have fair trials: "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win it" (Lee 87). This in my mind is why Tom was found guilty. After the trial, in chapter 24, we learned that Tom Robinson was shot trying to escape from prison. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think that Tom in fact did not try to escape at all, but rather he was just shot because he was black. A couple things led to me to this thought. One, Before the trial some men showed up to Tom's cell with the intent to do something, most likely to kill him. Also, again going back to racial prejudice, I believe Tom was just shot so that there was no way that Tom could have another trial or be released.
ReplyDeletePost by Sam Nabring
DeleteI agree, I believe that Tom Robinson was not guilty and sentenced due to segregation. Down in the south though this was expected and not a surprise, the people of the Maycomb are set in their ways and the outcome was inevitable. I like your idea that Tom was not actually trying to escape but actually just shot and it was the cover up story. People did not like Tom and had previously threatened him so it would make sense that he had been targeted rather than him having tried to escape.
DeleteI agree that Tom was innocent, as all signs pointed toward Mayella and her father throughout all of the chapters we read about the case. It is just not plausible for him to have beat up Mayella, as he could not use his left arm, and her father was left handed. I agree that the most probable reason for his death was purely out of some sort of prejudice, and I like your ideas.
DeleteIn my opinion, reading these chapters was very frustrating. During the trial, all the evidence led to the fact that Tom Robinson was innocent, but when the jury's verdict came back guilty I was angered. It was not fair for him to be sent to jail just because of his skin color. The text states, "They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it- seems only children weep" (Lee 243). This quote from the text was really meaningful to me because I thought this addressed prejudice very well. By saying that "only children weep," it shows that children do not have as much prejudice and that they see the flaws within society, the flaws that most adults seem to ignore. Another part of the story that deeply affected me was when Tom tried to escape. However, I understand why he did what he did. He knew that, because of his skin color, his verdict would not change even in a higher court. He saw running as his only way of escape. The text states, "They said if he'd had two good arms he'd have made it, he was moving that fast" (268). This detail from his escape attempt meant a lot to me. I thought back to the trial and how his bad arm meant he could not have hit Mayella, but in the long run, his bad arm doesn't serve him justice, it ends his life.
ReplyDeleteMadi, this response is absolutely amazing. You disperse you and explain your quotes very well in your response. I also was very frustrated by the verdict of the case, but as Harper Lee says, it'll happen whether the case is fair or not. I love the explanation of your first quote, how children, seeing as they're young and haven't been 'exposed', 'see the flaws within society that most adults seem to ignore'. And your conclusion really hit it home, with you statement about how his arm doesn't save him, it kills him. It really makes you think. For criticism, the only thing I have is to try to lead into your quotes instead of using 'the text states.' It'll allow your paragraph to flow more easily. Otherwise, phenomenal job.
DeleteI do agree with you that these chapters are very irritating in the thought of justice, but I think it portrays southern society correctly at this time because of the lack of evidence against Tom, but the conviction of rape. I disagree with the thought of him trying to escape because he had no chance to be overturned. Atticus, who has been studying law for a large portion of his life, thought they had a chance in higher court and was devastated from Tom's death, even more than he would be if Tom was going toward certain death. I think the last statement is so true because of the prejudice of the South at the time.
DeleteAfter getting more in-depth with the story of To Kill a Mockingbird, the story gets more interesting as characters and groups of characters develop and show their interior qualities. One group of people that I have gotten more interested in are the African-Americans of Maycomb. They are a very misunderstood and discriminated group of people that are very respectful and thankful for Atticus’ deeds to them. There are three key instances that their respect is shown, first in the church, then in the courtroom after Robinson's sentence, and finally in the days following the trial. In the African-American church, the kids were honored after the people learned who their dad was. At the courthouse, after the verdict was given, all of the black people stood up in respect to Atticus; they were not unhappy because they lost, but instead, very happy from the progress that Atticus made for justice. In the third instance, the whole community gave anything homemade to Atticus and showed him that the actions he made regarding the case should be rewarded. “The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family: hunks of salt pork, tomatoes, beans, even scuppernongs,”(Lee 286). The African-American community is interesting, and I hope to learn more about them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYou bring up a very interesting point. The African American community were truly becoming more developed in these chapters. Even thought this group faces more discrimination then anybody else, they seem to show more respect, and are more polite, then others who are more fortunate. This truly showed how thankful they are. It's interesting that you bring up the church and how Scout and Jem were honored for Atticus' actions. It really showed how grateful people are for any help when placed in an unfortunate position, such as being discriminated against by most. The African Americans actions really showed who they are in these chapters, which you could not bring up in a better way.
DeleteOne thing that really confused me was the fact that Tom Robinson tried to escape the prison before an appeal. I would understand his fear that he wouldn't win the appeal, but there still would be that chance if there was a different jury. Yet, Tom Robinson throws his life away by trying to escape. It did seem like his spirit was broken, as Atticus told Calpernia, "The day they took Tom to prison, he just gave up hope" (Lee 267) This does seem like an adequate reason, but if he could've held out for only one more trial, he might've been acquitted and seen his family again.
ReplyDeleteI agree I was confused about that whole situation as well. Yes the jury found Tom Robinson guilty but there was a chance for an appeal and he ruined it. Instead of waiting he decided to try and run and that costed him his life. It's sad to think that he could have potentially been reunited with his family but he couldn't wait and decided to try an escape; ending in the tragic loss of Tom Robinson.
DeleteI was also confused at first, but I thought about it and I think that him escaping was a cover-up story for him being shot, just so he wouldn't have an appeal. I think that he was shot due to racial prejudice and he wasn't given a fair shot at an appeal.
DeleteI was also confused when Atticus had announced that Tom was shot after trying to escape from the prison. After I read this part of the book I wondered if they were just covering up for what really happened and that Tom never actually tried to escape, or if he really did try to run away. If Tom knew he could have another chance at being free why would he give up and try to escape?
DeleteI completely agree with you that it was a strange thing for him to do. I personally thought that he was not fit for jail and it was getting under his skin. Tom Robinson is such a kind person, as he showed at the trail when he said he didn’t want to be mean to Mayella when she tried to kiss him. I believe that Tom was mentally not ready to be put in jail and wasn’t handling it well, which is why he chose to try and escape. However, I also don’t understand why he would try to escape before the appeal, just like you didn’t. If he would have waited a bit longer, I agree with you that he might have been set free. I also don’t understand why he would try to escape when he is crippled. Escaping would be very hard, and I don’t understand why Tom thought he would be able to do it with a crippled arm. I wonder too why he chose to try and escape.
DeleteI totally agree and was thinking the same thing. If he even has the slightest chance why would he throw it away for a different chance of getting free that was much slimmer? It would be hard enough escaping if he wasn't crippled, but now even more so that he is it would be very hard to get away unharmed let alone successfully fun away without getting caught. I don't see why he wouldn't wait out was Atticus was trying to do to at least see if there was anyway he could get out safely and not illegally.
DeleteAndrew Yang
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this section of this book, I was very intrigued on how Harper Lee uses the trial to show how much of a prominent role prejudice had on Maycomb County and the South in general. I feel like if the trial verdict was innocent, their would not be the same effect of how prejudice was prominent. It also would not fit the time period because it was almost impossible for a white jury to vote a black man innocent, even with all the evidence given to disprove the accusation. This is shown in the quote given while Atticus is talking to the jury,"... but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left... and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses-his right hand." This quote shows how Atticus disproves the physical evidence of a beating accused to be from Tom Robinson. However, because of the racial prejudice of a black man being accused by a white woman, the jury ignored the fact and many others and voted based on their racial prejudice. Although this is a fiction novel, it clearly shows how the court system in the South, at the time, was very unfair and is very well written to show how a jury being racially prejudice would look like. In total, I feel like the addition of the trial and the outcome was very important, not to just the plot, but how Harper Lee made people think about how racially unjust the judicial system was at the time.
I agree with you on the trials prominence of the demonstration of prejudice in Maycomb, but with the post trial reactions of many of the characters, anti-prejudiced feelings were demonstrated by some of the youth and some of the women. This shows that the people not blinded by judgement were able to see the truth, also shown by Atticus's quote, "If you had been on that jury son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man" (Lee 251).
DeleteBrandon Witmer
ReplyDeleteBetween chapters twelve and twenty-two, a large amount of content was covered, but two things seemed interesting. First, I thought it was unfortunate that Jem changed the way he acted towards Scout. Obviously, he’s getting older, but it was kind of sad that the strong bond he shared with Scout was, in a sense, breaking. Jem was changing and growing over time: “Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody” (Lee 153). These changes placed an invisible wall between Scout and Jem that hadn’t seemed to breakdown much. In fact, he began to show that he was turning against Scout’s personality, the special personality that made her unique compared to many other girls at the time. He went as far as to make Scout cry, telling her, “‘It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right”’ (153). Towards the end of the trial, they start coming a little closer. Alas, a piece of that wall is still there. Second, it was rather fascinating that Scout was able to appeal to Mr. Cunningham and stop the mob at the Maycomb jail. After following Atticus to the jail, the mob emerges, most likely to lynch Tom. Scout, Jem, and Dill came out of hiding when the mob began to threaten Atticus, and Scout was brave enough to make a friendly conversation with Mr. Cunningham, which seems to be one of Scout’s best qualities. Luckily, Scout had a breakthrough with Mr. Cunningham: “He (Mr. Cunningham) squatted down and took me (Scout) by both shoulders...he straightened up and waved a big paw...the men shuffled back to their ramshackle cars...they were gone” (206). By appealing to Mr. Cunningham’s human nature, by conversing about his son and legal affairs, Scout was able to get the mob to disperse, avoiding a negative outcome that could’ve affected Tom, which seems like a genius way to contribute to Scout’s character. Out of all the events that took place in chapters twelve through twenty-two, besides the trial, Jem’s new attitude and Scout stopping the mob at the Maycomb jail seemed to stand out.
This made me think more about the relationship between Scout and Jem because I had never really focused on them with the trial taking place. I agree with the fact it is sad how their is starting to be a barrier between Jem and Scout. Jem and Scout had always seemed like two peas in a pod, but now things were starting to go down hill in their friendship. By the end of the book, though, I believe they will work things out and they will burn the wall between them because they are family and that is what family does.
DeleteThrough Tom Robinson's trial and chapters 12-24, we can decipher that Tom symbolized the mockingbird. In the beginning of the story, when the phrase to kill a mockingbird was first mentioned, I thought Boo Radley would have a connection with its meaning. However reading about Tom's case made me to believe that he is actually the one who connects to the mockingbird. During Tom's trial Mr.Link Deas shouts, "That boy's worked for me eight years an' I ain't had a speck o'trouble" (Lee 222). Mr.Deas is trying to make a point to all of Maycomb that Tom would have not done such a thing to Mayella. Tom caused no harm to anyone, and proved himself to be just like a mockingbird. When Miss Maudie described what its like to be a mockingbird to Scout she described it as music for everyone to enjoy. Tom never "stopped" the music in Maycomb, although he was convicted of stirring up all of this chaos, he always kept the music going simply by helping Mayella do her chores and being the kind man he was. So when overall, when Tom died, this whole sin fell upon Maycomb, because so many people plead an innocent man guilty, they let a mockingbird die under prejudice and racism.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Tom Robinson symbolizing the mockingbird and I agree. Tom did seem to be like a nice man, and earlier in the book, it was stated that a mockingbird did not want to hurt anyone and they only wanted to do good, which I think is pretty accurate for Tom also. I also found it interesting how Mr. Deas agreed that he was genuinely a good guy, as that also relates to him being a "mockingbird".
DeleteI found it interesting how you found that Tom Robinson was symbolized as the mockingbird int eh story. I had never thought of Tom being the mockingbird, but I completely agree with your statement because Tom did not do anything to harm anyone. I mostly thought of the mockingbird representing Boo Radley, though. Boo Radley had done nothing to the kids except been inspiration to certain rumors. He had done nothing to the kids, yet the kids had the need to bother him. Boo Radley was like the mockingbird in the story, and now I also believe Tom Robinson represents the mockingbird as well.
DeleteI agree that Tom Robinson symbolizes the mockingbird mentioned earlier in To Kill a Mockingbird, but I also think the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. Mockingbirds never harm anyone, all they do is make beautiful music for all to listen.Tom never hurt Mayella. Instead, he helped her because he pitied the way she was treated by her father. He was polite and even when she tried to kiss him, Tom did everything within his power not to so much as push her. Tom never gave any trouble to his employer, Link Deas. The book’s title also contributes to the symbolism of the mockingbird. It is hinting at the fact that someone innocent will be killed. Tom was convicted of a crime he did not commit. He was innocent, a “Mockingbird”, and yet he was shot racing for his freedom.
DeleteI also think that it’s very interesting how the author brought in the mockingbird symbolism. From the beginning, I thought too that Boo would be the metaphorical mockingbird because the whole town was suspicious of him, harming his reputation, even though nobody knew for sure. I guess, like you said, Tom is the mockingbird though. After all, he has little record of trouble, as Mr. Link Deas explains and had most the evidence in his favor, yet he was sentenced to jail, and eventually, most likely, death, all because he was an African American man. Tom is being harmed, even though he is innocent, just how killing a mockingbird would be harming an innocent creature.
DeleteIn “To Kill a Mockingbird”, I found Atticus to be a very honest and noble person, especially when he defended Tom at the trial. It is very impressive and intriguing that he is able to treat and think of everyone as equals, even during a time where racism was considered the natural way of things in the South. His family is part of the upper class and used to own slaves before the Civil War, and yet Atticus is able to treat Calpurnia, Tom, and other African Americans just like he would treat a white person. I think that it is a pretty impressive accomplishment for Atticus to be able to overcome the prejudiced thinking of most people. Atticus endures the harsh ridicule of others just so that he can defend Tom in the trial. He defends Tom even though he could just walk away and save his reputation. He stands by Tom, despite the fact that he knows what the outcome will be. During his closing statement Atticus delivers a powerful argument as to why Tom is innocent: “‘…[Tom], quiet respectable, [and] humble...had the unmitigated temerity to ´feel sorry’ for a white women…[The two white witnesses] confident you gentlemen would go along with them on...the evil assumption that all Negroes lie…,are immoral beings…,[and] are not to be trusted around our women…[It] is itself a lie...there is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie…, done an immoral thing…,[and] looked upon a woman without desire...all men are created equal’” (Lee 232-233). Atticus is saying that even though people have different skin tones, they are still prone to the same faults. He believes that whites and blacks are equal and that it is wrong to believe that blacks are evil just because of their skin color. His strong argument in Tom's defence is able to keep the jury discussing for two hours. Without Atticus, it would have just been a few minutes. In the end, the prejudiced minds of the people win over the facts over the class. However, Atticus earned the respect of all of the African Americans witnessing the trial: “...[Atticus] walked quickly down the...aisle...They were all standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet…’Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’” (Lee 241). Atticus saw Tom as a man, not inferior to one. Throughout the entire book so far, Atticus has been a role-model to not just his own children, but to readers as well. Atticus’s decency, morality, and respectfulness is what sets him apart in a time of racism and prejudice.
ReplyDeleteIn these chapters there was one main event, the Tom Robinson trial, however that is not what I want to focus on. Something that happened in these chapters was the time when Dill and Scout went outside the trial after Dill was crying and found Dolphus Raymond. He began to talk about why they cry, "'Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they're people too'" (Lee 229). He was saying that eventually they will grow up and not cry and move on. Another character in the book that was coming up a lot was Aunt Alexandra. She always was upsetting someone in the house and criticizing the family. She was Southern born, taught, and set in her way. Scout will probably never be who Aunt Alexandra wanted, but that didn't stop Aunt Alexandra. I believe that Aunt Alexandra does not mean to upset them as much as she wants a good life for them and is simply not the motherly type, but she loves them all and does her best to try and teach Scout.
ReplyDeleteI like how you focused on something different besides the trail. I however took what Dolphus Raymond said differently than you did. I took it as he was trying to say that in the community, white people treat black people with little to no respect and they have very few rights. I thought he was trying to say that white people don’t seem to notice or care that they are people too, and it doesn’t matter the color of their skin. Although I see where you are coming from, I think that Dolphus Raymond was mainly trying to say to the kids that black people get very little respect from white people, and if Dill wanted to be upset about something, than he should be upset about that. I agree with you that Aunt Alexandra doesn’t mean to make the kids upset, but just wants them to have a good life. I think that she needs to realize that Scout is probably not going to be the lady that she imagined she would be. However, I understand why Scout acting the way she asks would be difficult for her, since Aunt Alexandra grew up believing ladies should act a certain way.
DeleteThese chapters of the book were extremely interesting, as the reader can see the blatant racism on an extreme level and the unfairness of the jury. Despite Atticus’ convincing case and reasonings, the jury still decided to accuse Tom for a crime he did not do. What I personally like to think about is how Tom was feeling going into this trial. He probably knew he was going to be convicted, even though it does not make sense for him to have done it. He literally could not have done the crime, as he was crippled in his left arm. Scout recalled her father saying to Jem: “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads - they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Lee 220). It makes the reader think about Tom’s mind during the trial, knowing there was nothing he could do and no way that he could win. He knew he was going to lose before he even started, so accepted it, even though there was an immense amount of evidence for his case. At the end, Tom still ended up getting killed, which is interesting but not surprising. I think about it as there were these men who did not like Tom, just because of the color of his skin, therefore they killed him. The logic now seems odd, but when you think about it, this was common in people’s lives back then. Racism was very prominent during this time period, and Lee shows it through this biased court case and Tom’s death.
ReplyDelete-Kaitlyn Smith
I think about how Thomas feeling as well. It is sad because I agree that he probably did know that he would not win the case however, he still had hope. But, even as all the evidence pointed him to be not guilty they still claim he was guilty which was upsetting. I like how you included racism back then into the Tom Robinson trial and how white men treat black men differently and how the white man's word is always taken over the black man's word. just to think about it it's crazy to think that the world was like that back then.
DeleteWhat I found very interesting within the latest chapters of the book, is how Atticus was trying to win. He was trying to prove Tom Robinson innocent, he was trying to win the case, even though he didn't. Because at this time, if a lawyer was defending a black man, it was common that he wouldn't try as hard as if it was a white man. As well as the jury, they wouldn't give the defendant a chance, it would be a quick verdict of guilty."Atticus leaned against the refrigerator, pushed up his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "We had such a good chance," he said." (Lee 269) This quote shows that Atticus was putting lots of effort into the trial and case and he knew he should have won. He knew Tom was innocent and didn't deserve this. In Maycomb many of the people thought it was going to be a quick in and out trial, but the effort Atticus put into it, made it a trial that had controversial thoughts and showed how poorly it was, and how bias it was.
ReplyDeleteI think that Atticus was trying to win because of how much he believed that Tom was innocent. Like you said, most lawyers at the time would not defend a black man as much as he would a white, but Atticus was different. Atticus fought for Tom because he knew he was innocent and I think he defended him even MORE than a white person.
DeleteThroughout the reading of these chapters during "To Kill A Mockingbird", I have mixed emotions about the outcome for the Tom Robinson trial. It was clear he was innocent by the way Mayella Ewell had acted when she was brought up for questioning during the trial; "The witness hesitated. . .Mayella was silent. She seemed to be trying to get something clear to herself" (Lee 210). Mayella was very clearly lying during her statement. The large amount of silence proves she was trying to create the perfect lies in her head that would send Tom Robinson away for good. He should not have been found guilty from these lies which is why he should have been innocent. On the other hand, with the contribution that Tom was found guilty, this events gives a realistic touch to the story. In real life during the times of this trial, a black man would have easily been found guilty by a jury of whites. Plus, if Tom had not been found guilty, an impactful scene would have never occurred at the end of the chapter; "'Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin'"(Lee 241). Due to this event occurring, Atticus was gifted with the admiration and respect of the blacks because of how hard he tried during Tom's trial. This created a great impact in the book because it shows Atticus does not care for the color of someone's skin. Instead, it shows he cares more for the fact everyone deserves to be treated fairly regardless of what they look like. Tom Robinson had to be represented fairly because it is was right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteEmma Baker
DeleteI see what you mean when you say about how clearly she was trying to cover up, but I think she did it for a different reason. I believe that she did it not because she wanted to send him away for good, but because she didn't want to be disowned by the community and abused by her father. I also believed that she truly did find a liking for Tom. It must've taken a lot of courage for her to talk to him as much as she did. Without a strong motive I feel like it is very risky for anyone to do anything like this in that time period.
Throughout the book "To Kill A Mockingbird", it had become clear to scout was that her brother Jem was acting differently. They said it was a phase but he became sensitive towards everything. I think that he has become sensitive and upset about everything was because of the Tom Robinson trial. I believe that it hit him personal level very hard. I predict that Jim is grown up and going to turn out like Atticus become a lawyer and defend African Americans because of the trial. “‘I never wanta hear about that Courthouse again ,ever, ever, you hear me? Do you hear me? Don't ever say one word to me about it again, you hear? Now go on!’”, (Lee 283). This quote bring me back to my statement that the Tom Robinson trial was personal for Jim. When bringing up the courthouse this made Jem think about Tom's trial, and how he believed that it was not right. I also know that Jim was very upset when Tom lost at the end of the trial. He didn't believe that the trial was fair or right so I predict that he is going to grow up and work just as hard as Atticus or maybe even more to defend an African-American, do what’s right and win.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about why Jem has been acting differently towards the end of the novel. It has been very interesting to see how he has changed so much from the beginning of the book to now at the end. I also find it very interesting when you said that you think Jem will end up like Atticus because of how the trial affected him. I definitely agree with that based on the way Jem has been acting and the things he's been saying.
DeleteI almost agree with you. I don't think that he will grow up to be a lawyer, I think he will grow up to be a policeman or a sheriff. At the end of the book Tate mentions that he thinks that Jem would make a good sheriff one day. Also, Jem never wants to go into a courthouse again, which he will have to do if he becomes a lawyer.
DeleteEmma Lang
I agree that Jem has become a dynamic character in the story. I also think that he began to detach from Scout's life as he got older. I also agree that he will grow up to be an understanding man who believes in justice, like his father.
DeleteI was very surprised when the jury chose in Ewell's favor at the end of the trial. I thought the book would show that there is no way that Tom could be put away for a crime he committed. I thought the ending would be more like roll of thunder hear my cry, where they make up over an accident and a truth they cant deny. Although I did enjoy the message and its tie in to "its a sin to kill a mockingbird", I did not enjoy what happened to tom in the end. I feel it would have made the story better if he was put to death instead of trying to escape.
ReplyDeleteKillian snitzer
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ReplyDeleteIn these chapters, Harper Lee really shows how prejudice the people of Maycomb can be. During the trial, it was so obvious that Tom was not guilty, how could he be? He has a mangled arm and a clear conscience. There would be no way that Tom would be able to hold Mayella down and beat her at the same time with his limp left arm. The evidence clearly points to Bob Ewell being abusive and wanting to look like a hero by lying about the cause of his daughter's bruises, but it back fires badly. Instead of him seemingly trying to give his daughter justice, the trial reveals how dysfunctional and violent the Ewell family is. It was so sad to see that despite the obvious truth about the case, the jury dismissed morals and humility by claiming Tom as guilty. It's even more upsetting to see how only few people recognize how morally wrong this is. Even though Tom was innocent, most didn't mourn for his sentence. Even while Tom was being questioned by Mr. Gilmer, he admits that he knew he'd be wrongfully accused: "'No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do,'"(Lee 225). I loved that he was brave enough to speak up against the unfairness of Maycomb. He knew that if he ran or stayed, he'd be accused all the same. Atticus knew this too, of course. He gives a speech before the jury discuss their decision. Atticus spoke about the prejudice of the court and how the jury knows Tom is innocent, but will convict him anyways because of the color of his skin without any proof: "'... the evil assumption-that all [black men] lie, that all [black men] are basically immoral beings... Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robbinson's skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you,'" (232). Atticus, along with everyone else in the room, knows that the prejudice thoughts of the jury have no evidence to support it. They all know there's no difference between the two races except how we treat them. The jury knows this, and so does the judge, and yet, at the end of the trial, Tom is still claimed to be guilty. The jury knows that they are abusing their power, and still continue to do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are stating. The jury abused their power and claimed that Tom Robinson was guilty when there was no proof to say that he was guilty. One thing that I think you could have mentioned in your comment to make it stronger is the quote when Atticus is telling Scout that he know that he going to lose the trial because of the time period they live in and there's nothing that can really do but try and defend him.
DeleteI agree with what you're saying. You can really start to see even further now how dysfunctional and messed up the Ewell family is. Covering up what he has done by blaming it on an innocent black man who in now way could have done this. Also not only pulling himself into a huge lie but also dragging his daughter into it is truly cruel. His daughter is ignorant and didn't want to go against her father, for one it's her father and for another thing she knew standing up to him would only get her beat up so why wouldn't she just lie instead of hurting herself.
DeleteThis is the second time that I’ve read, “To Kill A Mocking Bird,” and the first time I read about Tom’s trail and now, I had different perspectives. The first time I read this book I didn’t know much about the time period and I felt like I was just one of the towns folk watching the trial take place. Now reading it for the second time and knowing what happens in this time period I understand what is happening much more. I now understand why Tom was found guilty and that they had no chance of ever winning. “‘Atticus, are we going to win it?’ ‘No, Honey.’...’Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win’”(Lee 87). This quote describes why they will lose; they will lose because of segregation and slavery and people still don't think that African Americans and whites are equal. This helps to know when reading the trial because without knowing this you would be using logic in thinking that Tom should be innocent but in this time it didn’t matter if he was and not all that mattered is that he was African American and accused.
ReplyDeleteI think Tom's jury shouldn't have been his jury. They were full of prejudice and would have rules against him no matter what. Atticus even said "we were licked a hundred years before we started," (Lee 87) meaning that even he knew that they were beat. I think there is a law or something that says that a lawyer can call for a new set of jurors, but I'm not sure. If that is the case, then the result could have been the Cunningham juror. Also I think that Tom may have not really tried to escape from jail, he put a foot in the general direction and they shot him. The police and the jury are so full of prejudice that Tom couldn't help but get killed.
ReplyDeleteEmma Lang
*This is try 2 of posting this, try 1 disappeared.
I agree that the jury should have been more unbiased toward the Tom Robinson case because from the beginning, Tom was going to be found guilty, mostly because he was black man. Even though there was substantial evidence proving him innocent, it was not enough to convince the all-white and prejudice jury. If there had been a fairer jury then maybe the outcome would have been different.
DeleteI do not agree with you. Yes, the jury was full of prejudice and never would have acquitted Tom Robinson but that is true for the entire south. In this time period, only a handful of people that could be on a jury(white men) would have voted in favor of Tom but they probably would've been barred from jury duty or coerced into convicting him. It would've been great if Tom was freed of his charges but it was inevitable for him to lose.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout the course of the whole novel, Harper Lee has used character development in a very prominent way. The difference between Scout and Jem at the beginning of the book to them now is very obvious. At the beginning of the novel, both the kids were younger causing them to be more carefree and foolish. As they begin the grow up, the events that take place around them start to shape them into the more wise and educated kids they are at the end. Because their father is so closely related to the trial of Tom Robinson, they are also highly affected by it. A quote from chapter 23 that shows how Jem has matured since the beginning of the novel is, “It ain’t right. He didn’t kill anybody even if he was guilty. He didn’t take anybody’s life” (Lee 250). This shows how the trial is seen from a child's perspective and how the people and ideas around Jem don’t affect how he sees people. The whole town is very racist towards African Americans but because the kids are young their feelings and beliefs aren’t influenced by the people around them. This shows how the kids are growing up and maturing throughout the novel. From the beginning to where they were running around their neighborhood harassing Boo Radley to now, at the end of the book, where they are watching the trial of Tom. Between all the events that happened throughout the book, the kids were forced to mature because of the intensity of the situations. In conclusion, I like how the author, Harper Lee, used the character development of the kids to grow the plot of the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think Scout and Jem developed a lot throughout the novel. In the beginning, they were very foolish but I think after the trial they became much more mature. Atticus also has taught them many life lessons which also changed them throughout the novel. Harper Lee did a good job in changing the two siblings in the book.
DeleteWhile reading the trail chapters, I was not surprised by the outcome. Based on previous events in history, I knew that the probability of Tom winning the trial was very low. Although Tom was clearly innocent, a jury had never decided a verdict in favor of a black man. That being said, I was very impressed that Atticus decided to defend Tom even though he would probably lose the trail. I never thought that a white man would defend a black man during this period of time, especially since it was affecting his kids. Jem and Scout were picked on and were told bad things about their father because he was defending a black man. I was very impressed that Atticus stayed calm and just told his kids to not let it bother them. Not only were his kids being affected, but their entire family was viewed differently: “‘... said Atticus was disgracin’ the family” (167). Atticus knew that he was going to be treated differently if he took this case, good and bad. I was surprised that although the Finch family was made fun of, Atticus put that aside because he knew it was the right thing to do and he would be respected by the community and by his kids. I was also impressed with Atticus at the end of the trail. Although Tom lost, Atticus left with his head held high and didn’t let the community see how he was affected. If Atticus would have lashed out at the end of the trail, it could’ve resulted in a lot of disrespect towards him and his family. That being said, I am very impressed with everything Atticus has done during the process of the trail.
ReplyDeleteTo Kill A Mockingbird just keeps getting better and better every chapter. After reading the Tom Robinson trial, it really made me realize how much privledge whites got over blacks. In the book, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win it" (Lee 87). Tom Robinson was clearly an innocent man and Atticus finch proved it with no question, but with prejudice, Tom was guilty as soon as the accusations began. What I was shocked by the most was how Mayella Ewells’ father played a big role in her statements in court. During the trial, she mentions something and with a stern and serious look from her father, she immediately changes her answer. The accusations made against him were immoral and selfish on Mayella’s part. When Tom stated his testimony, it brought me to wonder what had really happened. I thought about how Mayella accused Tom because she was afraid of what her father might’ve done if he’d found out that she was the one who pursued Tom. Tom had only been inside her home to help her when she kissed him. Tom kindly asked to leave and Mayella did not let him until her father saw what was going on. Tom was an innocent man who did not deserve what happened to him. A white man, Link Deas, even vouched for Tom stating "That boy's worked for me eight years an' I ain't had a speck o'trouble" (Lee 222). Deas did not hesitate and stand up for Tom. Tom was taken to jail and when he tried to escape, he was shot. An innocent man died because no one was willing to give him a fair trial all over his skin color.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this book so far is the importance and symbolism in the title of To Kill A Mockingbird. Earlier in the book, Miss Maudie explained to Scout why her father said it was a sin to kill a mockingbird: “‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their little hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’”(Lee 103). This simply means that it is a sin to kill or hurt something that is innocent and does no harm to you. This is relevant to the story because the mockingbird symbolizes Tom Robinson. As proved through his testimony and Atticus’ closing argument, Tom Robinson is innocent. Atticus said that, “‘a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white women has had to put is word against two white people’s’”(232). Atticus was trying to convince the jury that Tom Robinson is an incredibly kind and helpful person who would never commit such a crime. He could be symbolized by the mockingbird because he is harmless and only does things that help us, such as doing requested odd jobs or working diligently in the fields. Despite his innocence, the jury still convicted him and when Tom tried to escape prison, they still shot him. The book was titled To Kill A Mockingbird because they killed Tom Robinson. The only reason Tom Robinson was convicted was because he was black. There was so much racial prejudice in the south that it didn’t matter if he was innocent. No one cared that there was no evidence that he was guilty. All it took was a white person’s word against a black man’s. It was wrong for the jury to convict him and send him to prison because he is a harmless, innocent mockingbird, and it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteEmma Baker
DeleteI completely agree with you on how the mockingbird can symbolizes Tom Robinson, but I also think that it might be talking about Scout. As this story is progressing we are seeing how she is losing that sense of childhood by learning new things about how the world isn't perfect. She is just a young innocent child that is being pressed against these hard judgments. People are judging her and putting feelings against her even though it was her father who was the attorney. Everyone is metaphorically "killing" her even though she is so innocent. I agree with you this is just another idea.
Something I found interesting in "To Kill a Mockingbird", was how good of a lawyer Atticus was. I found that although he did lose the trial because of the prejudice of Maycomb, he still did a good job defending Tom Robinson. First, the conclusion that the person who did punch Mayella must have been a left-handed person was very smart. Since Mayella had a black eye on the right side of her face, not the left, a left-handed person had to punch her. This proves that it was not Tom since he is prominently right-handed. Scout was thinking that,”Mr.Ewell could have beaten up Mayella. That much I could follow. If her right eye was blacked and she was beaten mostly on the right side of her face, it would tend to show that a left-handed person did it”(238) Something else interesting in the trial was Atticus emphasizing the fact that Mayella was not taken to the doctor for her injuries. This showed how Bob clearly didn't greatly care for his daughter which supported the idea that Bob was the one who hurt Mayella. Tom Robinson's testimony also showed how good of a lawyer Atticus is. He made sure that he told completely what happened with Mayella, that he definitely did not rape her. Atticus expressed that she was only accusing him to hide the shame and that,”she was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable”(272). Kissing a black man as a white person is so odd that people would do anything to hide this action, even trying to get someone in jail. Lastly, Atticus is also a good lawyer, and person, by agreeing to take on the case of Tom Robinson. Yes, he did not volunteer, Judge Taylor give Atticus the job. Although, Atticus was still determined to do the job right and to work his hardest to try and give Tom the justice that he deserves. Atticus told Scout and Jem that he wouldn’t be himself and couldn’t face himself if he didn’t take on the trial, even though he was certain that Tom would be proven guilty. In conclusion, in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, I have found it interesting that Atticus is such a good lawyer.
ReplyDeleteOne of the events that occurred in chapters 12-24 really shocked me. Tom Robinson trying to escape. “His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled hand, and from as far away as the balcony I could see that it was no use to him” (Lee 248). Why would he do that even though he was crippled and didn’t have as good a chance to get away? If you are going to try to escape you really need to be at full capacity so you can be fast and efficient while getting away. Even though he was most likely going to be killed anyway, he may have possibly had a chance with Atticus’ help. Wouldn’t you want to try even if it was the slimmest chance ever, rather than doing something that even for a non crippled is incredibly hard to do? Also it’s truly sad that even though Tom’s testimony was clearly true and no one’s else was, he was still found guilty. “I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: ‘Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty’...” (Lee 282). I understand in the book Harper Lee needed to make it unfair in this case because she wanted to show how things really were unjust, but thinking how that happened so many times in real life is really distressing. I really hope in the next couple of chapters Scout and Jem meet Boo Radley. So much suspense in the beginning of the book was built around him and I want to see what role he will have in the book at the end and what is going to happen with him.
ReplyDeleteEmma Baker
ReplyDeleteSomething that I really found interesting in "To Kill a Mockingbird" was how so many other people decided to speak up even if it was in a small way. When Atticus was talking about how; "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win" (page 87) he shows how majority of where they live isn't supportive for this type of equality. When other characters such as Tom's former employer step in it shows a lot of courage; "I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy's worked for me eight years an' I ain't had a speck o'trouble outa him. Not a speck" (page 222). It wasn't accepted to think, feel and support people of the different race. When he said this the Judge immediately told him to get out. Atticus also made this feel like he was the only person that actually cared and was willing to stand up for the other side of things when no one else would, but it shows that maybe some of the people just needed to see that someone else did it so they could too.
I agree with your post because I think that everyone in the entire courtroom thought that Tom was innocent, the Judge, jury, and even the Ewells included. I think that people spoke up once it looked like Tom might have been found guilty, like when Link Deas speaks up about his employee.
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ReplyDeleteChapters 12-24 in To Kill a Mockingbird were fascinating and included the trial of Tom Robinson and the addition of Aunt Alexandra. Jem also began to change in the story. I thought it was interesting how Jem became more detached from Scout and acted more like an adult as he matured. He also seemed to be profoundly affected by the Tom Robinson trial and all of the hatred and prejudice that he had witnessed. For example, when Scout asked Jem about prejudice in Maycomb, he stated, “I never wanta hear about that courthouse ever again, ever, ever, you hear me? You hear me? Don’t you ever say one word to me about it again, you hear? Now go on!” (Lee 283). Jem’s dialogue shows how the Tom Robinson trial affected him. I also think that Boo Radley will make another appearance in the story. It wouldn’t make sense for his character to be introduced and not mentioned again. I predict that he will do something to protect Scout and Jem.
ReplyDeleteAs I finished reading chapters 12-24 I found that the whole Tom Robinson Trial very interesting. It was crazy to me how racist and unfair the court system was and how everyone didn't like Tom simply because of the color of his skin. His testimony made the most sense compared to everyone else. It was obvious that Tom Robinson did not rape nor did he harm Mayella in any way. She was said to have had choke marks all around her neck but it wouldn't have made sense to blame Tom Robinson because he cant use his other hand so he wouldn't have been able to choke Mayella with two hands. Throughout the rest of the trial Mayella continued to lie again and again mostly because of how intimidated she must have felt and how pressured she must have felt knowing her father would not stand for her actions so she had to lie. "He does tollable, 'cept when -'...Mayella looked at her father and he sat up straight and waited for her to answer. 'Except when nothin'" (Lee 208) This shows how intimidated she must have been because she was about to give an honest answer and speak for herself but then she glanced at her father and he made her change her mind just by looking at her. I wish that Tom Robinson would have been found innocent because they locked up a good man for a crime he didn't commit because of the color of his skin.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying on how it was clear that Tom Robinson did nothing wrong, and there was clear evidence that he was not the one who harmed Mayella. Your statements I agree with because Mayella did get nervous, and was clearly lying throughout this trial.
DeleteDuring these chapters I found it very interesting how it ended up with the trial. I really liked how Mayella's indentity was revealed, and it made me feel sorry for her because of the way that she lived. Even though Tom Robinson was inocent, I think Mayella was going through a lot in her life which still does not make what she did right in any way. I like how the trial was set up, and all of the intersting parts that they included in it like the parts about Mayella's father possibly being involved in the incedent. 'Answer the question, Miss Mayella,’... ‘My paw’s never touched a hair o’ my head my entire life,’” (Lee 209). This part was interesting how Mayella lied about her father becasue she was scared to tell the real truth. Although Tom deserved to be innocent I was not surprised that he was called guilty because of the way blacks and whites were back then in the time period. Something else in the book that I found interesting in the trial was the situation regarding the left hand right hand punch. i really enjoyed this part of the book because if it was never mentioned I never would have thought about that. This part of the trial was really good evidence, and I think was a clever idea to include. In these trial chapters they had many good pieces of evidences in favor of Tom that would prove him innocent which was why it was so dissapointing to hear he was guilty.
ReplyDeleteWhite prejudice and unfair treatment is very evident during these chapters. You can clearly see many different forms of segregation and hate during these specific parts of the book. One example would be Tom Robinson trial, he was convicted guilty when it was clearly evident that he didn't do anything to Mayella. This made me very disheartened because Tom didn't deserve what happened to him. He was a good man who cared about people and he had a family. I understand that many different tings factored into his verdict but there was also his testimony that showed good character,truth,and the fact that he couldn't have done what he was accused of with his crippled arm. The fact that mayella changed her story,looked repeated at her father, and hesitating and crying shows that he really wasn't guilty. But in fact her father should have been the one who was convicted. Seeing as the author implied her being physically and sexually abused by her own father. That was not right to me, but the fact that Tom was blamed for it just isn't fair. This was just another example of blacks mistreatment. Another is how they were literally segregated in court; they couldn't even sit near the white men and women. During the testimony Atticus tried his best to put both men on an equal platform, so there was no bias opinions, for the entire town to see. ¨...In the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption- the evil assumption- that all Negros lie,that all Negros are basically immoral beings,that all negro men are not to be trusted around our women...Which gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson skin,a lie i do not have to point out to you. But you know the truth...this is a truth that apply to the human race not one particular race of men¨ (Lee 232). This shows one of the people in the book who was pushing for a character vs. society for racism not being okay. This part of the story gave me a greater insight and respect for Atticus. But again the main theme of this story was racism and prejudice in the south, and this part of the story really displayed that.
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