"To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw," In this scene, Atticus gets back from Helen Robinson's house and it discusses the town of Maycomb's reaction to Tom's death. Many think it was typical that a black man would just try to run dumbly without any type of plan whatsoever. This relates to the theme of the damage done by racism. If it were a white man that died, there would be a longer and more predominant occasion. This doesn't come as a shock to me. The town of Maycomb is so screwed up. In that town, friends become enemies, courts are corrupted, townspeople are heavily segregated and gossip and rumors are truth.
I believe that the town of Maycomb is meant to symbolize how many places are gilded in the sense that they look good from the outside, but once you dig deeper, they are nasty inside.
I totally agree with both of you. Earlier in the book, the children made a snowman, but it was made out of mud and covered with a layer of snow. Just like Abby said, Maycomb looks good from the outside, but when you scratch the surface you begin to see the truth.
It is obvious that in Maycomb the death of Tom Robinson was a normal thing to happen. Atticus once said that they have done it before and the courthouse will keep doing it. They invented that tom was trying to escape so they can keep doing it and hide their crime by telling the town that he wanted to escape.
“ Senseless killing-- Tom had been given due to the process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minuet Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Middle of page 323
In this scene Scout is describing her understanding of how she saw things in and after the trial. Tom was judged by twelve good and honest men. But after reading the paper she saw what Mr. Underwood really meant. Atticus had used every tool available to help win Toms case. But it was known that When a trial with A white mans word vs. a Black mans word the White man always wins. But not only that, as soon as Mayella screamed they lost the case, even before it had started.
In my opinion I agree with Scout wholeheartedly. Tom was judged by twelve good and honest men. But this didn’t stop those men from racist opinions given by the town. Since Even though Atticus was the defence attorney that didn’t stop from him giving his best efforts in trying to win the case. When Atticus believed in something he put his whole heart into the situation. But in the racist town of Macomb, If a White man went against a Black man in court, it was known for the White man to always win the trial. Since a White man was going against a Black man, when Mayella screamed, Atticus and Tom really did lose.
This quote connects to the damage of Racism because of A white mans opinion vs. a Black mans opinion. Macomb was known as a racist town. When you put a White man's opinions and sayings in court vs. a black mans opinions he’s going to lose automatically. That is how the justice system worked back then. The racism affected almost everything back then. The outcomes of trials, separation and the way people were treated. Racism had so much to do with the fact of Atticus losing the trial, all due to that he represented a Black man.
Like Miss Maudie said, Atticus is magnificent at what he does because he kept the jury thinking for longer than anybody else could. Even though they didn't win, they make a step toward advancing on racism.
Dill describes Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen when she hears the news of her husband’s death to Scout in this scene. Helen fainted and Dill tells Scout about it.
I think that it’s really sad that Tom Robinson was killed. I don’t think he should have tried to escape, however, he should not have been put in that scenario anyway. I don’t think it was Tom’s fault for being killed because the only thing he did wrong was try to escape, but the only reason he tried to escape was to get out of a place that is meant for murderers and thieves. He is neither. I don’t think it was the prison guard’s fault either, because he was only doing his job. On the other hand, they should not have shot him seventeen times. Shooting him once or twice would be enough because they didn’t need to kill him for escaping. They only needed to keep him within the prison confines. Nonetheless, they were only doing their job as they were told to do and it is not their fault either. The only fault to which Tom’s death can fully be attributed is to the Ewells. The Ewells caused this entire story to happen to Tom and Tom would be alive and happy if it wasn’t for the Ewells’ selfishness.
I believe this scene accurately reflects the extensive damage done to African Americans from racism. Tom was sent to court because he walked to his job in the fields past the Ewells’ home. Since he passed by every day, it was believable that he would be near Mayella. Next, he was sent to court because the Ewells believed that it would be believable to the jury that a black man raped a white woman. Therefore, Tom was chosen to be sent to court because of his race. Tom lost the court case because of his race, in addition. If Tom was white, he probably would have been found innocent because the evidence against him was only circumstantial. Then, Tom was sent to jail because he lost the court case, and he tried to escape. He was shot seventeen times by the prison guards. If he was white, there is no way that the prison guards would have been so brutal to him. Tom’s death cause his wife great grief. Thusly, not only is there damage done to Tom, in this case his life, but his wife, children, and everybody he knew will be effected. Racism has had a profound negative effect on anybody befriended by Tom Robinson. (Pg. 322, Paragraph 1)
I agree, it was unnecessary to shoot Tom seventeen times. Even once is too many. If I were Tom I would have waited for the appeal. Atticus could have still won the case and Tom could have been a free man.
I agree with you, Abby. The guards should not have shot Tom so many times but they were doing their job. Without the Ewell family and the racism that was going on in Maycomb, Tom would most likely be alive. It is really a terrible thing how much this trial had ruined his life and many others.
It is sick that the guards decided to shoot Tom seventeen times. Trying to escape does not entail the guards to shoot anyone that many times, no matter their race.
“Why couldn’t I mash him?” I asked. “Because they don’t bother you,” Jem answered in the darkness. page 320
In this scene, Scout wants to mash a bug but Jem says not to because it’s not bothering anyone.
I feel that this is another example, of Jem having a sense of morality and understanding in him.
The is connected to the theme of justice in the United States. Tom Robinson wasn’t bothering anyone and he was still judged and punished. And what about all the African Americans in Maycomb. They weren’t bothering anyone and they were still cut off from society.There is no reason to separate the colored and white people in society, they have done nothing wrong, people like Bob Ewell have to go against people like Tom Robinson.
I disagree because Scout did indeed say that Jem was going through one of his phases again but you did a good job with the theme and the connection to Tom and the law.
“Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for the information to spread through the county.” page 322
During this scene, Scout is discussing how fast news travels in Maycomb—and how quickly it can be over with. She says it only takes two days for everyone to hear about it and forget about it.
Gossip in the 1930’s and gossip today is still the same. People will talk about something they heard or saw for a little while and then move on to the next new piece of information. I think the people in Maycomb weren’t very interested in Tom’s death, because they seemed to have moved on from it so quickly. No one seems to have cared a lot, other than the Finches. When the news was given to Aunt Alexandra, she went back to chat with the ladies and pretended like nothing happened.
The theme that connected to this scene was the damage done by racism, because if a white man had been shot then people would have probably been a little more emotional and a little more interested in what had happened. I feel that no one truly cared about Tom, because they knew he was going to lose the case anyways. Even though Atticus was only Tom’s lawyer, Atticus seemed to have a connection with Tom. Atticus actually cared about what the outcome would be, he tried to work hard to win the case and set Tom free.
I agree with you, Sophia. I do not think that the people of Maycomb were interested at all in Toms death. I wonder what would have happened if a white person died in jail that was from Maycomb. I think they would mourn for the person who died because he is white and Tom is black.
I agree with you Sophia, gossip will always be gossip. I think you made a good point about how people did not really seem to care about Tom's death. Many people where actually criticizing him for what he did.
“She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her. Just ump---” Dill’s fat foot hit the ground. “Like you’d step on an ant.” Page 322
In this scene Scout is thinking about something that Dill had seen. Dill saw Atticus tell Hellen about the death of Tom Robinson. As Hellen heard this news she fell to the ground and cried because of what she was hearing.
I know that I can relate to this and many other people here can do the same. We have all lost someone we loved. For me, I lost both of my grandfathers. Hearing the news is devastating and it is all that is on your mind for a long time. In my opinion it is the worst thing for someone to go through. When you lose someone that is really close to you, it seems as if life will never be the same. You never forget about them, and the impact they made on your life but eventually you have to move on and continue to live your life. It is such a terrible thing and I could never imagine the situation that Hellen would be going through in this chapter.
This scene in the book relates to the theme of the damage done by racism and the importance of home and family. The trail for Tom Robinson left him in jail and still fighting for his life. While for Hellen she was not able to get a job while he was on trial. If Tom was never seen as guilty in the eyes of the racist people of Maycomb, he would still be alive. Now that he is dead Hellen is alone supporting her children and she still does not have a job. The reason this has to do with the importance of home and family is because Hellen will have to face so many challenges without Tom. She depended on Tom and needed him to live a good life. Now, she is alone and all because Tom was voted guilty by the jury.
I completely agree with you, Danny. It sucks so much when you find out that you lost someone that you really cared about. That feeling you get is the worst one there is. Also Tom wouldn't be dead, but the people are Maycomb, like you said are racist.
Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed. Chapter 25, page 323
In these scene, Scout was reading the article that Mr. Underwood wrote. She is explaining that no matter what was done, Tom Robinson would go to the chair anyways.
Does this mean that if other case like the one of Tom Robinson appears the same thing is going to happen?. They will still make the African-American guilty no matter the crime. i there a difference now?.
The theme that connects with this scene is damage done by racism. It was clear to everyone in the courthouse that Tom was innocent, and no one liked the Ewells, but because Tom was black and the Ewells were whites, he was found guilty. He was guilty because he was black not because the jury had enough evidence to prove that he was guilty.
I like your theme, it fits in very well. The damage done by racism is what caused Tom to die in the first place. Just because of some racists, a life had to be lost because of bad decision making.
“Scout,” said Dill, “she just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just hit the ground.” Page 322.
In this scene Scout is thinking about what Dill had seen when Atticus and Calpurnia told Helen that Tom was dead. When Helen had heard that he died she couldn’t handle it and just fell to the ground and cried.
I can’t blame her I am confident that everyone has lost someone close to them or someone they love. For me, both of my grandmothers died and when I heard that I didn’t know what to do. I had never had that feeling before in my life and I hated it, I didn’t know what else to do, so I just cried and cried. I knew that I would never be able to do the things that I loved doing so much with them and how I will never be able to see them again. That feeling is the absolute worst one in the world, I am sure that some people know what I am talking about.
This scene definitely has to with the theme, the importance of home and family. As I said before the feeling sucks when you lose someone close to you. So this shows us that we need to cherish every moment with our family because the next thing you know, they are gone. So this shows that you have to live every moment you have to the fullest you can because that moment could be your very last.
I agree Tyler, it must have been terrible for Helen to find out Tom was dead. Especially because there was a chance Atticus could have set him free. Tom had just given up hope.
“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” Pg:322 L: 15
After Atticus gave the news of the death of Tom Robinson, this was expanded throughout Maycomb in just two days. All were commenting of the death of Tom Robbins especially those who were against him.
I strongly disagree with the comments that people say about how Tom died, they believed that it was something typical of a black man, died trying to escape from the problems they think that they did it just because they were dishonest people. Most of them said that they never thought about the consequences . But they don't know how Tom felt knowing that everyone was against him and that neither the good heart of Atticus and his testimony can show the jury his innocence, was perhaps he was very disappointed of himself.
The themes that connect to this scene are the damage done by racism. All in Maycomb didn't feel bad about Tom's death, all what they were doing was commenting bad things about him, for example that it was just a black escaping from justice like every negro in the country , although it is true that what Tom do was not illegal but they neither were. Tom was found guilty since Mayella speak and cry. And everyone will remember Tom as guilty no matter the absence of evidence and the true testimony of Tom.
I agree with all of your points. All of the cards were stacked against Tom, and he lost hope of being set free. When you lose hope, your chances of achieving anything decrease. If you were a black man accused of raping a white woman faced with an extremely racist jury, wouldn't you lose hope?
I think that they did not have to feel bad because as you said it was typical to kill a black man. I wonder what they would do if the one that committed the "crime" were white. They have been doing this with black men and they will continue with the new generations.
“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” page 322.
In this scene, the news of the death of Tom Robinson(which was said by Atticus) spread through all of Maycomb. The people who were against Tom were commenting the said above.
I do not agree with the comments that they were making. I think that the main reason of why they made the comments in the first place, was because he was colored. Since he was, and considering the time that the story took place, he was looked at as dumb and less than everyone else was, even though he was the same person and no one even knew. All around the world, racial discrimination is still a big problem. Many people are looked down upon, just because of their skin color or their ethnicity.
I think that this connects to the damage done by racism. This is because racism is what caused Tom to die in the first place, which was because of an unfair courtroom decision. Because of this, Tom had to die with all bad things said to him after he died. Being called stupid and only being able to run away from situation and not have a plan for them.
I agree with how you disagree in regards to the comments made about Tom. It is ignorant and un-just to make comments like that about someone and you are right that they where only made because of the color of his skin. However I do disagree with you about what you said about racial discrimination still being a big problem today. This country has made a lot of progress from where it once was, although racism is still an issue I would not say that it is a big problem.
“She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her. Just ump---” Dill’s fat foot hit the ground. “Like you’d step on an ant.” Chapter 25 Page 322
In this scene Dill is telling Scout how he saw Atticus tell Helen about the death of Tom Robinson. As Helen heard this news she fell to the ground and cried because of what she was hearing.
It is never easy to let go of someone you loved. I can’t blame her (Helen) for feeling that way. That feeling is the absolute worst one in the world. Imagine how she would have to explain to her kids that her father was killed in prison by prison guards.
This scene definitely relates to the theme of the importance of home and family. As I said earlier the feeling sucks when you lose someone close to you. So this reminds us that we should cherish every moment with our family or someone really close to you because the next thing you know, they are gone.
“Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth screamed.” pg. 323
In this scene, Mr. Underwood writes an article where says that Tom’s death is the murder of an innocent man. As Scout reads, she describes her understanding of Maycomb laws. She notice that the white’s words are more valid than the black’s words.
During this historical period, people in the Unite State, mostly in the South, showed too much racist. Is incredible how an innocent black man could go to jail just because white’s words have more value. Thanks to Martin L. King Jr. and more African Americans during the 1960’s, today, colored people have equal rights and are trade in the same way as a white man. I know that the racism stills but not that bad. The theme that connects to this scene is the damage done by racism. Maycomb’s attention was in the news, everyone agrees that it is typical for a black man to do something irrational like try to escape. This stereotype about that black people are always the criminals, is never going to help ends the racism.
Just the fact of being black made him guilty of what Mayella was saying. Mayella wanted someone to be guilty of what her father had done and what better person than Tom. He was at her house always helping her with something for free. Or maybe Mayella could not stand Tom becuase he rejected her when she kissed him.
“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” Page 322.
In this scene the news about Tom Robinson's death spread all throughout Maycomb in a matter of two days. The group of people who wanted Tom Robinson to be proven guilty said comments such as these.
I strongly disagree with the negative comments about Tom Robinson. Tom is perceived as another typical black man trying to run away from his death, knowing that there is a small chance of survival. The truth is, Tom Robinson was innocent. He knew no matter what the truth was, he was going to looked at as the black guys who raped Mayella. He ran for the his life, and his family, hoping that there was a chance of survival.
I think the theme that connects to the scene is damage done by racism. Tom Robinson is being stereotyped. The whites are blind to the fact that Tom Robinson has a family to protect and watch over. He can’t afford to lose his life over something that he did not do. During this time, racism got the better of many, which prevented many blacks from achieving the success that they were capable of. It is up to us to learn from the mistakes that we made in the past, move forward in a positive direction.
“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” page 322
This is a scene when the news about the Tom’s death was spreading through the Maycomb. Many people that were against Tom Robinson was commenting about Tom’s death. In 2 days the news was spread everywhere in Maycomb.
I strongly disagree with those comments that they did. They thinks it was typical to a black man get killed while he was running dumbly in front of the officer. People didn’t really cared about the news and no one in Maycomb felt bad for him. They makes those kind of gossip and comments because they don’t know how it is to be in the jail but you are a innocent man. If they were in Tom Robinson’s position, they would know why he run away. In my optioning the reason why Tom Robinson run away was same reason as he run away when he run away from Mr Ewell at Mr Ewell’s house.
This theme connect to the scene is the damage done by racism. Most of white people who read and heard about the news didn’t really cared about Tom Robinson’s death. They were just making comment and gossip about Tom’s death across the Maycomb. Also in first place, it was very unfair decision to him to get guilty. without a specific evidence that tell Tom Robinson was guilty. If he was white, nothing like this would had happen to him.
To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. Page 322.
This thought goes through Scout’s mind. Although very pessimistic, this quote holds true. She says this is being said by a lot of people in the county. She says it only took two days for the county to find out about the convict who was shot trying to escape because to them, they're all the same.
There will always be those who root against us, but it is different under these circumstances, especially now that Tom is dead. People don’t understand the severity of these words because they are blinded by this racism within them. They teach their young to do the same and this leads to a town like Maycomb. People cannot be so quick to judge! The fact that this time period was less than 100 years ago disgusts me. A human is a human. We are all under the same species name, yet people think that skin color makes this big of a difference? That is ridiculous. Even today, people use stereotypes to refer to everyone involved with a certain group. No matter what, no one is the same. No one has the same mentality and everyone has a plan. No one can say this about anyone because it is just plain wrong! The fact these thoughts still flutter through people’s minds today makes me sick.
This scene relates to, “the damage done by racism” because the ones claiming these stereotypes are blatant racists. They claim that every black man has no plan or thought for their future. They cannot make these assumptions about this race. If I was one of the African-Americans living in Maycomb and I heard this, I would work to prove them wrong.
I completely agree. We're all the same on the inside, and everyone has the potential to be great at anything, not just a specific group of people. It's nice to know that we've come a long way since these extremely harsh racial stereotypes, but we still have a long way to go.
“Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case.” (...) " Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (Page 323)
In this section, Scout was talking about Mr. Underwood’s editorial.
I agree with what Mr. Underwood said. The jury’s mind was made up before Atticus even started speaking because of the simple fact that Tom was black and the Ewells were white. Tom did not stand a chance, no matter how good of a lawyer Atticus was. I personally find that sad because there was not enough evidence for Tom to be proven guilty. They sent Tom to jail. An innocent man with a family just like most of the men sitting in that jury.
The theme, is there really justice for all under the law in the United States goes best with this section. I do not believe there was justice for all back then. There were many innocent people sent to jail by an all white male jury because of the color of their skin. I personally believe that if Tom had been white, the jury would have given it a little more thought and judged him based on what the lawyers said instead of the color of his skin before deciding that he was guilty.
“Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth screamed.” P 323
In this scene, Mr. Underwood has written an article saying that Tom’s death was the murder of an innocent man. Scout describes her take on Maycomb’s laws as she reads the article. She thinks that the words of a white man are worth more than evidence proving a black man’s innocence.
Tom Robinson was an innocent man. A good, kind, family man who was nothing but courteous and respectful to the woman who accused him of rape. Mayella and Bob are horrible people, but I find the jurors who convicted Tom to be even worse. They had the opportunity to be brave and take the first steps toward change, but they did not. They chose to be the same as the generation before them, and the generation before that.
This scene connects to the theme of the damage done by racism. Mr. Underwood is one of the few whites in Maycomb who does not ignore the racism in the town, and does not participate in it. Atticus and Mr. Underwood are among the few who would defend Tom, an innocent man.
I agree with you Rory. I find it so disturbing how there was practically nothing anyone could do to determine Tom's fate. It's sad how he was an innocent and kind man. Not only was he found guilty, but he was "found guilty" before the trial even started. It sickens my stomach even thinking about this.
“She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her.” page 322
In this scene, Scout is explaining to the reader what happens to Helen Robinson, Toms wife, when Atticus tells her that her husband has been shot and killed. When she hears this devastating news, she falls to the ground in tears.
This scene can easily relate to everybody. Everyone feels the pain that Helen Robinson is feeling when they hear that a loved one has past away. Helen had no idea that her husband would soon die which makes this situation worse. Tom Robinson is a black man accused for rape. While he was in jail, he decided to try to escape but failed and was shot seventeen times. He was a young man who should not have died so early in his life.
This scene relates to the damage done by racism and the importance of home and family. Helen’s husband, Tom Robinson, was shot and killed. Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell and sent to jail. Mayella Ewell had no evidence to prove Tom guilty, but because she is white and he is black she won. I feel badly for Helen because now she needs to tell her children the news and take care of them alone. I wonder how she will manage to provide for her family with such little money?
“Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Chapter 25 Page 323
In this section of the story, Scout is reflecting on the case and she realizes that even if there was clear evidence that Tom hadn’t raped Mayella, he still would have gotten convicted. It didn’t matter how convincing the testimonies in court were, the verdict had been decided long before court even came to session.
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that everyone has the right to a public trial, and the right to an impartial jury. Unfortunately for Tom, he wasn’t granted this right. An impartial jury is one that holds no biases. The jury on Tom’s case was very biased. Luckily today, the jury system has become more fair and systematic. People of all different backgrounds are brought together to help decide the final verdict of a case. The Sixth Amendment has been implemented more effectively in court systems throughout the country.
This quote relates to the theme of how there is much inequality under the law. There was almost no way that the verdict of Tom’s case would come out to be fair, and Atticus knew this. Court systems back then took the word of a white person over that of a black nearly every single time. Before Tom even appeared in court, his fate had already been decided.
"To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw." page 322
Scout tells the reader that this comment is going around Maycomb. Scout says that it took the county two days to find out that Tom was shot, according to them they're all the same.
There's always going to people that don't care what you think. In this community it wasn't rare for a black man to end up dead like this. My guess is that Tom was running for his family. Tom knew that his family needed him and wanted him home. If I were Tom I would have done the same thing even though I could be killed. The reason for my decision would of course be my family. During this brutal time period, Tom's family was not safe. Being a black woman would make it extremely difficult for Tom's wife to get a job. Tom believed that the best thing for his family would be his successful escape from prison. Unfortunately, it was not.
The theme this chapter relates to is the damage done by racism. Anyone who agreed with the statement regarding Tom's death was an obvious racist. Not only those people but especially the man who killed Tom. Killing a runaway convict is one thing, but shooting one seventeen times is outright inhumane.
I agree Magnus. I really can't blame Tom for what he did. He was only looking out for the ones he loved and people shouldn't be acted life he just made that irrational decision because he was black.
“You know how they are. Easy come, easy go.Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married,they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer’s mighty thin. N----r always comes out in ’em.” Page 322
In this scene Scout talks about how Tom’s death was the talk of the town for a few days and what the average person would say about his death.
What I find disturbing is that these people are so quick to judge Tom when they have no idea what he is going through. Tom obviously wasn’t in a stable state of mind after such a traumatic case. Even worse, the people stereotype all black people as acting irrationally like Tom did that one time.
The theme that connects to this scene is the damage done by racism. It really is a shame that a community would stereotype a whole entire race off of something that one person did once in their life. Unfortunately for Tom, that one irrational decision will really define his entire life and who he was as a person in the eyes of the racists.
“Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.”
In this scene Scout has a moment of clarity and realizes the meaning to when Mr. Underwood referred to Tom’s death as senseless killing. She says that that Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth because white folks have an advantage over colored folks.
If this situation took place today, it would not even go to court. The lack of evidence would not allow it to. I am very grateful for the time period in which we live in that is not so segregated and not so unequal. Today every person has more opportunities than we would have in the setting of this novel.
The theme that is represented in this scene is the damage done by racism and the injustice for all under the United States law system. As the quote states as soon as it was a white folks word against a black folks word there was almost no hope for the colored folk. No matter how much evidence Atticus had it would not be enough for the jury. The jury of twelve white men. Black people were viewed as lower than white people and they were viewed as bad people no matter what they did, which is the cause for Tom Robinson not being found innocent.
Great point Joanna. It is crazy to think how much a difference just 70 years can make. With the technology we have today this would not even become close to going to court. We are very fortunate to not have to deal with this and to be born in a time that is not unequal or segregated.
Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for the information to spread through the county. “Did you hear about? . . . No? Well, they say he was runnin’ fit to beat lightnin’ . . .” To Maycomb, Tom’s death was Typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. Funny thing, Atticus Finch might’ve got him off scot free, but wait—? Hell no. You know how they are. Easy come, easy go. Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer’s mighty thin. Nigger always comes out in ’em. p.322
This excerpt by Scout really saddened me. This is a paragraph of Scout explaining how she thinks of black people, and clearly, she doesn’t think very highly. She thinks they are naturally bad people, and the reason why she thinks this is because of racism in her surroundings.
The theme supporting this paragraph is clearly the damage done by racism. Racists surrounding developing children are greatly influencing their opinions on black people. Scout has grown up in a racist society, and she doesn’t know better than what most others tell her, which is biased and false.
Scout is not the only child that grew up with people filthing her mind about blacks. All the other children in the era of the Great Depression had contaminated, racist minds. It’s amazing to know that even after the great amount of racism, it has almost totally come to an end now.
“Scout,” said Dill, “she just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just hit the ground.” Page 322.
In this scene Scout is saying what Dill told her of what he had seen when Atticus and Calpurnia told Helen that Tom, her husband, had died. When Helen heard that he died, she was overwhelmed and fell to the ground swept with emotions.
I feel so incredibly bad for Helen. Her life was already really difficult, living in a racist town and not making enough money to support her family. But now, she lost someone she loved and also put her in a tougher economic situation. Almost everybody has lost someone they cared for and loved and it is not easy. It’s a very emotional and traumatic experience and the cause of Tom’s death is just horrible.
This scene connects to the theme of the importance of home and family. Family is so important and it is terrifying even thinking about losing someone you care about. Helen’s actions after she was told Tom was dead really showed how much she loved him and how important he was to her.
I agree, her life was already very difficult because of how the people in Maycomb were treating her. I think she really loved Tom and hearing that he was dead was almost too much for her.
I think the way the she responded was the way that any of us would. I agree that she has had someone that she loves taken from her for no reason other than the fact that he is not white.
“Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Page 323
Mayella knows Tom didn't rape her and accused her because she was scared of her father. So when she found out that Tom has been shot, Mayella should've been in great shock.
Mayella is in the worst position to be in right now. She accused Tom of rape when she knows he didn't do it. He is told guilty and gets brought to another jail. Soon finding out that he is going to an electric chair to be executed on. Knowing that he soon will die, Tom tries to run for that last chance he had. Mayella knows the truth but lied and she will suffer from it the rest of her lifetime.
The theme here is the damage done by racism. Tom did nothing. Tom did absolutely nothing to die from. He had no reason to die or being executed. Just the fact that he was black made him into a crazy criminal.
“You know how they are. Easy come, easy go. Just shows you, the Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to it the veneer’s mighty thin.” Chapter 25, page 322
In this scene Scout is narrating how the town reacts to Tom’s death. She says that it took over the town in two days. Some people say that Atticus may have proved him innocent. This quote is from a nameless figure and just thrown into the mix about what the town is saying in regards to Tom trying to escape the prison and getting shot.
I find this quote extremely disturbing. They call Tom derogatory names and say that he could not help the fact that he tried to just run away without a plan. They say that it is just his nature. This is extremely ignorant and if the man who spoke these words where to actually sit down with Tom and have a conversation would realize that Tom is a good hard working American. All he would have to do would be to look past the color of his skin, which seemed to be very hard for people to do. In regards to today this simply just would not happen. Tom would not have been shot. In the unlikely event that this did happen Tom would not be the one who people would be speaking negatively of, it would be the guards because it is not their place to shoot someone like that. They would be put on trial for murder unless Tom had tried to hurt them and they did it in self defense.
This quote relates to the damage done by racism. People were completely okay with going around saying that he could not help what he did in the prison it was just his nature, shows that people did not think of African Americans as people but more as animals. No one would ever say that it was his nature to try to escape a prison without a plan if Tom was white. They say it more like Tom is an animal. It is incredibly disappointing that people used to think like this. In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson is quoted, “All men are created equal.” People should have really looked back on this quote and realized that everyone should be treated equal. Unfortunately that is not how it went and segregation continued to be an issue.
I completely agree with you Max. Tom didn't even belong in prison to begin with. It's upsetting how people can be so judgmental and ignorant. It's also sad that people labeled blacks as "animals" such as a rat, which was named in one of the previous chapters. This negative stereotype annoys me so much because Tom was a great man who didn't deserve any of this.
"Then Mr. Underwood's meaning became clear: Atticus has used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus has no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." Pg. 323
In this scene, Scout thinks to herself about the Tom Robinson case and soonly realizes that there wasn't anything Atticus or anyone could do to prove Tom's innocence, even with clear evidence.
While Atticus takes pride in getting Tom the fairest trial possible under the circumstances, and sees some hope in the fact that the jury took hours instead of minutes to reach the foregone conclusion of a guilty verdict, Mr. Underwood's postmortem newspaper editorial sees the whole trial as a sham. If it's true that in all paths lead to conviction, the question arises: What in Maycomb would have to change for Tom to have the chance of a different fate? What would have to change for him to be able to control that fate? And what does Tom's fate as it stands say about Maycomb as a community?
The theme that connects to this scene is the damage done by racism and the injustice under the law. No matter the amount or quality of the evidence, Tom was seen to be "dead" before the trial even started just because he was a black man. If there was justice for all, the outcome of the trial, Tom's fate, would have been significantly different.
“Did you hear about?…. No? Well they say he was runnin’ fit to beat lighnin’...” 322
The news of Tom Robinson’s death spreads quickly because of how often the townsfolk of Maycomb gossip. In the eyes of Maycomb this was an average thing to hear. People talk similarly about news stories today. News Anchors tell stories of shootings every day. We gossip about them to others and then we quickly lose interest and move on to the next story. I think that sometimes we forget that news stories aren’t stories and they actually happened
The theme demonstrated in this chapter was the damage done by racism. People had no reaction to the news they heard. They thought it was normal which I find disturbing.
“To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw,” Page 322
During this scene, the news of Tom’s death is spreading around the town, and everybody is commenting heir final thoughts about what happened. There is not any respect given whatsoever.
The people of Maycomb are describing Tom’s thinking process like he is a wild animal that wandered off of a cliff. This a comparable to A Lesson Before Dying when Jefferson is called a hog. There is no respect given to these men, just because they are black. They are both compared to wild animals, with no thoughts inside their head, a mindless being.
This relates to the damage done by racism. The people of Maycomb do not even see Tom as a person anymore, they see him as just another stupid animal that deserved to die. After reading most of this book, this quote most surprised me with the racism of Maycomb. The way that they think of those who are not white is just astounding who grew up in the twenty-first century. The minds of these people are so embedded with racist ideas, they might not even know that they are talking about a person.
Chapter 25: “She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her.” (Page 322)
In this scene Scout tells the reader what happens to Helen Robinson(Tom’s wife) when Atticus lets her know that her husband Tom Robinson has been killed. As soon as she hears this news she falls to the ground and starts to cry.
I feel that Helen’s actions were appropriate. When I lost my uncle 5 years ago I felt the same way. It is not easy to lose someone you love and most people have experienced the feeling before. Helen was shocked and even though her husband was in jail I’m sure she thought she was going to see him again. Tom tried to escape the jail and didn't make it. It is upsetting how he died so young for his family, Atticus and others who supported him.
The two themes demonstrated in this scene are; the damage done by racism and the importance of home and family. As soon as Helen heard the news from Atticus she burst into tears and feel on the floor. Family was very important to them and she loved Tom very much. Now she is a widow and I’m sure that will be extremely difficult for her and her kids. Mayella had no evidence that Tom had raped her. It’s simple Mayella won because she is white and Tom is black. Sadly this happened a lot in our nation during this time. Helen has to let her children know the news and also will probably have to start working since they have no income now that Tom is dead.
“To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw… Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer’s mighty thin. Nigger always comes out in ‘em.” Page 322.
In this excerpt, Scout is explaining how Tom’s death was not a surprise, because many in Maycomb see African-Americans as people who make stupid mistakes all the time.
What I find disturbing is that being African-American automatically makes you a person who makes idiotic decisions in Maycomb. Your race shouldn’t label you, and neither should any other characteristics. Dove’s “Like A Girl,” campaign relates to this. The campaign is fighting gender stereotypes, for girls specifically, advocating that girls can do anything guys can do. In this book, the people should see African-Americans as being able to do anything whites can do.
This scene can connect with the theme of the damage done by racism. Stereotypes based on race is unfair and sometimes disturbing. Because of stereotypes against blacks in Maycomb, Tom’s death is seen as a normal occurrence, when it really should be treated with the community being angry about such injustice.
“Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for the information to spread through the county.” Page 322
In this scene, everyone in the town is fascinated by Tom Robinson’s sudden death. The news spread very quickly over Maycomb County.
In the world today, news is spread incredibly quickly. An event from the other side of the world can be publicized worldwide instantaneously. Many people in the world use some form of social media in which they receive and distribute news, both big and small. It is much easier to be aware of worldwide events now at a much faster speed. An example of how social media spreads news faster than organized news networks is shown in this article. Osama Bin Laden’s death was reported on social media 20 minutes before it was broadcasted on news networks. Social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook are a vehicle to spread news quickly.
A theme that is shown in this scene is the importance of home and family. Tom Robinson was both a husband and father to three children. People all over Maycomb were intrigued by the news of his death because of the unique circumstances of the trial. I think that people empathized with the loss of an important family member no matter what the circumstances were surrounding his death. This unexpected death shocked both Tom’s family and the rest of the county.
“What does who want, Alexandra?” Miss Maudie asked. “I mean this town. They’re perfectly willing to let him do what they’re too afraid to do themselves - it might lose ‘em a nickel. They’re perfectly willing to let him wreck his health doing what they’re afraid to do…” Page 316
In this scene, Tom has just died, and Atticus and Calpurnia go to tell his wife, Helen, the tragic news. Alexandra is upset about how difficult this case is for Atticus. Miss Maudie tries to explain to her that the town is trusting Atticus to put on a good defense for Tom. Some people are rooting for Tom and want to change the racist ways of Maycomb, which is why they selected Atticus.
There have been times in life when people have come to me to do things that they were not capable or were scared of doing themselves. At camp, I was bunk rep which meant that my bunkmates could come to me with any issues they had. One time, one of my bunkmates came to me because she saw another girl stealing something from her area. She knew that I could go to higher authority, something that she was too afraid to do. She knew something had to be done, but she wasn't comfortable doing it herself. My bunkmate came to me the same way Judge Taylor appointed Atticus to be Tom's attorney.
Themes that are present in this scene are courage, damage done by racism, and unfair justice under the law in the United States. Alexandra is upset because this case was putting a lot of pressure on Atticus, but it was his choice to accept this case and give it his all. Atticus' bravery is shown because he chooses to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, to his best ability in the racist town of Maycomb. The damage that is caused by racism is that Atticus and his family are threatened and discouraged by many of the people of Maycomb. Atticus is defending a black man which makes the Finch family look bad to all of the racist people. There is not justice for all under the law in the United States because Tom is convicted of rape based solely on the color of his skin, not evidence. This impacts Atticus and many others. Tom is shot when he tried to run away at jail since he knew his chances of being proven not guilty were almost nonexistent.
“ she just fell down in the dirt . Just fell down in the dirt , like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her. Pg 322 In this scene Dill is telling Scout on what he heard had happened when Atticus and Calpurnia went to go tell Helen that her husband Tom is dead ,and how she had reacted to the news. I think that Helen’s whole world was gone when she heard that her husband had died.I know for sure that if my best friend or significant other were to die I would do the same exact thing as Helen did in this chapter. For this section the connection is the importance of family. I know when someone dies in someones family it does a great impact to them . I feel that Atticus and Calpurnia were there to be like her family that helps her get through it .
"To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw," In this scene, Atticus gets back from Helen Robinson's house and it discusses the town of Maycomb's reaction to Tom's death. Many think it was typical that a black man would just try to run dumbly without any type of plan whatsoever. This relates to the theme of the damage done by racism. If it were a white man that died, there would be a longer and more predominant occasion. This doesn't come as a shock to me. The town of Maycomb is so screwed up. In that town, friends become enemies, courts are corrupted, townspeople are heavily segregated and gossip and rumors are truth.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the town of Maycomb is meant to symbolize how many places are gilded in the sense that they look good from the outside, but once you dig deeper, they are nasty inside.
DeleteI totally agree with both of you. Earlier in the book, the children made a snowman, but it was made out of mud and covered with a layer of snow. Just like Abby said, Maycomb looks good from the outside, but when you scratch the surface you begin to see the truth.
DeleteIt is obvious that in Maycomb the death of Tom Robinson was a normal thing to happen. Atticus once said that they have done it before and the courthouse will keep doing it. They invented that tom was trying to escape so they can keep doing it and hide their crime by telling the town that he wanted to escape.
Delete“ Senseless killing-- Tom had been given due to the process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minuet Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Middle of page 323
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Scout is describing her understanding of how she saw things in and after the trial. Tom was judged by twelve good and honest men. But after reading the paper she saw what Mr. Underwood really meant. Atticus had used every tool available to help win Toms case. But it was known that When a trial with A white mans word vs. a Black mans word the White man always wins. But not only that, as soon as Mayella screamed they lost the case, even before it had started.
In my opinion I agree with Scout wholeheartedly. Tom was judged by twelve good and honest men. But this didn’t stop those men from racist opinions given by the town. Since Even though Atticus was the defence attorney that didn’t stop from him giving his best efforts in trying to win the case. When Atticus believed in something he put his whole heart into the situation. But in the racist town of Macomb, If a White man went against a Black man in court, it was known for the White man to always win the trial. Since a White man was going against a Black man, when Mayella screamed, Atticus and Tom really did lose.
This quote connects to the damage of Racism because of A white mans opinion vs. a Black mans opinion. Macomb was known as a racist town. When you put a White man's opinions and sayings in court vs. a black mans opinions he’s going to lose automatically. That is how the justice system worked back then. The racism affected almost everything back then. The outcomes of trials, separation and the way people were treated. Racism had so much to do with the fact of Atticus losing the trial, all due to that he represented a Black man.
Like Miss Maudie said, Atticus is magnificent at what he does because he kept the jury thinking for longer than anybody else could. Even though they didn't win, they make a step toward advancing on racism.
Delete“She just fell down in the dirt.”
ReplyDeleteDill describes Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen when she hears the news of her husband’s death to Scout in this scene. Helen fainted and Dill tells Scout about it.
I think that it’s really sad that Tom Robinson was killed. I don’t think he should have tried to escape, however, he should not have been put in that scenario anyway. I don’t think it was Tom’s fault for being killed because the only thing he did wrong was try to escape, but the only reason he tried to escape was to get out of a place that is meant for murderers and thieves. He is neither. I don’t think it was the prison guard’s fault either, because he was only doing his job. On the other hand, they should not have shot him seventeen times. Shooting him once or twice would be enough because they didn’t need to kill him for escaping. They only needed to keep him within the prison confines. Nonetheless, they were only doing their job as they were told to do and it is not their fault either. The only fault to which Tom’s death can fully be attributed is to the Ewells. The Ewells caused this entire story to happen to Tom and Tom would be alive and happy if it wasn’t for the Ewells’ selfishness.
I believe this scene accurately reflects the extensive damage done to African Americans from racism. Tom was sent to court because he walked to his job in the fields past the Ewells’ home. Since he passed by every day, it was believable that he would be near Mayella. Next, he was sent to court because the Ewells believed that it would be believable to the jury that a black man raped a white woman. Therefore, Tom was chosen to be sent to court because of his race. Tom lost the court case because of his race, in addition. If Tom was white, he probably would have been found innocent because the evidence against him was only circumstantial. Then, Tom was sent to jail because he lost the court case, and he tried to escape. He was shot seventeen times by the prison guards. If he was white, there is no way that the prison guards would have been so brutal to him. Tom’s death cause his wife great grief. Thusly, not only is there damage done to Tom, in this case his life, but his wife, children, and everybody he knew will be effected. Racism has had a profound negative effect on anybody befriended by Tom Robinson. (Pg. 322, Paragraph 1)
I agree, it was unnecessary to shoot Tom seventeen times. Even once is too many. If I were Tom I would have waited for the appeal. Atticus could have still won the case and Tom could have been a free man.
DeleteI agree with you, Abby. The guards should not have shot Tom so many times but they were doing their job. Without the Ewell family and the racism that was going on in Maycomb, Tom would most likely be alive. It is really a terrible thing how much this trial had ruined his life and many others.
DeleteIt is sick that the guards decided to shoot Tom seventeen times. Trying to escape does not entail the guards to shoot anyone that many times, no matter their race.
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ReplyDelete“Why couldn’t I mash him?” I asked. “Because they don’t bother you,” Jem answered in the darkness. page 320
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Scout wants to mash a bug but Jem says not to because it’s not bothering anyone.
I feel that this is another example, of Jem having a sense of morality and understanding in him.
The is connected to the theme of justice in the United States. Tom Robinson wasn’t bothering anyone and he was still judged and punished. And what about all the African Americans in Maycomb. They weren’t bothering anyone and they were still cut off from society.There is no reason to separate the colored and white people in society, they have done nothing wrong, people like Bob Ewell have to go against people like Tom Robinson.
I have to disagree, because Scout said that Jem was going through another one of his phases, but I liked your connection.
DeleteI disagree because Scout did indeed say that Jem was going through one of his phases again but you did a good job with the theme and the connection to Tom and the law.
Delete“Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for the information to spread through the county.” page 322
ReplyDeleteDuring this scene, Scout is discussing how fast news travels in Maycomb—and how quickly it can be over with. She says it only takes two days for everyone to hear about it and forget about it.
Gossip in the 1930’s and gossip today is still the same. People will talk about something they heard or saw for a little while and then move on to the next new piece of information. I think the people in Maycomb weren’t very interested in Tom’s death, because they seemed to have moved on from it so quickly. No one seems to have cared a lot, other than the Finches. When the news was given to Aunt Alexandra, she went back to chat with the ladies and pretended like nothing happened.
The theme that connected to this scene was the damage done by racism, because if a white man had been shot then people would have probably been a little more emotional and a little more interested in what had happened. I feel that no one truly cared about Tom, because they knew he was going to lose the case anyways. Even though Atticus was only Tom’s lawyer, Atticus seemed to have a connection with Tom. Atticus actually cared about what the outcome would be, he tried to work hard to win the case and set Tom free.
I agree with you, Sophia. I do not think that the people of Maycomb were interested at all in Toms death. I wonder what would have happened if a white person died in jail that was from Maycomb. I think they would mourn for the person who died because he is white and Tom is black.
DeleteI agree with you both, I believe if it were a white man's death the town of Maycomb would have made a bigger deal of it.
DeleteI agree with you Sophia, gossip will always be gossip. I think you made a good point about how people did not really seem to care about Tom's death. Many people where actually criticizing him for what he did.
Delete“She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her. Just ump---” Dill’s fat foot hit the ground. “Like you’d step on an ant.” Page 322
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Scout is thinking about something that Dill had seen. Dill saw Atticus tell Hellen about the death of Tom Robinson. As Hellen heard this news she fell to the ground and cried because of what she was hearing.
I know that I can relate to this and many other people here can do the same. We have all lost someone we loved. For me, I lost both of my grandfathers. Hearing the news is devastating and it is all that is on your mind for a long time. In my opinion it is the worst thing for someone to go through. When you lose someone that is really close to you, it seems as if life will never be the same. You never forget about them, and the impact they made on your life but eventually you have to move on and continue to live your life. It is such a terrible thing and I could never imagine the situation that Hellen would be going through in this chapter.
This scene in the book relates to the theme of the damage done by racism and the importance of home and family. The trail for Tom Robinson left him in jail and still fighting for his life. While for Hellen she was not able to get a job while he was on trial. If Tom was never seen as guilty in the eyes of the racist people of Maycomb, he would still be alive. Now that he is dead Hellen is alone supporting her children and she still does not have a job. The reason this has to do with the importance of home and family is because Hellen will have to face so many challenges without Tom. She depended on Tom and needed him to live a good life. Now, she is alone and all because Tom was voted guilty by the jury.
I completely agree with you, Danny. It sucks so much when you find out that you lost someone that you really cared about. That feeling you get is the worst one there is. Also Tom wouldn't be dead, but the people are Maycomb, like you said are racist.
DeleteAtticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed. Chapter 25, page 323
ReplyDeleteIn these scene, Scout was reading the article that Mr. Underwood wrote. She is explaining that no matter what was done, Tom Robinson would go to the chair anyways.
Does this mean that if other case like the one of Tom Robinson appears the same thing is going to happen?. They will still make the African-American guilty no matter the crime. i there a difference now?.
The theme that connects with this scene is damage done by racism. It was clear to everyone in the courthouse that Tom was innocent, and no one liked the Ewells, but because Tom was black and the Ewells were whites, he was found guilty. He was guilty because he was black not because the jury had enough evidence to prove that he was guilty.
I like your theme, it fits in very well. The damage done by racism is what caused Tom to die in the first place. Just because of some racists, a life had to be lost because of bad decision making.
Delete“Scout,” said Dill, “she just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just hit the ground.” Page 322.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Scout is thinking about what Dill had seen when Atticus and Calpurnia told Helen that Tom was dead. When Helen had heard that he died she couldn’t handle it and just fell to the ground and cried.
I can’t blame her I am confident that everyone has lost someone close to them or someone they love. For me, both of my grandmothers died and when I heard that I didn’t know what to do. I had never had that feeling before in my life and I hated it, I didn’t know what else to do, so I just cried and cried. I knew that I would never be able to do the things that I loved doing so much with them and how I will never be able to see them again. That feeling is the absolute worst one in the world, I am sure that some people know what I am talking about.
This scene definitely has to with the theme, the importance of home and family. As I said before the feeling sucks when you lose someone close to you. So this shows us that we need to cherish every moment with our family because the next thing you know, they are gone. So this shows that you have to live every moment you have to the fullest you can because that moment could be your very last.
I agree Tyler, it must have been terrible for Helen to find out Tom was dead. Especially because there was a chance Atticus could have set him free. Tom had just given up hope.
Delete“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” Pg:322 L: 15
ReplyDeleteAfter Atticus gave the news of the death of Tom Robinson, this was expanded throughout Maycomb in just two days. All were commenting of the death of Tom Robbins especially those who were against him.
I strongly disagree with the comments that people say about how Tom died, they believed that it was something typical of a black man, died trying to escape from the problems they think that they did it just because they were dishonest people. Most of them said that they never thought about the consequences . But they don't know how Tom felt knowing that everyone was against him and that neither the good heart of Atticus and his testimony can show the jury his innocence, was perhaps he was very disappointed of himself.
The themes that connect to this scene are the damage done by racism. All in Maycomb didn't feel bad about Tom's death, all what they were doing was commenting bad things about him, for example that it was just a black escaping from justice like every negro in the country , although it is true that what Tom do was not illegal but they neither were. Tom was found guilty since Mayella speak and cry. And everyone will remember Tom as guilty no matter the absence of evidence and the true testimony of Tom.
I agree with all of your points. All of the cards were stacked against Tom, and he lost hope of being set free. When you lose hope, your chances of achieving anything decrease. If you were a black man accused of raping a white woman faced with an extremely racist jury, wouldn't you lose hope?
DeleteI think that they did not have to feel bad because as you said it was typical to kill a black man. I wonder what they would do if the one that committed the "crime" were white. They have been doing this with black men and they will continue with the new generations.
Delete“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” page 322.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, the news of the death of Tom Robinson(which was said by Atticus) spread through all of Maycomb. The people who were against Tom were commenting the said above.
I do not agree with the comments that they were making. I think that the main reason of why they made the comments in the first place, was because he was colored. Since he was, and considering the time that the story took place, he was looked at as dumb and less than everyone else was, even though he was the same person and no one even knew. All around the world, racial discrimination is still a big problem. Many people are looked down upon, just because of their skin color or their ethnicity.
I think that this connects to the damage done by racism. This is because racism is what caused Tom to die in the first place, which was because of an unfair courtroom decision. Because of this, Tom had to die with all bad things said to him after he died. Being called stupid and only being able to run away from situation and not have a plan for them.
I agree with how you disagree in regards to the comments made about Tom. It is ignorant and un-just to make comments like that about someone and you are right that they where only made because of the color of his skin. However I do disagree with you about what you said about racial discrimination still being a big problem today. This country has made a lot of progress from where it once was, although racism is still an issue I would not say that it is a big problem.
Delete“She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her. Just ump---” Dill’s fat foot hit the ground. “Like you’d step on an ant.” Chapter 25 Page 322
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Dill is telling Scout how he saw Atticus tell Helen about the death of Tom Robinson. As Helen heard this news she fell to the ground and cried because of what she was hearing.
It is never easy to let go of someone you loved. I can’t blame her (Helen) for feeling that way. That feeling is the absolute worst one in the world. Imagine how she would have to explain to her kids that her father was killed in prison by prison guards.
This scene definitely relates to the theme of the importance of home and family. As I said earlier the feeling sucks when you lose someone close to you. So this reminds us that we should cherish every moment with our family or someone really close to you because the next thing you know, they are gone.
“Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth screamed.” pg. 323
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Mr. Underwood writes an article where says that Tom’s death is the murder of an innocent man. As Scout reads, she describes her understanding of
Maycomb laws. She notice that the white’s words are more valid than the black’s words.
During this historical period, people in the Unite State, mostly in the South, showed too much racist. Is incredible how an innocent black man could go to jail just because white’s words have more value. Thanks to Martin L. King Jr. and more African Americans during the 1960’s, today, colored people have equal rights and are trade in the same way as a white man. I know that the racism stills but not that bad.
The theme that connects to this scene is the damage done by racism. Maycomb’s attention was in the news, everyone agrees that it is typical for a black man to do something irrational like try to escape. This stereotype about that black people are always the criminals, is never going to help ends the racism.
Just the fact of being black made him guilty of what Mayella was saying. Mayella wanted someone to be guilty of what her father had done and what better person than Tom. He was at her house always helping her with something for free. Or maybe Mayella could not stand Tom becuase he rejected her when she kissed him.
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ReplyDelete“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.” Page 322.
In this scene the news about Tom Robinson's death spread all throughout Maycomb in a matter of two days. The group of people who wanted Tom Robinson to be proven guilty said comments such as these.
I strongly disagree with the negative comments about Tom Robinson. Tom is perceived as another typical black man trying to run away from his death, knowing that there is a small chance of survival. The truth is, Tom Robinson was innocent. He knew no matter what the truth was, he was going to looked at as the black guys who raped Mayella. He ran for the his life, and his family, hoping that there was a chance of survival.
I think the theme that connects to the scene is damage done by racism. Tom Robinson is being stereotyped. The whites are blind to the fact that Tom Robinson has a family to protect and watch over. He can’t afford to lose his life over something that he did not do. During this time, racism got the better of many, which prevented many blacks from achieving the success that they were capable of. It is up to us to learn from the mistakes that we made in the past, move forward in a positive direction.
“Tom's death was typical. Typical of' a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw.”
ReplyDeletepage 322
This is a scene when the news about the Tom’s death was spreading through the Maycomb. Many people that were against Tom Robinson was commenting about Tom’s death. In 2 days the news was spread everywhere in Maycomb.
I strongly disagree with those comments that they did. They thinks it was typical to a black man get killed while he was running dumbly in front of the officer. People didn’t really cared about the news and no one in Maycomb felt bad for him. They makes those kind of gossip and comments because they don’t know how it is to be in the jail but you are a innocent man. If they were in Tom Robinson’s position, they would know why he run away. In my optioning the reason why Tom Robinson run away was same reason as he run away when he run away from Mr Ewell at Mr Ewell’s house.
This theme connect to the scene is the damage done by racism. Most of white people who read and heard about the news didn’t really cared about Tom Robinson’s death. They were just making comment and gossip about Tom’s death across the Maycomb. Also in first place, it was very unfair decision to him to get guilty. without a specific evidence that tell Tom Robinson was guilty. If he was white, nothing like this would had happen to him.
To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. Page 322.
ReplyDeleteThis thought goes through Scout’s mind. Although very pessimistic, this quote holds true. She says this is being said by a lot of people in the county. She says it only took two days for the county to find out about the convict who was shot trying to escape because to them, they're all the same.
There will always be those who root against us, but it is different under these circumstances, especially now that Tom is dead. People don’t understand the severity of these words because they are blinded by this racism within them. They teach their young to do the same and this leads to a town like Maycomb. People cannot be so quick to judge! The fact that this time period was less than 100 years ago disgusts me. A human is a human. We are all under the same species name, yet people think that skin color makes this big of a difference? That is ridiculous. Even today, people use stereotypes to refer to everyone involved with a certain group. No matter what, no one is the same. No one has the same mentality and everyone has a plan. No one can say this about anyone because it is just plain wrong! The fact these thoughts still flutter through people’s minds today makes me sick.
This scene relates to, “the damage done by racism” because the ones claiming these stereotypes are blatant racists. They claim that every black man has no plan or thought for their future. They cannot make these assumptions about this race. If I was one of the African-Americans living in Maycomb and I heard this, I would work to prove them wrong.
I completely agree. We're all the same on the inside, and everyone has the potential to be great at anything, not just a specific group of people. It's nice to know that we've come a long way since these extremely harsh racial stereotypes, but we still have a long way to go.
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ReplyDelete“Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case.” (...) " Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (Page 323)
ReplyDeleteIn this section, Scout was talking about Mr. Underwood’s editorial.
I agree with what Mr. Underwood said. The jury’s mind was made up before Atticus even started speaking because of the simple fact that Tom was black and the Ewells were white. Tom did not stand a chance, no matter how good of a lawyer Atticus was. I personally find that sad because there was not enough evidence for Tom to be proven guilty. They sent Tom to jail. An innocent man with a family just like most of the men sitting in that jury.
The theme, is there really justice for all under the law in the United States goes best with this section. I do not believe there was justice for all back then. There were many innocent people sent to jail by an all white male jury because of the color of their skin. I personally believe that if Tom had been white, the jury would have given it a little more thought and judged him based on what the lawyers said instead of the color of his skin before deciding that he was guilty.
“Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth screamed.” P 323
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Mr. Underwood has written an article saying that Tom’s death was the murder of an innocent man. Scout describes her take on Maycomb’s laws as she reads the article. She thinks that the words of a white man are worth more than evidence proving a black man’s innocence.
Tom Robinson was an innocent man. A good, kind, family man who was nothing but courteous and respectful to the woman who accused him of rape. Mayella and Bob are horrible people, but I find the jurors who convicted Tom to be even worse. They had the opportunity to be brave and take the first steps toward change, but they did not. They chose to be the same as the generation before them, and the generation before that.
This scene connects to the theme of the damage done by racism. Mr. Underwood is one of the few whites in Maycomb who does not ignore the racism in the town, and does not participate in it. Atticus and Mr. Underwood are among the few who would defend Tom, an innocent man.
I agree with you Rory. I find it so disturbing how there was practically nothing anyone could do to determine Tom's fate. It's sad how he was an innocent and kind man. Not only was he found guilty, but he was "found guilty" before the trial even started. It sickens my stomach even thinking about this.
Delete“She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her.” page 322
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Scout is explaining to the reader what happens to Helen Robinson, Toms wife, when Atticus tells her that her husband has been shot and killed. When she hears this devastating news, she falls to the ground in tears.
This scene can easily relate to everybody. Everyone feels the pain that Helen Robinson is feeling when they hear that a loved one has past away. Helen had no idea that her husband would soon die which makes this situation worse. Tom Robinson is a black man accused for rape. While he was in jail, he decided to try to escape but failed and was shot seventeen times. He was a young man who should not have died so early in his life.
This scene relates to the damage done by racism and the importance of home and family. Helen’s husband, Tom Robinson, was shot and killed. Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell and sent to jail. Mayella Ewell had no evidence to prove Tom guilty, but because she is white and he is black she won. I feel badly for Helen because now she needs to tell her children the news and take care of them alone. I wonder how she will manage to provide for her family with such little money?
“Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Chapter 25 Page 323
ReplyDeleteIn this section of the story, Scout is reflecting on the case and she realizes that even if there was clear evidence that Tom hadn’t raped Mayella, he still would have gotten convicted. It didn’t matter how convincing the testimonies in court were, the verdict had been decided long before court even came to session.
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that everyone has the right to a public trial, and the right to an impartial jury. Unfortunately for Tom, he wasn’t granted this right. An impartial jury is one that holds no biases. The jury on Tom’s case was very biased. Luckily today, the jury system has become more fair and systematic. People of all different backgrounds are brought together to help decide the final verdict of a case. The Sixth Amendment has been implemented more effectively in court systems throughout the country.
This quote relates to the theme of how there is much inequality under the law. There was almost no way that the verdict of Tom’s case would come out to be fair, and Atticus knew this. Court systems back then took the word of a white person over that of a black nearly every single time. Before Tom even appeared in court, his fate had already been decided.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/sixth_amendment
"To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw." page 322
ReplyDeleteScout tells the reader that this comment is going around Maycomb. Scout says that it took the county two days to find out that Tom was shot, according to them they're all the same.
There's always going to people that don't care what you think. In this community it wasn't rare for a black man to end up dead like this. My guess is that Tom was running for his family. Tom knew that his family needed him and wanted him home. If I were Tom I would have done the same thing even though I could be killed. The reason for my decision would of course be my family. During this brutal time period, Tom's family was not safe. Being a black woman would make it extremely difficult for Tom's wife to get a job. Tom believed that the best thing for his family would be his successful escape from prison. Unfortunately, it was not.
The theme this chapter relates to is the damage done by racism. Anyone who agreed with the statement regarding Tom's death was an obvious racist. Not only those people but especially the man who killed Tom. Killing a runaway convict is one thing, but shooting one seventeen times is outright inhumane.
I agree Magnus. I really can't blame Tom for what he did. He was only looking out for the ones he loved and people shouldn't be acted life he just made that irrational decision because he was black.
Delete“You know how they are. Easy come, easy go.Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married,they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer’s mighty thin. N----r always comes out in ’em.”
ReplyDeletePage 322
In this scene Scout talks about how Tom’s death was the talk of the town for a few days and what the average person would say about his death.
What I find disturbing is that these people are so quick to judge Tom when they have no idea what he is going through. Tom obviously wasn’t in a stable state of mind after such a traumatic case. Even worse, the people stereotype all black people as acting irrationally like Tom did that one time.
The theme that connects to this scene is the damage done by racism. It really is a shame that a community would stereotype a whole entire race off of something that one person did once in their life. Unfortunately for Tom, that one irrational decision will really define his entire life and who he was as a person in the eyes of the racists.
Sam, I agree with you. People shouldn't be so quick to judge others, people are people.
Delete“Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.”
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Scout has a moment of clarity and realizes the meaning to when Mr. Underwood referred to Tom’s death as senseless killing. She says that that Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth because white folks have an advantage over colored folks.
If this situation took place today, it would not even go to court. The lack of evidence would not allow it to. I am very grateful for the time period in which we live in that is not so segregated and not so unequal. Today every person has more opportunities than we would have in the setting of this novel.
The theme that is represented in this scene is the damage done by racism and the injustice for all under the United States law system. As the quote states as soon as it was a white folks word against a black folks word there was almost no hope for the colored folk. No matter how much evidence Atticus had it would not be enough for the jury. The jury of twelve white men. Black people were viewed as lower than white people and they were viewed as bad people no matter what they did, which is the cause for Tom Robinson not being found innocent.
Great point Joanna. It is crazy to think how much a difference just 70 years can make. With the technology we have today this would not even become close to going to court. We are very fortunate to not have to deal with this and to be born in a time that is not unequal or segregated.
DeleteMaycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for the information to spread through the county. “Did you hear about? . . . No? Well, they say he was runnin’ fit to beat lightnin’ . . .” To Maycomb, Tom’s death was Typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. Funny thing, Atticus Finch might’ve got him off scot free, but wait—? Hell no. You know how they are. Easy come, easy go. Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer’s mighty thin. Nigger always comes out in ’em. p.322
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt by Scout really saddened me. This is a paragraph of Scout explaining how she thinks of black people, and clearly, she doesn’t think very highly. She thinks they are naturally bad people, and the reason why she thinks this is because of racism in her surroundings.
The theme supporting this paragraph is clearly the damage done by racism. Racists surrounding developing children are greatly influencing their opinions on black people. Scout has grown up in a racist society, and she doesn’t know better than what most others tell her, which is biased and false.
Scout is not the only child that grew up with people filthing her mind about blacks. All the other children in the era of the Great Depression had contaminated, racist minds. It’s amazing to know that even after the great amount of racism, it has almost totally come to an end now.
http://www.mhlearningsolutions.com/commonplace/index.php?q=node/5970
This article is about a sports team that puts an end to racism.
“Scout,” said Dill, “she just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just hit the ground.” Page 322.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Scout is saying what Dill told her of what he had seen when Atticus and Calpurnia told Helen that Tom, her husband, had died. When Helen heard that he died, she was overwhelmed and fell to the ground swept with emotions.
I feel so incredibly bad for Helen. Her life was already really difficult, living in a racist town and not making enough money to support her family. But now, she lost someone she loved and also put her in a tougher economic situation. Almost everybody has lost someone they cared for and loved and it is not easy. It’s a very emotional and traumatic experience and the cause of Tom’s death is just horrible.
This scene connects to the theme of the importance of home and family. Family is so important and it is terrifying even thinking about losing someone you care about. Helen’s actions after she was told Tom was dead really showed how much she loved him and how important he was to her.
I agree, her life was already very difficult because of how the people in Maycomb were treating her. I think she really loved Tom and hearing that he was dead was almost too much for her.
DeleteI think the way the she responded was the way that any of us would. I agree that she has had someone that she loves taken from her for no reason other than the fact that he is not white.
Delete“Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Page 323
ReplyDeleteMayella knows Tom didn't rape her and accused her because she was scared of her father. So when she found out that Tom has been shot, Mayella should've been in great shock.
Mayella is in the worst position to be in right now. She accused Tom of rape when she knows he didn't do it. He is told guilty and gets brought to another jail. Soon finding out that he is going to an electric chair to be executed on. Knowing that he soon will die, Tom tries to run for that last chance he had. Mayella knows the truth but lied and she will suffer from it the rest of her lifetime.
The theme here is the damage done by racism. Tom did nothing. Tom did absolutely nothing to die from. He had no reason to die or being executed. Just the fact that he was black made him into a crazy criminal.
“You know how they are. Easy come, easy go. Just shows you, the Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to it the veneer’s mighty thin.” Chapter 25, page 322
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Scout is narrating how the town reacts to Tom’s death. She says that it took over the town in two days. Some people say that Atticus may have proved him innocent. This quote is from a nameless figure and just thrown into the mix about what the town is saying in regards to Tom trying to escape the prison and getting shot.
I find this quote extremely disturbing. They call Tom derogatory names and say that he could not help the fact that he tried to just run away without a plan. They say that it is just his nature. This is extremely ignorant and if the man who spoke these words where to actually sit down with Tom and have a conversation would realize that Tom is a good hard working American. All he would have to do would be to look past the color of his skin, which seemed to be very hard for people to do. In regards to today this simply just would not happen. Tom would not have been shot. In the unlikely event that this did happen Tom would not be the one who people would be speaking negatively of, it would be the guards because it is not their place to shoot someone like that. They would be put on trial for murder unless Tom had tried to hurt them and they did it in self defense.
This quote relates to the damage done by racism. People were completely okay with going around saying that he could not help what he did in the prison it was just his nature, shows that people did not think of African Americans as people but more as animals. No one would ever say that it was his nature to try to escape a prison without a plan if Tom was white. They say it more like Tom is an animal. It is incredibly disappointing that people used to think like this. In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson is quoted, “All men are created equal.” People should have really looked back on this quote and realized that everyone should be treated equal. Unfortunately that is not how it went and segregation continued to be an issue.
I completely agree with you Max. Tom didn't even belong in prison to begin with. It's upsetting how people can be so judgmental and ignorant. It's also sad that people labeled blacks as "animals" such as a rat, which was named in one of the previous chapters. This negative stereotype annoys me so much because Tom was a great man who didn't deserve any of this.
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ReplyDelete"Then Mr. Underwood's meaning became clear: Atticus has used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus has no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." Pg. 323
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Scout thinks to herself about the Tom Robinson case and soonly realizes that there wasn't anything Atticus or anyone could do to prove Tom's innocence, even with clear evidence.
While Atticus takes pride in getting Tom the fairest trial possible under the circumstances, and sees some hope in the fact that the jury took hours instead of minutes to reach the foregone conclusion of a guilty verdict, Mr. Underwood's postmortem newspaper editorial sees the whole trial as a sham.
If it's true that in all paths lead to conviction, the question arises: What in Maycomb would have to change for Tom to have the chance of a different fate? What would have to change for him to be able to control that fate? And what does Tom's fate as it stands say about Maycomb as a community?
The theme that connects to this scene is the damage done by racism and the injustice under the law. No matter the amount or quality of the evidence, Tom was seen to be "dead" before the trial even started just because he was a black man. If there was justice for all, the outcome of the trial, Tom's fate, would have been significantly different.
“Did you hear about?…. No? Well they say he was runnin’ fit to beat lighnin’...” 322
ReplyDeleteThe news of Tom Robinson’s death spreads quickly because of how often the townsfolk of Maycomb gossip. In the eyes of Maycomb this was an average thing to hear. People talk similarly about news stories today. News Anchors tell stories of shootings every day. We gossip about them to others and then we quickly lose interest and move on to the next story. I think that sometimes we forget that news stories aren’t stories and they actually happened
The theme demonstrated in this chapter was the damage done by racism. People had no reaction to the news they heard. They thought it was normal which I find disturbing.
“To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw,” Page 322
ReplyDeleteDuring this scene, the news of Tom’s death is spreading around the town, and everybody is commenting heir final thoughts about what happened. There is not any respect given whatsoever.
The people of Maycomb are describing Tom’s thinking process like he is a wild animal that wandered off of a cliff. This a comparable to A Lesson Before Dying when Jefferson is called a hog. There is no respect given to these men, just because they are black. They are both compared to wild animals, with no thoughts inside their head, a mindless being.
This relates to the damage done by racism. The people of Maycomb do not even see Tom as a person anymore, they see him as just another stupid animal that deserved to die. After reading most of this book, this quote most surprised me with the racism of Maycomb. The way that they think of those who are not white is just astounding who grew up in the twenty-first century. The minds of these people are so embedded with racist ideas, they might not even know that they are talking about a person.
ReplyDeleteChapter 25: “She just fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her.” (Page 322)
In this scene Scout tells the reader what happens to Helen Robinson(Tom’s wife) when Atticus lets her know that her husband Tom Robinson has been killed. As soon as she hears this news she falls to the ground and starts to cry.
I feel that Helen’s actions were appropriate. When I lost my uncle 5 years ago I felt the same way. It is not easy to lose someone you love and most people have experienced the feeling before. Helen was shocked and even though her husband was in jail I’m sure she thought she was going to see him again. Tom tried to escape the jail and didn't make it. It is upsetting how he died so young for his family, Atticus and others who supported him.
The two themes demonstrated in this scene are; the damage done by racism and the importance of home and family. As soon as Helen heard the news from Atticus she burst into tears and feel on the floor. Family was very important to them and she loved Tom very much. Now she is a widow and I’m sure that will be extremely difficult for her and her kids. Mayella had no evidence that Tom had raped her. It’s simple Mayella won because she is white and Tom is black. Sadly this happened a lot in our nation during this time. Helen has to let her children know the news and also will probably have to start working since they have no income now that Tom is dead.
“To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw… Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer’s mighty thin. Nigger always comes out in ‘em.” Page 322.
ReplyDeleteIn this excerpt, Scout is explaining how Tom’s death was not a surprise, because many in Maycomb see African-Americans as people who make stupid mistakes all the time.
What I find disturbing is that being African-American automatically makes you a person who makes idiotic decisions in Maycomb. Your race shouldn’t label you, and neither should any other characteristics. Dove’s “Like A Girl,” campaign relates to this. The campaign is fighting gender stereotypes, for girls specifically, advocating that girls can do anything guys can do. In this book, the people should see African-Americans as being able to do anything whites can do.
This scene can connect with the theme of the damage done by racism. Stereotypes based on race is unfair and sometimes disturbing. Because of stereotypes against blacks in Maycomb, Tom’s death is seen as a normal occurrence, when it really should be treated with the community being angry about such injustice.
“Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for the information to spread through the county.” Page 322
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, everyone in the town is fascinated by Tom Robinson’s sudden death. The news spread very quickly over Maycomb County.
In the world today, news is spread incredibly quickly. An event from the other side of the world can be publicized worldwide instantaneously. Many people in the world use some form of social media in which they receive and distribute news, both big and small. It is much easier to be aware of worldwide events now at a much faster speed. An example of how social media spreads news faster than organized news networks is shown in this article. Osama Bin Laden’s death was reported on social media 20 minutes before it was broadcasted on news networks. Social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook are a vehicle to spread news quickly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/media/03media.html?_r=0
A theme that is shown in this scene is the importance of home and family. Tom Robinson was both a husband and father to three children. People all over Maycomb were intrigued by the news of his death because of the unique circumstances of the trial. I think that people empathized with the loss of an important family member no matter what the circumstances were surrounding his death. This unexpected death shocked both Tom’s family and the rest of the county.
“What does who want, Alexandra?” Miss Maudie asked.
ReplyDelete“I mean this town. They’re perfectly willing to let him do what they’re too afraid to do themselves - it might lose ‘em a nickel. They’re perfectly willing to let him wreck his health doing what they’re afraid to do…” Page 316
In this scene, Tom has just died, and Atticus and Calpurnia go to tell his wife, Helen, the tragic news. Alexandra is upset about how difficult this case is for Atticus. Miss Maudie tries to explain to her that the town is trusting Atticus to put on a good defense for Tom. Some people are rooting for Tom and want to change the racist ways of Maycomb, which is why they selected Atticus.
There have been times in life when people have come to me to do things that they were not capable or were scared of doing themselves. At camp, I was bunk rep which meant that my bunkmates could come to me with any issues they had. One time, one of my bunkmates came to me because she saw another girl stealing something from her area. She knew that I could go to higher authority, something that she was too afraid to do. She knew something had to be done, but she wasn't comfortable doing it herself. My bunkmate came to me the same way Judge Taylor appointed Atticus to be Tom's attorney.
Themes that are present in this scene are courage, damage done by racism, and unfair justice under the law in the United States. Alexandra is upset because this case was putting a lot of pressure on Atticus, but it was his choice to accept this case and give it his all. Atticus' bravery is shown because he chooses to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, to his best ability in the racist town of Maycomb. The damage that is caused by racism is that Atticus and his family are threatened and discouraged by many of the people of Maycomb. Atticus is defending a black man which makes the Finch family look bad to all of the racist people. There is not justice for all under the law in the United States because Tom is convicted of rape based solely on the color of his skin, not evidence. This impacts Atticus and many others. Tom is shot when he tried to run away at jail since he knew his chances of being proven not guilty were almost nonexistent.
“ she just fell down in the dirt . Just fell down in the dirt , like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her. Pg 322
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Dill is telling Scout on what he heard had happened when Atticus and Calpurnia went to go tell Helen that her husband Tom is dead ,and how she had reacted to the news.
I think that Helen’s whole world was gone when she heard that her husband had died.I know for sure that if my best friend or significant other were to die I would do the same exact thing as Helen did in this chapter.
For this section the connection is the importance of family. I know when someone dies in someones family it does a great impact to them . I feel that Atticus and Calpurnia were there to be like her family that helps her get through it .