Period 7 - Discussion Questions - Ms. Bellon's Classroom

Period 7 - Discussion Questions

5/6/2013

In order to keep up with the remaining sections of To Kill A Mockingbird, we will begin online discussions, starting today.

Your responsibilities are to keep up with the strands below this post. I will post three strands over the course of this week. For each discussion question, your job is to respond with ONE original post and at least TWO comments on others' original posts throughout the week. I will start grading the responses next Monday. I will also respond to the posts that you all create.

(One Original Post + Two Responsive Posts) x 3 discussion questions = 100 in the gradebook. If I press you on your responses, feel free to defend yourself, but do so respectfully.

THE GROUND RULES:
1. Try to be thoughtful in your responses.
2. Use text evidence. Paraphrasing is okay.
3. No rude, vulgar, or derogatory commentary.
4. Stick to your own class posts.
5. Encourage discussion. Feel free to ask more questions of your classmates.

300 Comments

Ms. B

5/6/2013 03:29:36 am

In Chapter 24, the ladies of Maycomb come to the Finch house for high tea. In the middle of their conversation, they begin to have conversation that makes Scout question their attitudes toward the black community of Maycomb...and infuriates Miss Maudie in the process. So, the question: What are the different attitudes regarding the black population of Maycomb, according to the conversation? Also, how do these attitudes help to explain Tom Robinson's conviction?

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/8/2013 08:40:13 am

Well firstly( ignore spelling and grammar), secondly there is this attitude of some disdain by Mrs. Merriweather towards the black community almost throughout the whole tea until Miss Maudie shut her up for a couple of minutes. Like here" 'Gertrude, I tell you there's nothing more distracting than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen [...] [to Sophy] 'you simply not being a Christian today. Jesus Christ never went around grumbling and complaining'." ( pg. 310) Basically she looks down upon them like their must be something wrong with them for not(in her version) " witnessing for the Lord" and for being sulky that someone dear to their community just got convicted of a crime he did not commit! And I agree with Suhrin about Mrs. Farrow, and her attitude of not really disdain but more of a pity, that the black population can never understand what the white community does. Then last but not least there is the attitude of Miss Maudie which is one of respect towards the black community, she treats them as equals, humans, like here " The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trail is for everybody, not just us ; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a Negro, there but for the Lord's kindness am I"( pg. 316) As i said before Miss Maudie has a mindset/ attitude of respect that when she sees a Negro she sees a human, like herself. Tom Robinson was convicted simply because the courtroom and jury was filled with people like Mrs. Merriweather who have disdain, or like Mrs. Farrow who have pity but not enough to acquit Tom. As Suhrin said " Of course, there are also people like Miss Maudie who don't think alike as the other ladies but still keeps her mouth shut unless she feels like something necessary should be said. Sadly, there aren't enough Miss Maudie's in the courtroom which explains the conviction of Tom Robinson."( comment below me), whom i completely and utterly agree with.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 09:18:35 am

I agree with except i don't think Mrs. Farrow felt pity. I think she may have felt a little bad for the black community but she still finds them completely inferior than her.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 09:45:00 am

I also agree with what Debbie and Suhrin have to say. Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra show how some white people have a different view on blacks, but due to that fact that they keep their mouths shut, nothing can change and it shows how the conviction of Tom Robinson is played out.

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 09:55:36 am

Response 1 to Ques. 1

I would have to agree with the fact that Ms. Maudie treats everybody equally. Like Debbie said, to whom ever she talks to she sees a human being just like her. Earlier in the book, Miss Maudie explains to Scout how Boo is a normal boy just like others which shows that she is very balanced and that she doesn't judge anybody too quickly as others. Miss Maudie is also not one of those people who will just stay quite even if she has a different opinion as she interrupted couple of times during the tea to make sure that others listen to her opinion.

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 02:20:31 pm

I agree with Debbie, Ms. Maudie looks at blacks as equals while many of the other women believe themselves to be superior. The blacks in the story are not seen as real people.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 07:14:31 am

I agree with Elaine and Debbie, many of the women in community looked down at African Americans. They thought they were always above them or superior. But on the other side, Miss Maudie had a different view of the blacks. She never thought she was of a higher status them or that she was better. She always thought that they were equal and treated them like she would treat any other white person.

Grace Azuike link

5/13/2013 01:01:13 pm

I agree with ALLL of this, perfectly took the words out of my mouth. All the people of Maycomb have different aspects, and thoughts of the Blacks, some people think everything is equal in their eyes, and some don't, it's the perception and people's backgrounds that show these attitudes to others

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/13/2013 01:28:34 pm

I agree with this. Ms. Maudie and Aunt Alexandra do show that they have a different viewpoint of black people but like Kasey said, they don't open their mouths, so their viewpoints have an impact on the course of the trial. Miss Maudie finally says something afterwards at high tea.

Janie Hu

5/8/2013 02:15:37 pm

Mrs. Merriweather believes the black community as a lower class, therefore they should be treated unfairly. Instead of referring to Tom by his name she calls him "darky." This is an example on how she looks down on the black community by showing that she degrades the titles of their names and lacks respect for them too. Also she continues saying how "...there’s nothing more distracting than a sulky darky...Just ruins your day to have one of ‘em in the kitchen." (123) From this quote Mrs, Merriweather demonstrates the presence of darkies disrupt the white environment and are an annoyance just to have in society. Prejudice against blacks in Maycomb is a result of their skin color, locations of their homes, and occupations, which possibly influenced whites like Mrs. Merriweather to believe that blacks are of a lower standard.
Mrs. Farrow believes that they "...can educate ‘em till we’re blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of ’em, but there’s no lady safe in her bed these nights"(122). I can infer that Mrs. Farrow contains some prejudice towards black like Mrs. Merriweather by saying that even if they were to change the way of life of the blacks to the whites, the blacks would still pose a threat in the community and it's safety. Miss Maudie obviously opposes the other ladies opinions about blacks by her "Two tight lines...at the corners of her mouth...and her gray eyes were as cold as her voice"(124). Her perspective on this issue is that it is unfair for blacks to be treated poorly just because of their skin color, and they are living and breathing human beings just like the whites. These attitudes explain Tom's conviction by showing that opinions like Miss Maudie's are unpopular, while opinions similar to Mrs. Merriweather and Farrow are favored by most and convey negative connotation to the black community. These negative feelings and prejudice are the leading reasons why Tom got convicted, not because he was accused of raping Mayelle. (even though he did not)

Chi Phu

5/10/2013 02:52:12 pm

I also thinks that Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow are looking down at the African American race, they really thinks they are useless and they can't learn anything. And of course this contributes to the trial of the Tom Robinson, everyone in the Maycomb county thinks African Americans are always wrong and they wouldn't trust an African American.

Janie Hu

5/11/2013 06:58:24 am

I do agree with you Chi with the fact that Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow look down on the African American race, but I kind of disagree that they are "useless" because these people do labor for whites in the community. So in a way they are beneficial for the white community in words of work being done. Also, I do not think that whites believe that blacks are "always wrong and not trustworthy." I feel as if the whites looked upon blacks as guilty for any damageable deeds.

Brittany Xiao

5/11/2013 07:22:35 am

RESPONSE POST 1 FOR QUESTION 1
I sorta agree with Chi xP (you'll see what I mean).
Although technically the blacks are useful for labor, the whites do not realize this. whites take them for granted, and treat them as lesser beings or mere nuisances. However I do somewhat agree with Janie on last line of her response post. Whites always blame blacks for any crime committed because they do not trust blacks. But just like what I mentioned earlier, the whites do not actually realize that blacks are just like them (some good some bad). The differences btn the colors of their skin cause the whites to automatically prejudice them. Their prejudice blinds them into thinking that blacks have all sorts of negative qualities. Yes blacks are not necessarily useless nor untrustworthy. But the whites do not know this.

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 06:33:40 am

I agree with Janie, the African Americans certainly aren't useless. Miss Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow know how important the servants are to them but they are so conceded that they believe they can insult and disrespect them however they want. They also think that no matter how badly they treat the servants, they will not be able to leave because of the depression.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 09:48:10 am

I also agree, that although the black people may seem like absolutely nothing to the white people, they are a lot more useful than they can ever imagine. I also agree with Brittany, that because of discrimination and prejudice the white people will never truly be able to see the resemblance between themselves.

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 11:12:41 am

I absolutely agree with you Janie. African-Americans in the town of Maycomb are treated inhumanly and completely stereotypically. Mrs. Merriwether is one of these town's people who has a grudge for blacks. Her conversation presents this, as most of the town feels the same way as her. I also agree though that some of the town's people like Mrs. Farrow, Miss Maudie, and Atticus support humanity and the idea of equal rights. I also agree with your reason for why Tom Robinson was convicted, not due to the incident of the rape, but the grudge the town's people of Maycomb have for blacks.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:33:49 am

I completely agree with everything in your post Janie. Ms.Merriweather and Ms.Farrow completely looked down on the African American race. And Ms.Merriweather thought that Atticus was doing bad by trying to stand up for the African American race and trying to make changes. Also, Ms.Maudies believes they are all equal.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 12:52:40 pm

Agreed. 99% of the population in Maycomb are against the black population, and one of the only exception is Miss Maudie, who believes that the black population has the same rights as the white . Said that, the people of the jury didn't look at the whole trial fairly, instead they looked at it with leniency towards the white population. Therefor, this led to the accusing and prosecution of Tom Robinson. The people in the town need not to look at the color of the skin, but whats really on the inside.

Kartik Talwar

5/12/2013 01:06:12 pm

I agree with you Chi, because Mrs. Merriweather doesn't even refer to African Americans as human beings by calling them darky. She also says that they are a safety hazard which is like calling African Americans wild, untamed beasts.

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 02:25:03 pm

I agree that the Ms. Merriweather and Ms. Farrow demonstrate that they believe themselves to be superior to African Americans in many ways. Particularly in this selection when they are discussing the Tom Robinson case.

Geo Aickareth

5/12/2013 02:28:53 pm

I don't necessarily agree with Chi. I don't believe the people of Maycomb think they are useless but rather unreliable or not trustful because of their skin color. I think they believe this since they are not of high standards or illiterate just because of their complexion.

Grace Azuike

5/13/2013 01:12:18 pm

I agree with Janie, this High tea really showed the reasoning behind some of the jury in th Tom Robinson file. Really showed their true colors

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 06:17:54 am

Although the majority of Maycomb's white citizens disapprove of the black community, there are a few individuals who show them respect. Aunt Alexandria isn't fond of Calpurnia at first, but eventually lets her make and serve refreshments for her missionary circle. Atticus shows Tom Robinson respect by proudly representing him in court and disregarding the criticism he gets for it. Miss Maudie quickly shoots down Miss Merriweather's comments about her servant by saying "His food doesn't stick going down, does it?" Even so, the blacks will never totally be treated as equals. Although Calpurnia does her best to fit in by wearing "her stiffest starched apron" and walking gracefully and gently to deliver the refreshments, she is treated as nothing but a servant. She is never thanked or complimented, and no one thinks twice of inviting her to join the conversation. Even if she is defended by them from time to time, they expect her to know and accept her place as a nobody in their society. Because of this strict prejudice in 99% of Maycomb, Tom Robinson is convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Their pride would not allow them to accept him for what he was: an innocent human being, supposedly equal by the constitution.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 07:52:41 am

I agree with you, the pride of most of Maycomb's residents kept them from seeing the facts in Tom 's trial. They just blindly sided with the Ewells.

sara lamendola

5/12/2013 09:51:29 am

I agree with you. I feel that because Tom Robinson was black and was up against a white family in a white community with a white jury the odds were against his favor. The evidence was their showing how he was innocent. The community is very racist and says to do the right thing but does the opposite

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 10:11:35 am

I agree Sara that the odds were not in his favor, but my question is this,
What should be done to stop the racism? I mean there are still disputes that occurs because of your race and the color of your skin which affects tremendously!!

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/12/2013 10:29:32 am

I completely agree with you and Sheila. Almost whole novel is about the prejudice against the black community; even without knowing anything about the trial, mostly all of the white community in Maycomb sided with the Ewells. With all the evidence proving Tom Robinson's innocence, the white community is still in favor of Ewell family.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 10:46:26 am

I agree strongly with Ragini about the prejudice that the white population has built against the black population. Early in the year, we discussed prejudice and how everyone is prejudice in some way or another and how that isn't always a bad thing. Such as if we saw a man in a black hoodie with his hood up walking towards us at night, we most likely wouldn't walk up to him and talk to him because of the prejudice we have built up against people of that appearance. However, I believe that in this case, the white population has built up a misguided prejudice that keeps them from seeing the black population for who they really are: human beings, much like themselves, who are capable of positively contributing to society. And most importantly, it has prevented them from perceiving the black population as equals.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 11:48:02 am

I agree with you too. However, you said the blacks will never totally be treated as equals I do believe this could happen. I think if people speak out like Atticus and they start to stick up for the black community things could change.

Ms. B

5/12/2013 01:29:57 pm

Unfortunately, Danielle, equality does not always equate to justice. Tom Robinson was convicted by a jury of his peers...an entirely white jury. Though the race of the jurors should not matter in this case, we know (as does everyone in Maycomb) that it does. They are all human. They are all capable of judgment. But is this justice? Is the ability of these women to pass judgment upon anyone they see fit, without much push-back, justice? Something to ponder, everyone...

Kartik Talwar

5/12/2013 01:56:03 pm

I completely agree with you and if all the people of Maycomb that were against racism stopped being afraid to stand up and do something, lots of innocent African American lives will be saved and given opportunities.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 08:31:10 pm

I disagree with what Ragini said about almost all of the white people siding with the Ewells, for this is definately not known. The opposite is implied when Atticus says that the votes in the jury aren't really kept secret as they should. The people may pretend to side with the Ewells, but they probably only do so because they don't want to stand out and be discriminated or recieve threats by Mr. Ewell as Atticus and the judge did. It is also known that not the majority of the people side with the Ewells because as Scout said, no matter what they do, Atticus still gets re-elected, as if the citizens agree with Atticus's views but are too scared to say them so they let Atticus say it for them.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 07:09:25 am

I agree with Sheila and Sara, the white community in Maycomb wasn't very welcoming or nice to African Americans living there. How they felt about them was how they felt towards Tom Robinson. It was evident in the book that Tom Robinson outcome in the trial would be influenced by the community. He had white judge, white jury, and a white victim. The odds were against him.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 11:08:32 am

I agree with you, but it could not only be pride keeping people from speaking out. There could be more people that believe this is wrong, but they fear what might happen to them if they do. Lots of people havelived in Maycomb their entire lives, and speaking out may destroy the reputation they have built and they dont believe it is worth it.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 09:39:58 am

QUESTION 1
I think that the different attitudes that they are trying to express regarding the black population is that they are merely nothing compared to the whites, and that the black people are extremely inferior to the whites. Mrs. Merriweather talks on and on about the blacks and makes them seem like nothing more than an object that can be thrown around. "... that the only reason I keep her is because this depression's on and she needs her dollar and quarter every week she can get it." Mrs. Merriweather also talks about how Scout is lucky enough to grow up in a Christian town and home, and that the black people cannot be put up to that 'level'. I feel that because she is such a devout lady, she can only concern herself about the Mrunas and sympathizes them, but in reality she doesn't bother thinking about the black population, While on the other hand, Ms. Maudie actually seemed to express a different attitude to the conversation. She seemed to be angry, and she also sort of disagreed with Ms. Merriweather. I feel that these attitudes can explain Tom Robinson's conviction, because Ms. Merriweather somehow speaks for the white people. She demonstrates how whites look down upon the black, and that once they are put on trial they are practically going to jail due to discrimination. Ms. Maudie however is somehow like a different part of the white population, and feels that this is wrong, however they are not able to speak up and stand up for him, without being viewed differently.

Selina John

5/12/2013 10:44:30 am

Well Kasey I have to say well done. I totally agree with you about Mrs.Merriweather representing those in the majority of the white community who look down upon the black community because they think of them as not in the same level as they are. I never thought it that way. I would say that Aunt Alexandria could represent those who don't really know what is right or wrong , but would follow the "crowd" in order to be in the majority of peoples' favor unless they know what they are doing is wrong and would try to make up for their wrong doings. What do you think?

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 01:58:32 pm

Selina, I honestly think that Aunt Alexandra actually doesn't necessarily follow the crowd. I think that she actually knows what is right but like Miss Maudie, she can't exactly represent herself. When Miss Maudie sort of spoke up to Mrs. Merriweather, "she gave Miss Maudie a look of pure gratitude, ... and here was Aunty silently thanking her for something" (Lee 312).

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:15:43 am

Mrs. Merriweather talks about how bad it is when her colored servants are cranky about something, and how she reminds them that Jesus was never cranky about anything so they should be like Jesus. Mrs. Farrow states that there's nothing white people can do to change the bad nature of black people. Unless they're trying to convert them in Africa, apparently.
Mrs. Merriweather continues that she won't say who, but there are some "good but misguided" (24.47) people in Maycomb who think they're helping but are really just making trouble.
Miss Maudie breaks in to say, "His food doesn't stick going down, does it?" (24.48)
It took me a while to figure out that Mrs. Merriweather was talking about Atticus. That is why Aunt Alexandra secretly sent a thank you to Miss Maudie. So...
Mrs. Merriweather and Ms. Farrow: Thinks of black people as lower beings
Miss Maudie: Believes them as equals
That fact is that none o the jury members has Miss Maudie's guts , because if they said something that would be going against the majority. And who in this southern, 1930's town want to stand out, even if it means standing up for what you think is right.

Ms. B

5/12/2013 01:34:12 pm

We could talk about lots of people that need to model their religious figureheads a little more closely, but it is so much easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk. Morality is a tricky thing - we play with it when it is especially convenient for us. These women deal with it on a daily basis when confronted with issues of race and are forced to make a choice. This is a basic choice that is reflected in social survival - can one stand out in a crowd, or will they blend into the crowd and have their voice drowned by everyone else? Standing out as a voice against Jim Crow in a town like this would be akin to social suicide. Miss Maudie is doing this in the company of friends, and doesn't say much, so she is essentially forgiven. But, if it were anyone else, and if they said anything else...

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:19:53 am

Did anyone ever think that perhaps Tom Robinson did rape Mayelle despite the fact that there is so much evidence supporting his innocence?

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/12/2013 10:35:01 am

I most certainly found Tom Robinson to be innocent. The fact that Tom R. could not use his left hand even remotely most definitely proves his innocence. If Mayella had been truthful in her testimony, than Tom Robinson wouldn't have been able to do any of the things that she said he did. If the jury and the community had not been so biased and prejudiced towards blacks, or if Tom Robinson had been white, the jury would have found Tom not guilty without a doubt.

Caleb Wong

5/12/2013 11:01:17 am

Actually, yes, while I was reading about the trial, I wondered if that may have happened. However, I did end up believing that Tom was innocent. The way Mayelle acts makes her seem a little...suspicious. As if she is blatantly lying. Which, most of us believe she is. Or was. However you want to see that.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 11:15:41 am

Ms. Zafiris in response to your question, I never ever thought Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell, and agreeing with Ms.Kondetimmanahalli( yes i copied that) there was just too much evidence to see otherwise.

Lauren Robertson

5/12/2013 01:16:47 pm

I most certainly believed that Tom Robinson was innocent. There was enough evidence to prove that he was. Just like what Ragini stated, how could he do all the stuff that he supposedly did to Mayella ,if he couldn't even use his left hand. I believe the jury didn't really put together the pieces and evidence that proved Tom Robinson not guilty. They just believed that since this man was black he had to be guilty.

Ms. B

5/12/2013 01:38:54 pm

To anyone who reads and responds to Marina's comment, I would challenge you to go back and read what Mayella says as she is exiting the stand. She asks for someone to stand up for her, but she does not say to stand up against Tom Robinson. In fact, she never specifies who she needs protection from; she only points in a general direction. Yeah, it is inferred that Mayella lies about the accusations against Tom Robinson. But, it is interesting for us to put ourselves in the shoes of the white populace of Maycomb County, who are more prepared to believe a usurping, clearly corrupt white man versus a meek, disabled black man.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 01:49:57 pm

I do not believe that Tom Robinson raped Mayella because first, there is way too much evidence proven against the rape. Second, in general, when people usually rape others, it is because of many reasons such as depression, sexual attitudes, and the absence of a women/man in their life. In this scenario, Tom Robinson has no reason to rape Mayella, he has a wife and kids, and is happy other than the fact that other people are racist against him.

Kartik Talwar

5/13/2013 03:36:20 am

I don't think he would have done that since some white person would kill him for it and he was emotional while talking about what happened

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 11:05:33 am

Good, point, but you forget the physical evidence. He couldn't have due to the bruising on her neck. It was impossible for Tom Robinson to bruise Mayella on that side of her neck due to his injured arm

Caleb Wong

5/13/2013 01:09:42 pm

What if I told you that they both abused Mayella?

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/13/2013 01:25:48 pm

To what Caleb has to say.... -.- That is completely illogical in MY opinion. Only one of them abused Mayella and that would be Bob Ewell in my opinion. There is substantial evidence that proves Tom's innocence.

Grace Azuike link

5/13/2013 01:31:41 pm

When I read the book, I dabbled on the thought for a bit, im not going to lie, but when we watched the movie and I saw the emotion on Tom's face and the almost embarrassment in his voice my belief that Tom did not rape her were FINAL

Selina John

5/12/2013 10:30:55 am

Question 1: Well first, I think the people of Maycomb is like any other typical county in the South when there was social racism and discrimination toward the black community. The attitude that most whites have that "all Negroes lie,that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women" (273) is so adapted into the white community of Maycomb either because they were born into learning about it as the "truth" or was the one who actually uses these words for their own safety and those who just go along with the crowd. Second, Mrs.Merriweather and Mrs.Farrow are examples of those who are dehumanized and think of blacks as inhuman by calling them "darky" instead of their names even though we know that THEY ARE PEOPLE TOO. The U.S Constitution states that " all men are created equal in the sense that some people would have us believe..." (274) but can never be accomplished with just writing it down on a piece of paper. SO WHAT if they wrote it on a piece of paper? It all depends on the people and how they respect others no matter what race they are. These issues that even have today is the reason why Tom Robinson's case had became what happened. With no one to show an example to people of how unfair they are treating the black community (except for those that do care like Atticus), nothing will change the divide between blacks and whites.

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 10:47:36 am

I agree with you, it does all depend on the people and their perspectives on discrimination toward the black community. There are people like Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs.Farrow who despise the black community. And people who believe that everyone should be treated equally like Miss Maudie and Atticus and eventually Scout and Jem.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 11:17:56 am

THANK YOU!!! Ms. John.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 11:42:12 am

I agree with you too. Like Sonali said, I believe perspective plays a big role in what people think. In the south at this time many people didn’t like blacks simply because they had a different colored skin. But why should they be treated differently because of something as simple as skin color?

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 11:53:07 am

Well Ms. Zulawski in response to your question unfortunately it all goes back to that lie that lies in the hearts of men of this time period, "[...] all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber." (pg. 273)

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 10:50:21 am

The population of Maycomb has very strong feelings toward blacks and whites! There is no inbetween, for example Atticus treats Calpurina with respect and thanks her for all that shes done. At the tea party when Calpurina was going around serving treets and food they never once said thankyou or you know what calpurina youve done alot why dont you come sit down with us. This leads me to my next topic on how theyre are very different views in the trial of Tom Robinson. Some people believe that hes innocent and some believe hes guilty. When their sitting their talking about it most of them believe hes guilty and thats all. Some on the other hand believe the opposite," The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trail is for everybody, not just us ; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a Negro, there but for the Lord's kindness am I"( pg. 316) this shows how Miss. Maudie isnt like the rest of them she sees a normal human being trying to fight for his life. the thing i dont get is that this town says how its equal and under the constitution everybody is considered the same but if Tom was white their wouldnt even be a court everybody would just suspect he was telling the truth: but since hes black people feel the need to question him about if he raped and beat her. The trial lasted soo long from early noon to night and in that time Tom was being judged form the rime he walked in to the time he walked out. Even though he testefied and CRIED on the stand nobody seemed to care, because of Tom Robinson we saw the change of some peoples personality and how they really feel about the racist generation in the book " To Kill A Mockingbird".

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 11:56:04 am

I agree with you Sara. There is no gray area for what side and opinion a person in the town of Maycomb has for the treatment of African-Americans. Most of the town will support a white person over a black person in any given situation or incident. This brings a question though for the reader. What if Tom Robinson were white? Would there even be a case to arge about in the court? I once agree with how Sara told of how long the case took, even with no evidence to support Mayalle and Bob Ewell's case. If Tom Robinson were white, I think the court would have dismissed and arrived to a conclusion much quicker, supporting Tom Robinson.

Ms. B

5/12/2013 01:40:31 pm

Sharat, I disagree. There is one grey area in Maycomb. Her name is Scout. But, the only reason why she has a grey area is because it is clear how impressionable she is.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:31:25 am

Basically, most of the people of Maycomb believe that "all Negroes lie,that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women" (273), but there are a few that don't believe this. And so during the picnic/party thing Ms. Merriweather said that her servants were always complaining and that they could never be like Jesus who never complained. Then Ms. Farrows states that there's nothing white people can do to change the bad nature of black people. And Ms.Merriweather says that there are some white people who are trying to make things better, but are actually making it worse. She was talking about Atticus. And Ms.Maudie basically told them to shut up after that. So in conclusion, I believe Ms.Merriweather and Ms.Farrows are just as absorbed into the words "all Negroes lie,that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women" (273) as the other white people meaning they believe Negroes to be lower than them. And I believe Ms.Maudie to believe that Negroes and white people are equal and that is why she stands up for Atticus. These attitudes show the very little care of what the evidence shows during the case. All they cared was that the convict was a negro and therefor he would be sentenced guilty.

Trevor Johnson

12/4/2013 11:20:41 am

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 11:34:10 am

Reply for question 1:

I think the people of Maycomb all have strong an opinion on the side that they are on. They are on the side of the black or on the side of the whites. There are not many people who just don’t care. When Scout interrupted Mrs. Merriweather she said, ‘“are you all talking about Mayella Ewell?”’(310). Mrs. Merriweather responses with, ‘“May---? No, child. That darky’s wife. Tom’s wife. Tom---“’(310). The way Mrs. Merriweather responded to Scout we can tell she could careless about Tom and his family or even all blacks as a whole. The attitude Mrs. Merriweather has when Scout even brought out Tom Robinson shows how the typical white person in Maycomb felt toward the black community. This shows how the whites felt better then the blacks, which is why Tom Robinson’s conviction turned out the way it did.

Apurva Swami

5/12/2013 01:17:14 pm

When Scout asks Mrs. Merriweather if she is talking about Mayella and Mrs.Merriweather gives her response, she gives Mrs.Robinson so little value that she calls her "That darky's wife."(pg 231 my book's print is really small so the page numbers are much lower lol). This shows one of the negative attitudes towards the black community in Maycomb. Mrs. Merriweather has absolutely no regard for the black people in the community. She doesn't even regard them as real people. She says that it "ruins you day to have one of 'em in the kitchen." This negative attitude towards the black community helps the reader to understand why Tom was convicted in the first place. Since the entire jury was made up of white people (who probably had a similar mind set of that of Mrs.Merriweather's) Tom was probably convicted not because he committed a crime, but because he was black and he was accused of committing a crime.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:01:47 pm

I believe people like Mrs. Merriweather blame the black population for the negative factors of life because that is their only excuse, just as if a child would most likely blame their pet if they broke some piece of furniture, etc.; with the fact that the white population does not regard the black population as a race nor of a human kind.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 02:15:43 pm

Most of the white population of Maycomb looks down on the black community. Most of their attitudes are similar to those of Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow. Mrs. Merriweather calls Tom Robinson 'darky' instead of his real name. She later goes on and says that her help, Sophy, was "grumbling and complaining" after the Tom Robinson trial and that "there's nothing worse than a sulking darky". She herself is complaining about Sophy. She acts as though Sophy should not feel anything after a trial that convicted an innocent person in her community. Mrs. Farrow says that women will never be safe around black men, as black people are the only people that commit crimes. Miss Maudie, however, believes that black and white people are equal. Only a small percentage of people believe the same thing as Miss Maudie. At the Tom Robinson trial, most people thought of black people as inferior the way Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow did, and immediately sided against Tom Robinson even thought the evidence was on his side. Unfortunately, not many people thought the way Miss Maudie did.

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 03:02:37 pm

There are two main attitudes towards the blacks in Maycomb County: Miss Maudie's opinion that all people are equal and Mrs. Farrow and Mrs. Merriweather's opinion that all blacks are inferior to whites. Mrs. Farrow and Mrs. Merriweather's views are made clear when they discuss African Americans as if they have no real feelings. They seem to believe that blacks are not real people. Mrs. Merriweather says,“ 'I tell you there are some good but misguided people in this town. Good, but misguided... I’m not read in that field, but sulky… dissatisfied… I tell you if my Sophy’d kept it up another day I’d have let her go.'" In this quote, Mrs. Merriweather states that blacks cannot appear sad or dissatisfied. She acts superior and believes that the people in this town that treat them as equals are misguided. Miss Maudie, on the other hand, treats them respectfully, understands that they are people as well, and wishes that they had equal rights.

Ching Liuhuang link

5/12/2013 03:46:44 pm

According to the conversation, some attitudes regarding the black population of Maycomb, such as Mrs. Merriweather's, are that the black population is inferior to the white population. Mrs. Merriweather referred Tom as "darky", which displays her attitude of the black population as a color, instead of race. In addition, Mrs. Merriweather believed that everything related to the trial, alleged rape, etc. is the black population's fault, since she stated. "... let them know we forgive 'em, that we've forgotten it, then this whole thing will blow over." (pg. 310) However, there is a "handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not market by White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us..", which displays Miss Maudie's attitude of equality towards the black community. The jury of the trial contains people from outside the town of Maycomb, in which most of the jurors possess the attitude that the black population is indeed inferior to the white population, and that they arent even a race, instead, they are just a color.

Marina Zafiris

5/13/2013 07:46:15 am

Dude.com
Really?...You are so awesome... On top of your name reminding me of "cha-ching" you have a website!

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/13/2013 01:31:42 pm

I agree with you. And the fact that the jury is biased against black people causes Tom to get killed, at least in my opinion. But yeah- the jury plus the majority of Maycomb judge black people because of their skin color.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 08:01:37 pm

Response to Question #1: It is clear that in Maycomb the black population is generally looked down upon by most people. There are several hints of this in the 'high tea' conversation such as when Mrs. Merriweather claims that "the only reason I keep her [Sophie- her black servant lady] is because this depression’s on and she needs her dollar and a quarter every week she can get it” (Lee 124) and also by the way they talk about black people in general, calling them names such as "darky". Another point in the conversation that shows how the black population is looked down upon is when Mrs. Merriweather says '“There’s one thing I truly believe, Gertrude,'she continued, 'but some people just don’t see it my way. If we just let them know we forgive ‘em, that we’ve forgotten it, then this whole thing’ll blow over”' (Lee 123). The fact that even after all that has happenned with Tom Robinson's trial and such Mrs. Merriweather still thinks Tom committed the crime and says that they want to let the black community know that they're forgiven for what Tom did plainly shows that Mrs. Merriweather doesn't know very much about the subject she's talking about (at all really...) and that there are people in Maycomb who are plainly biased in their judgement without listening to the facts. Yet there are also people in Maycomb who respect the black population such as Miss Maudie and Alexandra who dislike what Mrs. Merriweather says about the blacks (this being shown by their reactions to some of the comments made), and people like Atticus, Mr. Underwood, Mr. Link Deas, and others who defended Tom and black rights (It is known that there are others by the fact that no matter what Atticus did he still got re-elected, showing that the citizens may be scared to say something so they get Atticus to say it for them- as Scout reasoned).

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 07:44:04 am

Response to Question 1:

Mrs. Merriweather sees and believes the black community to be a lower class then her. Basically, She looks down on the black community. Like what Janie stated, she believes that the blacks living in the community disrupts her environment. She also believes that blacks are annoying and don’t deserve to be in her community. Mrs. Farrow has some prejudice towards blacks, kind of like Mrs. Merriweather perceptions toward the black community. She believes that the blacks posed a threat to her and the community’s safety. On the other hand, Miss Maudie perceptions on blacks were totally different. Her perspective is that it is not fair for blacks to be treated different based on how they live and skin color. She believes that blacks and whites are equal; therefore, blacks should be treated like everyone else. You can tell that the community of Macomb favors Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow opinions the most. These feelings and attitudes toward blacks is the reason why Tom getting convicted.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 10:48:57 am

I believe that Mrs. Merriweather looks down upon the black people, almost as if they are pets, especially when she says "there's nothing more distracting than a sulky darky"(310). She says it as if they are puppies that will forget about all the wrongs that people have people have done to them, "the hole thing'll just ow over"(310), on the other hand there are people like Ms. Maudie who believe that the blacks are equal to the whites. But these people are too afraid to stand up for what they believe in, because if they do they will be shunned by their community, like Atticus is. These attitudes help to explain Tom's conviction because he was black, and some people believed that because of his race, he was not to be trusted. To trust a black man over a white family was unthinkable. Also, the people who don't believe that are too afraid to stand up for themselves beause when they do they just get shot down.

Caleb Wong

5/13/2013 01:12:21 pm

But considering the time and location, wasn't racism somewhat common? I'm sure most if not all of them were discriminate towards the black population, though there may have been some thoughts floating around regarding equality between the two races.

Maheen A

5/14/2013 11:32:14 am

When the ladies begin a conversation about the black community of Maycomb, many of ladies "look down" upon them, and Mrs. Merriweather refers to Tom Robinson as "darky", showing no respect just because of his skin colour. " 'Gertrude, I tell you there's nothing more distracting than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen.' " (Pg 310). Even Mrs. Farrow lacks respect, saying " '...we can educate 'em till their blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of 'em, but there's no lady safe in her bed these nights.' " (Pg 311). However, Mrs. Maudie and Aunt Alexandra both seem to have the same opinion against the other ladies. I think because of this, we can see how the rest of Maycomb feels toward the coloured people, and why Tom was convicted even after all the evidence pointed away from him. Despite his innocence, he was convicted merely because of his skin tone, although there may still be some other people in the community that agree with Mrs. Maudie and Aunt Alexandria, but they are not the majority.

Suhrin Whang

5/7/2013 08:26:06 am

I'm sorry if I have any grammar or spelling errors!

Mrs. Merriweather said that after the trial of Tom Robbinson, she believed that her servant is now "grumbling and complaining". She spat back at her servant saying that Jesus had never complained like she had did. Mrs. Farrow thinks that there isn't anything you could do to change African American people. "We can educate 'em till we're blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of 'em, but there's no lady safe in her bed these nights," Mrs. Merriweather adds to that by saying "I tell you there are some good but misguided people in this town. Good, but miguided. Folks in this town who think they're doing right, I mean.." Miss Maudie then gets angry and says, "His good doesn't stick going down, does it?" Which was questioning how she could be insulting Atticus while eating his food. This shows that the attitudes toward African American people is generally negative. They think of African American people as a low-class and believe that the African American's duties are to serve Whites with respect. They think there is nothing they could do to fix their bad behaviors and that they're plain trouble. They believe that letting Tom Robinson get away with this trial would stir up more trouble over the African American community. Of course, there are also people like Miss Maudie who don't think alike as the other ladies but still keeps her mouth shut unless she feels like something necessary should be said. Sadly, there aren't enough Miss Maudie's in the courtroom which explains the conviction of Tom Robinson.

Ms. B

5/7/2013 12:06:42 pm

It does make us question why Miss Maudie is so different, just like we can anticipate Scout and Jem will be, as Atticus has proven to be. Is it generational, or have Miss Maudie and Atticus simply taken too much of the Yankee kool-aid?

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/7/2013 12:53:47 pm

Yes this does make us question why Miss Maudie, Atticus, and eventually Scout and Jem are so different. Why they have no resentment towards African Americans, why instead of looking down toward the black community they believe they are on the same playing field, as humans. ( Please ignore spelling and grammar as well. thank you!) This is not generational, nor have they taken too much "Yankee kool-aid" Simply put, Atticus and Miss Maudie are both a part of, " The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trail is for everybody, not just us ; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a Negro, there but for the Lord's kindness am I"( pg. 316) and have both passed that mindset down to Jem and Scout. And within that mindset they know that when they see a Negro, they see a human just like themselves.

Suhrin Whang

5/7/2013 01:25:47 pm

I honestly don't know what you mean about Yankee kool-aid but I'm pretty sure that it's generational. Everyone is different and it's not only Atticus and Miss Maudie that would feel this way. Today, individuals all have different opinions over certain topics. Some agree with others and some disagree.

I hope this was the right response to what you're asking.

Suhrin Whang

5/7/2013 01:37:49 pm

I agree with Debbie. Like I said before, it is just the opinion of the individual. If we had a discussion is English class like over abortion, we would have the ones against it, for it and also in between. This is just another topic in which everyone would have different opinions about. People grow up with different morals, beliefs and values which is what cause the diversity of opinions on situations like these. It could be generational due to the fact that parents could influence the children to believe the same beliefs they do.

Brittany Xiao

5/11/2013 07:33:23 am

RESPONSE POST 2 FOR QUESTION 1
I agree with you Debbie, you are saying some good stuff lol. But it is not only Atticus' good influence on his children that causes them to not be racist, because what about Dill? Sometimes, children can be less prejudiced than adults simply bc they are naïve. They do not know why blacks are treated so unfairly, and cannot accept reasons given to them. They are too young to actually have instilled beliefs. Also some just care about who is a good playmate, who is funny etc. i am sorry for sounding confusing lol hard to explain.

Janie Hu

5/11/2013 01:58:22 pm

Even though Dill does not understand why blacks are being prejudiced by whites, Scout understands when she was at the trial. Throughout this book Scout had more knowledge on racism more than Jem and Dill. I do agree that most children are naive, but Scout is not. Why don't you think Scout is naive as the rest of the children? Beside the fact that she spends time with Atticus. (d.q. #2)

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 06:26:33 am

Atticus and Miss Maudie are part of "the handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only...", as Debbie said. They've grown up knowing the true definition of right and wrong, and have continuously stood up for their beliefs. They've also proven strong enough to accept that they have a different opinion than others (Miss Maudie responded peacefully and calmly when she was told that she and her flowers were going to hell, also). Atticus wants his kids to understand the importance of standing up for those who are being treated unfairly, as he does, and teaches them by setting good examples. If Miss Maudie had kids, she would probably do the same.

sara lamendola

5/12/2013 10:00:58 am

I agree with Debbie, they feel this way about blacks because there role models do. If Atticus said he hated blacks and thought they were a "disgrace" then most likely Jem and Scout would have a hatred towards them. I also feel that Atticus and Miss Maudie feel this way about blacks because they know whats right, they dont judge by looks and color they look at the quality and whats on the inside.

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 10:22:45 am

I personally think that the way Atticus had brought up Scout and Jem explains enormously why they would probably be like their dad. He taught them how to read, explained them from right to wrong, and the fact that he took the case of Tom Robinson and fought for him ignoring what the rest of the world would think of him shows that even though he knew that he would get some critical views, he also knew that that was the right thing to do.

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:26:47 am

I think it all depends on how you are raised. The more educated and open minded you are the better decisions you make, the Finch family for example. We don't know much of Miss Maudie's history except for the fact that her husband died. Her parents could have raised her without prejudice and bias blinding her view of people, or she could just be different!

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 08:17:26 pm

I agree with Marina in that it all depends on how you were raised. Someone raised in a household enviornment where white people are superior to black people is much more likely to think of black people as lower than whites as they are growing up and when they are grown up. At the same time, someone raised in a household enviornment where all people are equal regardless of race (such as how Jem and Scout were raised) is more likely to believe in racial equality as they are growing up and when they are grown up. Adults carry many ideas from childhood and I'm sure many scientists will agree.

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 09:37:52 am

Reply for Question 1:

I think the reason why the white people tolerate the existence of the African population is that they feel that they are superior than the blacks. Like the evidence used by Debbie, Mrs. Merriweather addresses the blacks as "sulky darky", which is obviously not a pleasant thing to be called and her tone makes the reader feel that she is very disgusted by the African Americans no matter what they do. Also, she accuses Sophy of doing something wrong (not being Christian..grumbling and complaining),which I think is very poorly supported since she doesn't state a valid reason of what she did wrong. This explains why the white population accuse Tom Robinson and therefore judge him only by his skin color which is not a clear evidence of proving someone guilty.

Selina John

5/12/2013 10:55:13 am

I agree with you on this one Sri. I do believe that the color of Tom Robinson's skin had a key role on why he was voted guilty out of the jury because the majority of people in the white community don't want to be made fun of and would follow the "crowd" and believe that "all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women" (273). This attitude towards the blacks is what caused Tom Robinson's case to become that way it happened.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 03:55:38 pm

Mrs. Merriweather and "her supporters" view the black population as a color, not a race; in which I do not believe that they even think of the black population as humans. As a result, the while population tends to have a righteous feeling whenever the two populations are in disagreement and conflict.

Ms. B

5/8/2013 06:43:19 am

QUESTION 2 -
We learn in Chapter 25 that Tom Robinson is dead.

My question: Who is responsible for his death?

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/8/2013 07:52:47 am

AGH!!!! I don't know WHAT to say. Well the stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community of Maycomb by most of Maycomb is what killed Tom Robinson. ( Again ignore my spelling and grammar Ms. B) As Atticus said back in his closing statement of the trial, "[...] all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber." (pg. 273) this is a lie and the people of Maycomb know it, but there is still that chance that it MIGHT be true. So, due to the era of this book, the fact that is located in the deep south of Mississippi, in a small white town, the stereotypes and the negative connotation surrounding black people Tom Robinson never had a chance against an all white town, almost all white courthouse, with an all white jury. Basically a black man's word against to white people, was never going to end in the black man's favor. So as Scout said," 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." (pg. 323) The decision to convict Tom Robinson was already in the hearts and minds of the jury before he even got to the stand.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/8/2013 07:58:40 am

two white people srry!

Suhrin Whang

5/8/2013 01:50:55 pm

I do believe that what you are saying is the source of the problem but don't you think Tom Robinson should have not tried to escape? They weren't necessary going to kill him. They were just locking him up behind bars. So maybe this could had lead to his conclusion of death but don't you think who caused his death is just Tom Robinson himself?

Chi Phu

5/10/2013 02:36:13 pm

I can't agree with that but that is partially right, because Bob Ewell is the one who told everyone that he saw Tom raping her. so yeah i think he is the one who actually killed Tom/

Janie Hu

5/11/2013 04:13:24 pm

Chi, I see why you would think that Bob Ewell is the cause of Tom's death, but personally I believe that Mayella is part of the blame too. For the fact that she tempted and kissed him first (which is already a crime) and then Bob started to beat her/spread news of Mayella being raped. Bob Ewell did not have to cause this whole issue. He could have kept this whole situation between him and Mayella and that would not have caused any events leading up to Tom's death. Therefore, Mayella was the cause of the issue and Bob was the catalyst for the trial. Both of these characters kind of worked together as partners to bring Tom to his death.

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 07:40:07 am

Debbie, I think you're right that the time and location of this book have a lot to do with how Tom Robinson was treated. In today's time, Tom Robinson (most likely) would have had a better chance, especially because the evidence in this case seemed to point directly to his innocence.

Brittany Xiao

5/12/2013 08:29:36 am

RESPONSE POST 1 FOR QUESTION 2
I also do not agree with ya Suhrin (sorry lol but hear me out).
No black man before had ever been considered innocent, so Tom thought his chances were slim. Also imagine what Tom feels. He is totally innocent, yet because of other white people he ended up in this whole mess. He probably feels frustrated, angry, hopeless, and lonely (has been in prison and hasnt seen family much). Not just feelings but like Atticus said, "'Tom was tired of white men's chances and preferred to take his own.'" (Lee 236). Plus those guards did not have to shoot him so much. "'Seventeen bullet holes in him.'" (Lee 235).

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 10:57:55 am

I agree with Chi, i believe its Bob, he was the one who started the whole thing. If he didnt get so mad he wouldn have beat and raped her which if he diddnt do that he wouldnt have had to lie and blamed it on somebody else. Also hes her father so he technically created her and that means she is his so what ever she did hes responsible for.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:15:22 am

Response Post #1 for Question #2
I believe what Debbie said is right and I feel that Suhrin's response was partially right. It's partially wrong too because if you were to be in Tom Robinson's place then you probably would have took the chance of escaping due to everything in Debbie's post about how nobody would take his word over a white man's so Tom felt overpowered. Feeling overpowered led to him not really trusting the white people's thoughts of whether or not he should die, serve a sentence, etc. so he escaped and that may have led to his death as well.

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 02:31:28 pm

I agree that the prejudice in Maycomb County is what ultimately killed Tom Robinson. If he had been a white man, he would have been seen as innocent and released immediately. Since he is black, he was charged with the crime, despite the lack of evidence, and sent back to jail where he was killed.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 08:53:10 pm

I agree with Chi that Bob had a part to do in Tom's death, for if Bob didn't abuse Mayella then she would never have thought of kissing Tom. Mayella not kissing Tom would have meant that there would be no case, and therefore Tom wouldn't have run from prison only to get shot.

Janie Hu

5/9/2013 10:29:21 am

I believe that Mayella and Bob Ewell are responsible for Tom Robinson's death because they are the ones who had brought Tom to court and had put him in a situation where he could not escape with his life. In TKAM Mayella had kissed Tom and tried to tempt him in her home, but Tom did not enjoy what Mayella was doing to him. Bob Ewell had seen Mayella kissing Tom and had physically abused her while Tom escaped the event by running away from the Ewell home. In the situation when he was being convicted and contained in jail, I believe he was dealing with a lose/lose situation and his only option for freedom was to runaway from jail. In contrast, if Mayella and Bob never accused Tom of rape in the first place he would have no reason to be killed.

Chi Phu

5/10/2013 02:40:48 pm

I'm fully agree with you. I really think Bob Ewell killed Tom. If he had never accused that Tom had raped Mayella then they will never have this trial.

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 09:07:31 am

I agree with you because if Mayella Ewell did not tempt Tom Robinson, and if Bob Ewell didn't go to court to deal with this matter then Tom didn't need to go to court at all. Mayella and Bob are mainly the ones to blame for Tom's death.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 10:02:18 am

I agree. If Mayella and Bob hadn't gone to court and framed Tom, he wouldn't have been falsely convicted or killed.

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 11:01:52 am

i agree with all of yall! Bob is responsible for rapping and beating his daughter but mayella is guilty of lying in court, jumping and kissing Tom and not standing up to her dad.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:21:23 am

I mostly agree with you. Mayella practically violated Tom, but since she's white, she was able to blame Tom and say that he violated her. This can be a very cruel thing for Tom to have to deal with. Also, Mayella could have left it at that and not gotten any law enforcement involved, but then came Bob who beat Mayella and accused Tom of beating Mayella. In conclusion, Mayella violated Tom and blamed Tom for him violating her. And Bob hit Mayella and blamed TOm for hitting her. And for Tom to have to just listen and agree to this with no voice over any white man is very cruel and could have led to his death.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 01:57:24 pm

Completely agree. Mayella and Bob Ewell are the two people that should be fully blamed and killed for this. I mean now a days, if u frame someone one of such a harsh crime and they are innocent of that crime, then the person that framed someone of the crime is punished. Therefor is this scenario Mayella and Bob Ewell should be punished, possibly by death.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 08:57:41 pm

I agree with Janie because in this story one thing leads to another, and if you trace everything back then all evidence points to Bob being the ultimate reason for Tom's death.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 08:03:17 am

Tom Robinson wouldn't have been killed and sent to jail, if Mayella and Bob Ewell didn't lie in court. This whole trial wouldn't have existed if they just told the truth about what really happened.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 11:10:30 am

I agree with you on Bob Ewell but not Mayella. It was Bob that drove Mayella to do what she did, and I do not believe she should take the blame for it just because she kissed Tom because that is the only way she knows how to show affection. It is the only way her father taught her.

Selina John

5/12/2013 02:24:18 am

In my opinion, I believe that it was mostly Tom Robinson's fault for his death because it was his decision to run away in the first place. He could have kept trying to prove himself not guilty. What Tom did was basically did was suicidal because he knows that there's a chance that he might not be able to make a run for it since he's surrounded by armed men guarding him. Yea, I also think that Mayella and Mr.Ewell had some responsibility for Tom's death since they lied about actually happened on the day of the crime (or really breaking a code between races) and made Tom feel hopeless that blacks will never be treated fairly. Even though they are in the rough times where most whites believe that blacks are liars and untrustworthy, a miracle could have happened or at least left a spark of hope to gain some equality among all races even if its little by little. Though, Tom Robinson still could have had another chance to make it out alive with Atticus at his side and with the proven evidence of his case, so it was his fault for not believing in himself.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 07:26:11 am

I disagree. I think that it was mostly Bob Ewell's fault, because he was the one that landed Tom in jail. Tom had lost hope in the court system because in the first trial, he was convicted even though the evidence pointed away from him. He figured this would just happen again and the chances of escaping jail in this was higher than with an appeal.

Selina John

5/12/2013 07:44:35 am

Bob Ewell does have some fault in this. I see your point there Sheila that maybe Tom didn't have any other choice but to escape from jail, but he still could have tried to not give up too soon. I agree that the discrimination between whites and blacks in Maycomb, the reason why he was convicted, must have been too much pressure on Tom to keep going on with the case.

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:31:38 am

Jesus thank God! I thought I was alone on this one! I completely agree with you Selina!

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 02:34:30 pm

Tom Robinson ran away because the prejudice in the town caused him to be found guilty. He thought that his best chance of survival was running away, and he felt that that was his best option.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:21:06 pm

I agree with you, for the reason that Tom knew the consequences of escaping, and the prison guards also fired warning shots before firing to kill.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 11:13:25 am

I respect your opinion, but I am going to have to disagree with you. I believe that he would of stayed in prison for the rest of his life because of the prejudice that did exist in Maycomb. For some people even the chance of freedom is worth dieing for when faced with isolation for the rest of their lives. He would rather try to get away, or die because he was trieing, then get killed because of something he didn't do.

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 07:36:29 am

In some way, most of the people in Maycomb could be held at least partially responsible for Tom Robinson's death. Mayella kissed him and tricked him, Bob Ewell made sure everyone found out about it, and the people of Maycomb were so afraid of being different that they were against Tom Robinson before they even heard his side of the story. Ultimately, it was his decision to run away and try to escape that got him killed, but who's to say he wouldn't have been killed anyway in the long run?

Brittany Xiao

5/12/2013 09:59:41 am

RESPONSE POST 2 FOR QUESTION 2

I wouldn't say that the people were afraid of being different from the norm. I think the people actually thought he was guilty b/c of racial prejudice. But yes, I also think either way he would have been killed regardless of innocence.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 08:49:18 am

I believe that Bob and Mayella Ewell were mainly responsible for the death of Tom Robinson. The brought him to court for selfish reasons for things that he didn't do. He was put in a situation where he couldn't escape from, especially since the jury had a bias against him. Bob Ewell made Tom lose hope in the court system by bringing him to court for things he didn't do, which caused him to try to escape from jail. If they hadn't done so, he wouldn't have gone to jail, tried to escape, or get killed.

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 10:37:59 am

I think that Tom's emotions would have driven him to his death. I feel that he was convinced that the jury will not prove that he was innocent since he knew that 98% of Maycomb judged African American only by their skin color. He was convinced that they are going to make him guilty and he must have thought that there was no point in living since they are just going to disregard the fact that he might be innocent like anyone else.

Apurva Swami

5/12/2013 09:30:48 am

Sorry for not responding all this time -_-
I think Mayella Ewell is responsible for Tom's death. She is the one who made the advances on Tom and she also brought him to court. She was only interested on her own pleaseures (does that sound strange to anyone else O-O) and she was not concerned for Tom's future at all when she did what she did. Also, even though Bob Ewell came up with the story of Tom raping Mayella, she went along with it in court. I also agree with you Debbie, because the negative attitude towards the black community in Maycomb took away any chance of Tom being acquitted of the crime anyways.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 12:18:53 pm

I agree with you. I think for the moment Tom Robinson’s stepped into the house to help Mayella things become to take a turn for worse. Even before the trail began.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 02:03:13 pm

Think about this, Mayella was eventually the cause of Tom Robinson's death, even though she kissed him.

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 10:55:59 am

Apurva I Pretty much agree with your statement on Mayella being the cause for Tom Robinson Death. If she had told the truth the jury would most likely have to not find him guilty and he would for some time still be alive unless the People of Maycomb don't buy it and still kill him

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 09:56:30 am

I feel that Bob Ewell is definitely responsible for his death. Because of the fact that he was obviously the one to abuse Mayella, he chose to push the blame on to Tom Robinson. Due to the actions of Bob and Mayella, they practically dragged Tom into the courtroom and put him on trial, knowing that they would win because of the simple fact that Tom Robinson is black, and back then, blacks are simply looked down upon. "...some Negro men are not to be trustedd around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men." pg 273. This quote said by Atticus can be viewed as practical common sense, but because of the white and black segregation back then, MOST people can not even understand the fact that the race of a man does not change the doings of a man. Therefore, because of the entire discrimination and prejudice against the black of Maycomb, it caused Bob to assume that blaming Tom would help him to get out of his own crime, leading to the death of Tom Robinson.

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:29:08 am

His own darn self...
He was the one that ran like a crazy man and the police had to shoot him!

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:45:39 am

HOLD UP EVERYONE!
If we are going to blame Bob then we have to blame the sperm and the egg that created him! OR the fact that his mind is cruel and sick enough to blame and innocent man of raping his daughter! If we're going to blame his sick mind then we might as well blame the barbaric society that taught him that way! If we blame society then we might as well the prejudice that haunts this culture! If we are going to blame prejudice then we have to blame history and stupid statistics! If we blame history and stupid statistics the we have to blame the world and human nature! If we blame that then we might as well blame some divine force or science! Its not Bob fault!

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 11:09:52 am

I agree with Marina about it not being Bob Ewell's fault. The blame has to go back to the misguided ideas and prejudices of society, because that is all the people of that time were taught. It is similar to the citizens of North Korea and how all they do is channel their energy into revering Kim Jong il. No matter how ridiculous and horrible what they do seems to us, we have to be able to understand that that is all they have ever been taught. Those are the ideas that they have been utterly submerged in since childhood. The situation is similar to the one in the book to a lesser extent. The white population has grown up hating and looking down upon the black population. It takes someone to go against the current and make a radical move, such as Atticus, to break away from it all. Thus, I think the blame must go back to the misguided ideas and prejudices that have been harbored for so long in the society of the time.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 11:02:35 am

I believe that the misguided prejudices and perceptions that the society has harbored surrounding the black population are to blame for the death of Tom Robinson. I think it is the idea that it is never the people themselves that are evil, but rather their thoughts and actions that are corrupt and misguided, thus I don't blame the people themselves. "Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." This quote excellently demonstrates the concept of ideas and actions being evil, rather than the people themselves. It is basically conveying the idea that because of the prejudices regarding the black population that have been built up so long, no matter how strongly the evidence had been in favor of Tom Robinson's innocence, he would've been named guilty. It only takes the idea of his guilt to be planted in the white population for them all to point towards Tom Robinson, because has almost become second nature for them to blame the black population for their shortcomings and look down upon them. Thus, even if he had been named innocent, he would've most likely been killed anyways because of how strongly most of white population would've probably been convinced of his guilt. And, of course, all of that goes back to the misguided ideas and prejudices that make the white population regard the black population as not being humans, being inherent wrongdoers, and not being worth anything.

Apurva Swami

5/12/2013 04:53:02 pm

You are absolutely correct. Although Bob and Mayella Ewell did and said those things, they did not know any better really. They were both born and raised in that type of society, and Bob did what he though was best to control the situation. The white society in this time, especially the lower class, had grown up hating the blacks (like Pranidhi said). Bob Ewell needed to punish someone . Nice catch there Marina!

Caleb Wong

5/12/2013 11:07:44 am

I find it difficult to believe that Tom was responsible for his own death. The way it was told seems too out of character. From what is seen during the trial, it seemed like he would be the kind to either keep to himself or find that one nice old man to talk to. But it is also possible that something happened to him while he was there that caused him to act seemingly irrationally, resulting in his death. Or, perhaps, he simply wasn't the person we thought he was, or maybe he was driven to extremes due to a great fear of the consequences. If he was indeed innocent and felt that it wasn't right for him to be there, he could have thought that he would end up unjustly punished anyways.

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 11:13:28 am

i believe that their can be two different sides, one can be bob and Maywell which im for and i could also be Tom himself. It could be bob and maywell because they were the ones who brought him to court and they new if they brought him to court they would win," 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." (pg. 323) this is saying that no matter what they would win o all they had to do was show up to court. this also shows how its their fault maywell was the one who jumped on tom and bob wa the oe that assaulted her........... Now i also believe that it could also be Toms fault because you said "who is responsible for Tom Robinsons deth" and technicaly he is, he is the one who got himself shot in the first place, he could have waited nd seen if he could be free but instead HE tried to escape and HE was the one who did what he wasnt suppost to do, also HE was the one who agreed to help maywell if HE wouldve kept walkng none of this wouldve happened, HE put his self in the situation and HE took himself out of it causing his death.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:45:33 am

I believe Tom's death was Bob and Mayella's fault. Tom being African-American meant he had no voice against a white man. The reason I say this is because in the book, Tom is blamed twice for doing nothing. First he is violated by Mayella, but Mayella blames Tom and says that Tom violated Mayella. Second, Bob beats Mayella for being "thirsty" and he blames it on Tom. ANd in court, Tom had no voice against theirs. Atticus was Tom's only hope, but he was let down and this mental torture/harassment led to his death and the cause of the torture/harassment was Bob and Mayella.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 12:25:28 pm

I agree with you. However you said Atticus was Tom’s only hope and he let him down. I don’t think he let him down. I think he helped him the best that he could but his best was not good enough.

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 12:30:13 pm

I fully agree with you Sayed. Bob and Mayelle Ewell are the main reason why Tom Robinson. Let' s think of the facts and events in the book. Tom Robinson was put in prison for no reason due to Bob and Mayelle's cheating an false character. To be put in a spot where someow is in punishment and sentenced to death for no reason is absolutely horrible and unbearable. This led to Tom Robinson running away an later getting shot to get killed. Due to Bob and Mayelle's false acquisition, Tom Robinson was killed. They should be blamed for the loss of this innocent man.

Caleb Wong

5/13/2013 01:17:24 pm

I wouldn't say Atticus let him down. Atticus certainly tried, but it seemed as though Tom Robinson had taken matters into his own hands. Perhaps he didn't trust Atticus to be able to defend him. In Tom's eyes, Atticus probably seemed to genuinely care about this trial and tried his hardest to defend Tom as fairly as possible. However, try as Atticus may, Tom was, in reality, quite vulnerable, since he was being placed in the hands of people who didn't care as much about what was right as their social status.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 12:10:56 pm

Reply for question 2:

I believe Mayella and Bob Ewell are responsible for Tom Robinson’s death. At the very end of chapter twenty-five it says, “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed”(323). Even if Tom Robinson was the most innocent men on the plant he was have still been blamed simply because he was black and she was white. I think Mayella and Bob Ewell are responsible for his death because I think they wanted some kind of revenge on Tom Robinson even if he didn’t do anything.

Lauren Robertson

5/12/2013 01:30:21 pm

The person responsible for Tom Robinson's death is himself. After the trial, people were still angry and wanted to cause harm to him. Tom Robinson knew that if he was to escape he would be a dead man walking. I believe putting him jail was actually to keep him safe from all the people in the community. He knew what he was doing and decided to leave the jail anyway. He left his 'safe heaven' and that made him a easy target to be killed.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 08:12:12 am

My statement above was my reply to the second discussion question!

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 03:09:53 pm

The death of Tom Robinson can be connected to many people. Depending on how the situation is viewed, it could be blamed on almost any character. However, I believe that a single person is not responsible for is death. The prejudice against African Americans in Maycomb County causes the series of events to take place leading up to Tom Robinson's death. Had this prejudice not existed, Tom Robinson would not have been found guilty for the rape of Mayella based on purely circumstancial evidence when all reason supports his innocence. During his closing statements, Atticus clearly demonstrates the overall opinion of blacks in the county. He says, "... all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber." (pg. 273). This opinion of blacks ultimately causes his death. Tom Robinson would not have attempted to run away from jail had he been given the opportunity of a fair trial.

Caleb Wong

5/13/2013 01:21:47 pm

I agree with this, since multiple factors had to do with Tom's actions. Not any single person was completely responsible (other than Tom, I suppose) for Tom's actions, and the jury as well as some other people may have caused Tom to consider doing what he did.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:08:54 pm

Tom Robinson himself is responsible for his own death for the fact that the guards fired several warning shots, and he knew the consequences to his actions. The guards did not and could not prejudice/stereotype Tom from other inmates with the reason that most, if not all, prisoners belong to the black population. As the result, as the guards fired the very shots that took Tom's life, all they saw was an escaping prisoner, not an escaping black prisoner, because they couldn't.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 08:43:59 pm

I believe that Tom is responsible for is own death because he tried to escape from the prison. He should have known better considering his arm, and he wasn't even guaranteed death yet. It was inevitable for the guards to shoot at him, for as Atticus said, '"He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner”' (Lee 125), and Tom knew he'd get shot at. He gambled and he lost. Had Tom had better judgement he may have survived after the complete trial.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 10:54:51 am

The community of Maycomb is responsible for his death. Their prejudice against all of the blacks led a innocent man to prison and then loneliness and then to desperation. When he dies he even had "seventeen bullet holes in him" (315). The people, even when in prison, believe that if a black man is accused by a white man it must be true. This links back to question #1, a lot of the community of Maycomb was against him, and the fact that even the people that did believe him rarely stood up for him drove him to running away. He was alone. And in his attempt to run away he got killed. It was the community of Maycomb that killed Tom Robinson

Maheen A

5/14/2013 11:38:01 am

In my opinion, Mayella Ewell and Bob Ewell are both equally responsible. Because of Mayella's confused affection towards Tom, she had gotten both herself and him in trouble: she was beaten by her father severely, and he was taken to court accused of rape and abuse. Had Bob reacted in a more civilized manner, Tom would not have been taken to trial. But again, we know that Tom is coloured, and therefore this is used against him, and Mr. Ewell was well aware of that. Also, we know that Bob has never reacted in a civilized manner and often takes out his rage on his eldest daughter. Mayella was beaten by her father and forced to lie about it to the court and everyone else keep herself from getting in trouble with the court as well as saving herself from any additional beatings from her father.

Suhrin Whang

5/8/2013 01:42:50 pm

We could blame the source of the problem, Mayella Ewell and Bob Ewell. They are the ones who started this problem by falsely accusing Tom Robinson for rape. Though Atticus had told Tom Robinson to keep faith even when he was sent to Enfield Prison Farm, he was the one who was being careless and trying to run away from prison. We all know even though he was falsely accused of rape, he should have not tried to run away. It was most likely he would get caught and would be the wrong thing to do. All in all, I believe it's Tom Robinson's fault since all he needed was a little patience for Atticus to help him. After all, Atticus does not make promises he can not keep.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/9/2013 10:11:22 am

Well Suhrin, no i do not think Tom Robinson caused his own death. As I said before, the stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community of Maycomb by most of Maycomb is what killed Tom Robinson. And yes they were necessarily going to kill him, as what Scout said,"Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." (pg. 323) He was going to be killed no matter what he did, no matter if his case went all the way to the highest of courts or not. The prejudice, stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community in this era was far too great to be overcome by the word of a black man against two white people. Now in A Time To Kill the prejudice was still there, I mean we saw the Klu Klux Klan, but the difference was the time frame it was in. Like Ms. Bellon said, if Tom Robinson had been on the stand 60 years later than this trail would have had a different outcome. So tell me, if you knew you were going to die no matter what you did, would you still try to escape if you were Tom Robinson?

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/9/2013 10:33:06 am

My answer to my question is of course I would, because if climbing that fence was the only way to see my family again before I die, I might as well try.

Suhrin Whang

5/9/2013 12:46:03 pm

I do see your point. Honestly, I would not try to escape. Even though I would be dead anyway, I'd rather die completely innocent. Not that escaping prison made you not innocent. I would just rather take what I was destined to get in the end. We all know that Tom Robinson wouldn't make it due to his injured arm. If I was Tom Robinson, I would live as long as I could and pray for whatever might happen to my family and me. I would still deep down in my heart hope that Atticus was going to save me. Though, I'm not Tom Robinson. I'm not a man to start out with and I have never lived in that time period. I haven't been in his shoes to actual know what my exact actions would be. I respect your opinion and I think it's everyone fault but we can't necessarily blame the people of Maycomb. If you were born and raised in a society in which African American people were discriminated then you would live as normal and quiet as you can even if you didn't want to. People have a tendency of wanting to be normal; to be like everyone else. So therefore, we couldn't just blame the people for that reason.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:14:54 pm

However, Tom was not going to be killed by the guards unless the trials were officially finished, and his case was officially closed by the Supreme Court. He wouldn't have been killed by the white community either, for the reason that he was not accessible to them.
Secondly, if I knew I was going to die matter what, I would've tried to escape; just not escape by climbing over a prison fence with the prison snipers still alive.

Janie Hu

5/9/2013 11:15:38 am

I do not agree with you, but I still respect your opinion. Even though Tom should not have tried to escape prison he was confined there because of Mayella and Bob Ewell. I believe from this whole allegation forced him to escape. If they had not accused him of rape, then he would not have to escape prison. The point I'm trying to make is that Tom was killed because of "cause and effect." (Cause: Mayella and Bob accusing Tom of raping Mayella. Effect: Tom being convicted, sent to prison, and then getting killed while escaping.) Discussion Question #1: Do you think Tom escaped because he wanted to or because by a driving force? and why.

Suhrin Whang

5/9/2013 12:53:39 pm

I understand what you are trying to say but I just feel as if that shouldn't be a reason to try to escape from prison. If you stand up for what you believe in and just not run away from it then it just shows you are a wiser person. Why does he have to run away? We all know that he's innocent. Sometimes the innocent people are sent to prison but they don't try to run away. I mean a comparison towards innocent people between now and then are different but I still believe that it was a wrong move for Tom Robinson.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 10:11:03 am

I honestly didn't think that Tom escaped because he was driven too, but more of the fact that he wanted to take the chance. I know that he's in this situation in the first place due to the actions of Mayella and Bob, but the way that it ends is in the hands of Tom. Whether he chose to escape or not, he probably would've lived terribly and would've been mistreated, but because he wanted to just "give up" and take the risk of escaping, he chose to do so, which resulted in him getting shot.

Selina John

5/12/2013 02:44:46 am

I totally agree with Shurin now that I just saw your comment. Tom Robinson definitely had a chance to prove himself not guilty, but instead he gave up and blindly tried to run away because of his stubbornness to believe in Atticus to try to fight back. Though it's sad how bad the discrimination towards blacks are in Maycomb... bad that it would make Tom Robinson lose himself and try to run away from the situation instead of facing like a man should. If Atticus had encouraged Tom more I believe it would have made him feel more confident about himself because I know for sure that running away from jail doesn't make you look any more innocent. (it would give a bad impression on Tom).

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 07:48:05 am

I can see your point of view, but I'd have to disagree in some aspects. Tom Robinson stood absolutely no chance against the people of Maycomb, and he knew that. Running away was his last shot at survival, and he would try anything if it meant the possibility of making it out alive. He knew Atticus would do his best, but at that point, it wasn't about his innocence or proving his worth. He showed he was a man by risking getting himself killed to try to get back to his family.

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 10:55:16 am

YES!! I 100% agree to Selina and Suhrin since Tom was put into a position where he couldn't escape from. I understand why Debbie thinks it was Mayella and Bob were the reason for Tom's death, as they put him to the most unfortunate position. But I still strongly feel that it was he was in a frustrated mind state since he knew he was in a helpless position because he knew that everybody would make him guilty.(Since he was African-American)

Apurva Swami

5/12/2013 09:36:25 am

I understand where you are coming from Suhrin, but unfortunately i don't agree with you. I don't think Tom was being careless or impatient when he decided to try and run from the prison. I think he ran because he knew already that he was going to die. In response to Debbie's question, I completely agree with you. I would try and run, because if im going to die, i want to die after seeing my loved ones at least one last time.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 11:17:15 am

I agree with Apurva completely. I feel like at this point, for Tom Robinson, it came down to quality of life over life itself. It's the idea that he was living and was probably going to be falsely convicted for something he didn't do and there was basically nothing he could do to stop it. In other words, he knew that no matter what anyone did, he was most likely going to die no matter what. So he took the route that so many cliched heroes do. He ran away because he would rather try, fail, and die trying, then sit around, cowardly awaiting his inevitable death.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 11:36:32 am

Thank you Apurva and Danielle i am in complete agreement with you, but as for Ms.Sridhar I never said in my posts that Mayella and Bob Ewell were to blame for Tom Robinson's death. I said this,Yes Mayella did tempt Tom Robinson, and the her and Bob Ewell later blamed him for rape but that is NOT why Tom Robinson died. Tom Robinson died because of what I said before, the stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community of Maycomb by most of Maycomb, in this time period and location. You may say in spite of all of this Mayella still tempted Tom, but then picture if Tom Robinson was white. Atticus said that this case had no substantial evidence to begin with, just the witnesses of Bob and Mayella Ewell. And the only reason the were believed in this case was because in that day and age no one, no one would take a black man's word over a white man's word. And that is because of this pathetic lie that has been reconfigured in the hearts of white men in this era, "[...] all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber."(pg.273) This is why Tom Robinson had no chance of winning, this, not Mayella. If Tom was white this case would have been a laughing stock much less even be tried. But it was. And the only reason why is because of the stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community of Maycomb by most of Maycomb. Thank you. Im sorry for my rant its just i am a very opinionated person, but I still respect your opinion.

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 12:46:03 pm

I absolutely agree with you Apurva. I think Tom Robinson may have left to see family or some other extraneous reason. Suhrin stated asked why Tom Robinson had to escape from jail if he knew he was innocent? My question on the contrary is why would you or anyone stay in jail and die for an action/ crime they did not committ? Why would you lose your life for sure when you have an opportunity to escape and possibly survive? These are all crucial points humans like us would ask ourselves in a similar situation.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 10:06:08 am

I do agree, that it is partly Tom's fault for being killed. It's not necessarily his fault for being put into that situation, but it is his own decision to try to run away. He knew himself that he had an arm that didn't work, but he still bothered to try. "I guess Tom was tired of white men's chances and preferred to take his own." (315) But I also agree with Debbie, that it is truly the white men and the stereotypes that put him into that situation and caused his death.

Maheen A

5/14/2013 11:40:39 am

But then again, he would never have been in this situation if Mayella had been able to control her affection and known how to show it in a more appropriate manner, and not to mention Bob and his uncontrollable anger towards everything. I see what you mean with Tom getting himself shot because he made a break for it, but he was a good man, and his skin tone was used against him.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/9/2013 09:47:55 am

Question 1: There are definitely many opposing viewpoints concerning the black population of the town. It would be ignorant to not examine Mrs. Merriweather's strong perception of them. For example, when she says "'Gertrude, I tell you there's nothing more distracting than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen'," it is almost as if she feels that because they are of a different skin color, they do not have the unalienable right to express their pain or sorrow. Also, she perceives them as almost a stain in society, like the one bad seed that ruins the whole plot. Furthermore, when Mrs. Merriweather says, "We can educate 'em till we're blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of 'em, but there's no lady safe in her bed these nights," she is further expressing her contempt towards the black population, referring to them as if they are just a lost cause. She also makes it quite clear that is she is in complete agreement with the results of the Tom Robinson case, further showing her utter contempt towards the black population. However, we instantly see evidence of Miss Maudie's escalating fury at the words of Mrs. Merriweather. When Mrs. Merriweather says," "I tell you there are some good but misguided people in this town. Good, but miguided," Miss Maudie shoots back,"His good doesn't stick going down, does it?" This expresses how infuriated Miss Maudie is at the thought of someone disgracing or discrediting all the work, time, and dedication Atticus put into standing up for what was right. It shows that she is steadfast about her belief that the black population is among her equals, not her inferiors and shows that she cannot be swayed no matter how submerged she is in the other ladies' poisonous beliefs.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/9/2013 10:17:42 am

I wholeheartedly agree with you Pranidhi, and what you said about how Mrs. Merriweather perceives the black community as almost a stain in society. I would like to ask if it is almost like the nut grass in Miss Maudie's yard, and how one blade ruins the whole yard.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/9/2013 10:30:54 am

YES Debbie actually that is exactly what I think the nut grass is a symbol for. Or even more than that, it's a symbol for the issues, prejudice, and skewed perceptions surrounding the black population and how it is all just being pushed aside. It is an imperfection about the town that the white population wants to just ignore, because addressing it would mean that there is a possibility that they could actually be wrong.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/9/2013 10:41:08 am

Thank You Pranidhi!!!! Someone understands what I am trying to say! I would like to add that they address it but not in the manner you would think, they truly just try to cover it up. It's like makeup and a zit. Instead of using some acne wash or something, our brain implodes with the idea to try to cover it up with makeup. Though in the end, the zit and prejudice only grow bigger

Ms. B

5/10/2013 04:27:47 am

QUESTION 3-
One of the chief criticisms of TKAM is that the two central storylines -- Scout, Jem and Dill's fascination with Boo Radley and the trial of Tom Robinson -- are not sufficiently connected in the novel. Why do you think Harper Lee divided the book into two parts? Do you think that it effectively connects in the end? Find evidence to support your assertion.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/10/2013 12:51:21 pm

Well I believe that Scout, Jem and Dill's fascination with Boo Radley and the trial of Tom Robinson are connected, you just have to read the ENTIRE book and understand it in its totality to be able to see what Lee is trying to convey. (SPOILER ALERT FROM THIS POINT ON, IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK DO NOT READ, thank you.) Lee divided the book into two parts to not only to show the growth of Scout and Jem I think, but to complement the first part of the book by bringing in a new idea , and then end it with Boo Radley saving Jem and Scout's lives from Bob Ewell. The first part of the book was basically an introduction of characters and the town, and within that we go deeper, like the nut grass of Miss Maudie's yard and the camellia bush of Ms.Dubose. And most importantly the fascination with Boo Radley begins in the first part, but as we continue into the second part of the book, it seems that the fascination and mystery of Boo is still there but is hidden underneath all of the tension of the Tom Robinson case.( also sorry for bad grammar and spelling) It was as if Scout and Jem had not so much outgrown Boo, but it was not their top priority to find out what's going on with him. They were just curious, but to me when the book starts to effectively connect( and yes it does) is at the end of chapter 23 when Jem says " Scout,I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time.....it's because he wants to stay inside." (pg. 304) right after Tom Robinson was convicted. It's sort of the foreshadowing to the end because the outcome of the case, which led to Mr. Ewell wanting revenge on Atticus, which led to him to try and kill Jem and Scout, which led to Boo Radley finally coming out and saving Scout and Jem. The only reason why Boo stayed inside the house is because he wanted to, but when the outcome of the trial eventually led to the safety of Jem and Scout being in danger Boo stepped out and rescued them. Effectively connecting the end.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/10/2013 12:55:16 pm

Clarifying that long passage, Lee split the book to show the growth of Jem and Scout, and bring the intro and Tom Robinson case ultimately together in the end.

Suhrin Whang

5/12/2013 03:03:46 am

I completely agree with you. We realize that all of this is connected in a way. What do you mean by bringing a new idea in the first part? Are you talking about Boo Radley?

Janie Hu

5/12/2013 08:53:10 am

I think you had hit the main points that were exhibited in part one, but in part two was not just focused on Boo Radley and him coming outside of his house. Some other aspects that manifested itself in part two is that Scout had matured and understood racism, Tom's innocence is lost, and shows the attitude of Bob Ewell towards Atticus, his kids, and Tom's wife after the trial.

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:57:51 am

I officially present you the award for longest over-achieving responses! Good job Debbie :)

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 11:24:26 am

I agree, the book started as the never seeing boo radley and ending when scout walked them home all he wanted to do was protect him!!!!!!!!

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 12:02:11 pm

I agree with your post completely. Harper Lee used the split to show a new idea/connection which was that Boo never came out because he wanted to stay away from all the bad things in Maycomb. Also, props for the last statement you put in about the foreshadowing to the end. The case led to Boo coming out.

Chi Phu

5/12/2013 01:57:52 pm

I agree with you completely. I think Harper Lee splits the book in half to shows us the growth of Jem and Scout, they are very childish at the beginning of the book. But toward the end they got more serious and more matured.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 02:09:16 pm

I agree, the first part of the story was to show the growth of Scout, and the second part of the story was to show the maturity of Scout, in such that she now gets an understanding of racism.

Geo Aickareth

5/13/2013 04:21:51 am

I agree with Nithin since after the first half of the book they now understand the cause Atticus is fighting for, and how Tom is being persecuted by the stubborn town. In addition, this shows that the kids are dynamic characters.

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 11:02:59 am

In my opinion I believe that Harper Lee Split the book in to 2 parts is to show the character growth and maturity of the 3 kids as the story went on.

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 08:18:42 am

The first part of the book seems to be about Jem and Scout as children. They do stupid things (provoking Boo Radley, sneaking into the Radley's backyard), are easily amused (the mysterious gifts in the tree, writing and performing plays), and act like kids should. The tone of this part of the book is very innocent, and even when Scout, Jem, and Dill make mistakes, they do not have serious consequences. The second part of the book is when they start growing up and their lives quickly become more serious. With the start of the trial of Tom Robinson, the children must learn to deal with the criticism they are getting for Atticus in a positive way and keep their heads high all the while. They begin to learn more about life (why Tom was convicted even though he was innocent, why certain groups of people will never accept each other) and mature through the experiences they are put through (seeing Atticus at the jail cell, being attacked by Bob Ewell).
The book ends where it starts, Jem has a broken arm and the events leading up to the attack are being recalled. By beginning the book with part of the ending, we are told the entire story that caused everything to occur. We learn about Maycomb's inhabitants,the childhoods of Jem and Scout, and Maycomb itself with the deaths (Mrs. Dubose, Tom Robinson, Bow Ewell, Tim Johnson), rumors (Boo Radley sneaking around at night, Boo Radley stabbing his father), mysteries (Miss Maudie's house burning, why Boo Radley was never seen), and the trial that changed the lives of so many.

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 08:48:48 am

I agree about the second part of the book where they start to mature and later learn more about life because of the Tom Robinson trial. Also it is true of how the book ends up where it starts and how the events leading up to the attack are being recalled.

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 12:18:07 pm

i agree, i believe that it did start when they were children and innocent to when they grew up a little and now they are facing more serious stuff!

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 12:55:13 pm

I completely agree with you Danielle. The first part tells of Scout and Jem's childhood and how they have grown into mature adults. Anotyer good point you stated about is the loop ending where Jem break his arm again. The story and it's end really provides a sense of fear yet excitement to te town of Maycomb. I feel Harper Lee has intended to add this effect to the story and it's conclusion, keeping the reader surprised yet satisfied.

Brittany Xiao

5/12/2013 01:33:16 pm

RESPONSIVE POST 2 FOR QUESTION 3
You just reminded me of something xD. Those gifts given to the children... The sewn pants... Those were all done by Boo Radley! In the 1st part, there were little hints, little details... We only come to realize in part 2 that those were all done by Boo Radley (a pleasant surprise, lol Lee and her surprises). Despite staying in the house all the time, the children make him show his true nature, his kind self. They are what drove him to finally take ACTION. The fact that he finally stepped out of the Radley property to save them is just wow!! That he gathered enough courage to kill Ewell. The gifts, the pants, the rescue... They all connect to show that Boo Radley is truly a kind hearted person. It shows that all those rumors were so so wrong. Just like saying Tom Robinson did rape Mayella Ewell is so false. It all connects in the end. HAMHA.

Lauren Robertson

5/12/2013 01:36:31 pm

I agree, the first part of the book is about the children being young and innocent and in the second part they start to deal with bigger problems and understand more of what's going in the community and what's around them. They also start to mature and grow up in second part as well.

Kartik Talwar

5/12/2013 01:49:56 pm

I agree, the book showed how the children matured and didn't just do things for the fun of it, but with an actual purpose in mind. They also became more aware of all the racism and segregation going on in their town.

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 02:38:51 pm

I agree that the book is divided between their childhood full of games and the second half shows their transition into adulthood. They become more aware of their surroundings and begin to show maturity.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 10:27:29 am

I think that Harper Lee divided the books into two parts to emphasize the significance of prejudice. In the beginning, we can see that even though no one has ever seen Boo Radley, he was assumed to be "..about six-and-a-half feet tall ... dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch.." (16) It connects to Tom Robinson later on because it shows that even though no one has clearly seen the truth, they all judge you and point out the worst of you. Both Tom and Boo are 'innocent', yet society makes them appear to be guilty of a sin. I think that she divided the book into two parts to allow us to clearly see the connection of misjudgments and prejudice within Maycomb. I think that it does effectively connects in the end because in the end, we see Boo practically saving their lives even though he barely knew them. We can also see that throughout the book, he has tried to connect with them through the tree and caring for them, but we are unknown of why he does that. In the end, we can finally see that " 'Boo doesn't mean anybody any harm..'" (341). And by knowing that he came out to save them, meant that even though some people are perceived to be something, it doesn't mean they are. It shows that both the black population and Boo are different, and shouldn't have to be judged by the way society says they are.

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 11:00:25 am

That's so cool I never thought of it that way!

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 02:42:26 pm

I agree that both parts are connected through the idea of prejudice. In both sections, the idea that black people are inferior and bad is shown through many characters.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 12:07:31 pm

I never saw it that way, Kasey! :) I agree that both parts of the books are linked through the idea of prejudice between two different people, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. They are two people who have been excluded from society by the idea of prejudice.

Marina Zafiris

5/12/2013 10:53:56 am

Because the story would be extremely boring if it had only one story line and not series of mini conflicts (just like the love conflicts in the Hunger Games series)<--- that is my evidence... yeah sure it connects in the end it wouldn't be a book if it didn't.

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 11:13:36 am

I think that Harper Lee wanted to emphasize the motto "To Kill a Mockingbird". In the first half of the book, she is trying to symbolize Boo Radley as the mockingbird and how the majority of the Maycomb County "kill" him by abusing him and making rumors about him. Also, Miss Maudie also tries to say this when she is trying to explain to Scout as to how Boo is normal just like anybody else and how his father put him into an ill-fated position.
And in the second part, Lee symbolizes Tom Robinson as the mockingbird and how the again the majority of Maycomb County are trying kill him by making him guilty of something that he didn't do. I also think that the mockingbird symbolizes innocence as Boo and Tom are completely innocent since Boo was put into a position that was forced by his father (him not getting out of the house, and other strange things) and Tom was put into a state by the prejudice that was carried by the Maycomb County.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 11:36:19 am

I agree that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are the mockingbirds. They are abused even though they are completely innocent of the things they are blamed for doing.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 12:57:26 pm

I agree with both of you. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are both the “mockingbird”. They are abused and blamed for horrible things even if they where completely innocent.

Geo Aickareth

5/13/2013 04:04:19 am

I agree with Tom being the Mocking Bird, but it is not necessarily the Town that kills him. I believe that instead it is the racism that exists in this town which leads to his eventual death.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 08:08:47 am

I agree, that Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are the mockingbirds and represent innocence. They were both accused of doing horrible things and they were both excluded from the community. The were both innocent.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 11:17:07 am

I agree that they are both Mockingbirds, but in different ways. I think when Tom Robinson was convicted and sent to prison he was stripped of his innocence, and thats the reason he ran away while Boo Radley kept his innocence because he always had Jem and Scouttot love

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/13/2013 01:23:32 pm

I agree with the fact that Boo R. and Tom R. are the mockingbirds. They represent innocence since both are blamed even though they are in fact innocent.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 11:24:28 am

The book is divided into two parts so that the reader can see Scout, Jem, and Dill grow and mature through their experiences. In the first half, we see Jem, Scout, and Dill deal with their young childish, problems, like figuring out who Boo Radley really is, and in the second half we see them discover the problems in the real world, like the prevalent racism in Maycomb. The first and second part of the books are almost unrelated until the storylines cross paths when Boo Radley saves the kids from Bob Ewell. In both halves of the book, an innocent person is framed for being horrible people. The innocent people are Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. I believe that they represent the mockingbird. I think the 2 storylines connect very nicely at the end.

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 12:53:23 pm

I agree with you. The most innocent people where blame for the most horrible things.

Selina John

5/12/2013 11:24:33 am

Question 3: Well in the first part of the TKAM, it started with Scout and her friends messing with Boo Radley and getting in trouble a lot. As it the story moves on to part 2, the kids have grown a little older and they are now starting to understand the identity of Maycomb and how the people are like there. They learn how strong the discrimination is towards the black community as well as learn about the different point of views on the situation. I believe that Harper Lee wanted these to parts separate, but together in the novel in order to build up a setting in the beginning and lead to the main conflict of the story(the case of Tom Robinson). The author probably did this to show the gradual maturity Scout and Jem go through as they grow older and how the mistakes they have learned in the first part of the book was only the beginning of their growing maturity; and the case of Tom Robinson is what cleared the big factor of growing up and facing reality. I believe Lee had effectively connected the two parts because it brings the theme of growing up. It also shows the reason "why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... because he wants to stay inside." since the folks in Maycomb cannot get along with each other because of the hate, discrimination, and assumptions that spread around the town of Maycomb like backfire.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:52:59 am

I believe she split the book up like this because both parts have one big connection. In Tom's case, Scout realizes how the world is very cruel and unfair. She asks Jem why everybody can't be the same. SO basically she talks about the world being bad/cruel. And in the fascination of Boo, they see that he never comes out and that he is ALWAYS at home. Towards the end of the book Jem connects these 2 parts. He says the reason that Boo never comes out because he doesn't want to face the cruel world. " Scout,I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time.....it's because he wants to stay inside." (pg. 304). This big connection brightens up the conflict in TKAM for us.

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 01:02:18 pm

I absolutely agree with you Sayed. The two parts truly show the maturity and growing of Scout and Jem. They both witness a truly cruel world when they see Tom Robinson. They can find themselves quite blessed actually. This could also be why Boo Radley stays at home all day. He does not want to take part and experience the cruel world. These points all connect like Sayed said to create the main conflict and point of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 02:14:46 pm

I think ur absolutely correct, Lee does an outstanding job on connecting the two parts of the story, and the connection is a major part in analyzing the story. Her connection made it clear to us that Boo Radley never was a bad person, and that Scout now understand racism.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/12/2013 02:16:30 pm

Sorry for my grammar. I meant to say you are, instead of "ur"

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 10:19:47 pm

I completely agree with Sayed. The stories ultimately connect on a level greater then mere storyline, they connect with their meanings and Jem realizes this connection. Both story lines essentially say that there exists prejudice in the world, and Lee paints this picture using the point of view of a seven- year old girl.

Quyn westfall

5/13/2013 11:20:13 am

Just to go a bit further with it you could say they represent 2 sides of the world. Tom Robinson's conviction could represent the unjust, dark side while Boo Radley and his love for Scout represents the good and innocence in the world.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 12:02:32 pm

I believe that Harper Lee divided the book into two parts to show the prejudice and misguided beliefs of the society in two different lights. Regarding Boo Radley, we see Scout, Jem, and Dill's misguided, yet mostly harmless prejudices of Boo Radley, and we see how their curiosity develops. We see how they begin to understand that his intentions may not be as harmful as the believe from the gifts, folded and stitched up pants, etc. This is demonstrated when it says " 'Boo doesn't mean anybody any harm..'" And then Harper Lee has us see prejudice extrapolated onto a much grander scale. We see a man's life on the line because of the prejudices that have been harbored against the black population for so long, and we eventually see an innocent man's life taken away as a result of it. We see so much damage done to Atticus and his family because he is going against the misguided ideas of society and trying to stand up for what is right. I think the two storylines are used to also demonstrate the growth of Scout and Jem, going from innocent schemes with Boo Radley, to witnessing and coping with the damage and negative impacts of the Tom Robinson case. Although this is probably going to be an unpopular belief, I don't think that the two storylines were effectively connected in the end. People keep bringing up how Boo Radley ultimately saves Scout and Jem from being harmed by Bob Ewell. However, in my opinion, that does not sufficiently connect the two storylines. That is a very concrete connection that was established, but in my opinion, it doesn't connect them thoroughly enough. I feel like in order to say that they were effectively connected, there must be a very obvious strand connecting them. But as seen from the many different ideas that just this class has of what the connection is, that isn't the case. In my opinion, I feel like the concept of misguided prejudice surrounds both of them, but I feel like the plot is devoid of the manner in which the prejudices surrounding each storyline impact each other. However, when Jem says, "Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time.....it's because he wants to stay inside," was one point in which the two were beginning to converge. Boo Radley stayed inside because he didn't want to be submerged in the corruption and prejudice that was so prevalent in society. He wanted to keep his mind disengaged from all of it and didn't want to have any hand in the mistreatment of the black population if he could help it. His way to cope with all of the prejudice and misguided beliefs of the society was to simply shut himself out from it all. Tom Robinson was the mistreatment, injustice, and prejudice that Boo Radley worked to keep himself away from. But regardless, when it comes down to Jem and Scout's lives, he was willing to step away from the lifestyle he had practiced for so long to save their lives. However, that only demonstrates the impact that the prejudices surrounding the Tom Robinson case has on Boo Radley. The impacts of the prejudices that surround Boo Radley truly never see the light and the way they impact the case of Tom Robinson or even society as a whole are never made clear either, thus I do not believe an effective connection between the two storylines was established.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 12:42:19 pm

Pranidhi I am sorry but I will have to disagree with you on how the book effectively connects because it does. I truly think why you think that the story lines do not connect is because your versions of the two story lines can't connect. It's basically impossible to connect the two parts to show the prejudice and misguided beliefs of the society in two different lights. Though with everyone else its more of growth of Jem and Scout(not that you did not say that) and well with me she to complement the first part of the book by bringing in a new idea . Im not saying your idea is wrong, i actually agree completely with your post, its just that yes the story lines do connect just not in your version.

Sara Lamendola

5/12/2013 12:29:43 pm

in the start of the book we see how jem broke his arm,“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken…” (Lee 1). we saw that in the beginning of the book Jem was much younger than that which means that they started off telling something that was in the future. i also believe it was split up into two because in the first part they weere young and innocent. Jem and Scout got into trouble but minnor trouble that diddnt matter. In the second part is when that get into the trial and all the different perspectives, it opens up a new world into their little eyes. Then boo radley comes in which ties everything together at the end when they snoop on them...... its funny how in the beginning Scout Jem and Dill snoop on Boo Radley and everything and in the middle and end Boo Radley snoops on them!! anyway i feel that if they didn't have the part one and two the book wouldn't tie everything in the end with out the part 1 and part 2 i wouldn't have thought as much on why their is 2 arts!

sara lamendola

5/12/2013 12:31:31 pm

lol ignore the last few lines i dont know what i was saying

Katie Zulawski

5/12/2013 12:49:06 pm

Reply for question 3:

I believe the two storylines come together in the end. Atticus reminds Scout and Jem that, “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”. In the book Tom and Boo are both “mockingbirds” who get blamed for all the stereotypical things that are done and said about them. But deep down they are both wonderful people.

Janie Hu

5/12/2013 02:29:54 pm

I think that Harper Lee split the book into two parts two show the development of the Finch kids, Scout's increasing knowledge of the "real world," Boo Radley's true character, and Bob Ewell's attitude toward some of the townspeople. In part one we are introduced to the characters, the important symbol of the nutgrass in the garden (black people in Maycomb), the town of Maycomb, the mysterious Boo Radley. Also we recognize the children's innocence in part one and see that innocence slowly disappear throughout the second part when they are sitting in the courtroom listening to the Tom Robinson case. At that point those children had been exposed to racism towards black people and the "real world" that is robbing their innocence. After the trial Bob Ewell had a grudge against Atticus and had threatened him and his family. Later on Mr. Ewell had attacked Scout and Jem while they were walking home nearly killing Scout and breaking Jem's arm. As this was happening, Boo had came to the kids rescue and defended them from Bob Ewell. I believe it effectively connects the end because it feels as if it manifests Boo's true personality and Ewell is punished for his wrong doings of harassing other townspeople.

Apurva Swami

5/12/2013 03:03:09 pm

Before I respond i just wanna say... Kudos to you Debbie. You are rockin with your responses :). I really dont see why that should be a chief criticism, the two story lines. I think its a great way to keep the reader engaged with two story lines. In Part One, Jem. Scout and Dill's main focus is on Boo Radley and trying to lure him out of his house, whereas in Part Two, the focus is more on Maycomb as a whole regarding the trial. I think Harper Lee divided the bok to show the difference and the changes in the maturity and naivety levels of both Scout and Jem. Both of them are innocent and naive in Part one, but become more aware and mature as Part Two progresses. I think Lee joined together the two storylines very nicely when Boo rescues Jem and Scout in the end.

Elaine Wood

5/12/2013 03:18:32 pm

The two parts of To Kill A Mockingbird are separated based on the level of maturity in Jem and Scout. The first half of the book, they mess around playing games, spying on Boo Radley, and using their imaginations. The second half, the trial shows the children begining to mature. They become more aware of right and wrong, the prejudices present in Maycomb, and the potential dangers of supporting blacks.
While the two halves are very different, they are connected in the underlying theme of prejudice. Boo Radley is described as someone terrible and scary. and that is everyone's idea of him regardless of whether or not they have met. Tom Robinson is seen as terrible because of his skin color. Both were judged without real evidence that proved that they were truly bad people.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 10:12:59 pm

I agree with Elaine about the story lines being connected through their meaning of prejudice against someone for no real reason. That makes perfect sense, and honestly I didn't think of it myself. I'm glad I read this!

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:33:48 pm

Harper Lee separated the book into two parts in order to effectively express the different attitudes of the children within the story as time progresses. At first, the children were carefree and wild during the times when they were deeply fascinated with Boo Radley. The children were often self-centered during the times of Boo Radley, and only cared about having fun. However, when the trial of Tom Robinson began trickling into the lives of the children, the readers and the characters of the story could sense the maturity being developed in Jem. As told in the story, Jem was becoming a teenager/adult and often corrected Scout's childish ways as he seemed fit. However, Scout also gained maturity in which she began to understand life beyond boundaries of herself, which allowed her to acquire the character trait of empathy and sympathy, in addition to her rather snappy intelligence.
I believe the two parts of the book effectively connects in the end as the children would most likely reflect over their past few years of life, and compares those years to their current life by reflecting on how different/mature they are.

Marwan Madi

5/12/2013 10:09:47 pm

I believe that Harper Lee divided the story into two parts because the story is from Scout's perspective, and the two story lines are completely different events in Scout's head. When Scout thinks of the trial, she generally doesn't think of Boo Radley and vice versa. Writing the story that way helps the reader see it truly from a kid's perspective, and interwining the story lines would require either a change of story line, or making Scout seem somewhat paranoid always thinkning of one thing when the other is occuring. It would be almost distracting not to divide the book, for dividing it puts all of the focus on one story line at a time and I believe that is what Lee was trying to achieve. However, at the very beginning of the novel, it is implied that the story lines are thouroughly connected throughout the book, and the reason we don't see it that way is because we are reading it from Scout's perspective. At the very beginning of the novel, Scout says "When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out." (Lee 2). Had we been reading from Jem's perspective- an older and higher thinking individual- then the story lines probably would have been a little bit more connected, if not a lot. Why else would Jem say it all started when they were pursuing Boo Radley? It is clear that had Lee started the novel with the part about the Ewells then a key element would be missing, for the two story lines are more connected than they seem, just not from a seven- year old girl's perspective (which as mentioned before allows for more focus per story line). It is shown just how connected the story lines are at the very end when Boo Radley saves Jem and Scout, showing that he was always looking after them. It is also shown that they are connected when Jem says he realizes the reason why Boo chooses to stay inside of his house, that he chooses to because of the way people act (an idea he got from witnessing the trial)- thus enforcing that the story lines are probably more connected in Jem's head, or just in general.

Quyn Westfall

5/13/2013 11:04:04 am

I believe that they are connected. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson had to face the prejudices of Maycomb county. Boo was prejudiced so much that even Jem and Scout believed them, when they went up to the Radley house in chapter 6 when they were done "evey scratch was Boo Radley seeking revenge"(74). The prejudices that both these men faced affected them in different ways. Boo found a release in Scout and Jem as he had learned to love them. His little gifts in the tree kept giving him hope. On the other and Tom Robinson had nothing. He was pretty much alone. I believe Harper Lee used both of these storylines to show 2 outcomes of prejudice. One of a man with a vent, so he learns to live with it. And one that shows a man who went from having quite a bit to haveing nothing because of prejudice. This shows how prejudice can easily turn a life, but different prejudices, like the one against Boo Radley, can be liveable, not favorable of course, if you have some one there to love. I think the point of adding both of these was to show the impact of having someone there with you along the way.

Maheen A

5/14/2013 11:48:59 am

Pretty much agreeing with just about everything already said. Harper Lee effectively shows the growth of both Jem and Scout throughout the two parts. In the first part we notice how neither of the two children understand the trial of Tom Robinson, or care of it much either, paying more attention to having fun and enjoying their child-like games and attempts to lure Boo out of his house. However as the book advances to the next part, we see changes in Jem (and Scout eventually) as they take more interest in the trial (as they sit in the courtroom and listen), and less of Boo Radley is seen (until the very end). Both of them mature in the second part and are able to understand more about the real world and how and why things happen the way they do.

Chi Phu

5/10/2013 02:14:56 pm

question 1: Mrs. Merriweather looks down at the Africans like they are at the bottom of the society. she feels like they're not like everyone else, she thinks they are less capable of the rest of the people. Mrs. actually thinks there's nothing anyone could do to help the African Americans. "We can educate ’em till we’re blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of ’em, but there’s no lady safe in her bed these nights." They don't like the African Americans that's why they say Tom Robinson is guilty of raping Mayella.
Question 2: i think Bob Ewell is responsivle for Tom Robinson's death because he is the one who's frequently abusing Mayella, saw this opportunity to blame the crime on Tom Robinson. which he didn't do anything but got kissed by Mayella.

Lauren Robertson

5/13/2013 12:27:30 pm

Response To Question #3

I believe Harper Lee separated the book into 2 parts to show the maturity of Scout and Jem. In the first half of the book, the kids are young children who like to play stupid games especially with Boo Radley, and like to let their imaginations take them on many adventures. The second half the book, Jem and Scout start to mature and fully understand their community especially with the Tom Robinson's trial and the prejudice behind that. Even though the two parts are different, they are both linked by the idea of prejudice. Boo Radley, in the first part, everyone in the community has the idea of him being a crazy and frightening person. Tom Robinson is seen as a terrible person because of the color of his skin. Both of these characters were judged without people actually digging for the truth and them just being seen as bad people.

Sharat Kalaga

5/10/2013 02:18:55 pm

QUESTION#1: Many people in the town have mixed views on how blacks are treated/should be treated. Through the conversation of the women in Chapter 24, we can tell of the diverse perspectives quite clearly. Mrs. Merriweather , through the conversation, can be seen as a "racist" and someone who does not value and treat black people the same way as white people. In this quote, the reader can see Mrs. Merriweather's opinion on black people and their character, "Gertrude, I tell you there's nothing more distracting than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen," Mrs. Merriweather's notion is quite similar to many of the town's peoples, as they believe that because they have a different skin color, black people are not accepted in society and feel they have no feelings. They are "different" for them. Miss Maudie, although, has a completely different perspective on how black should be treated and are treated. Understandably, she gets mad at Mrs. Merriweather's points and does not agree with her. She feels Atticus and what he did was right, and the outcome of the case was right and made with complete justice. She fires back at many of Mrs. Merriweather's comments and stays put with her beliefs. I in the her place would have replied the same way, as I fully agree with her view and intentions.

Sonali Ghante

5/11/2013 01:39:35 am

Question 1: Mrs.Merriweather shows contempt as one of the attitudes towards the black community of Maycomb. For instance, she says, "Gertrude, I tell you there's nothing more than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen." (Lee 310) This shows us that Mrs.Merriweather despises even the presence of a colored person to be in an area. However, Miss Maudie thinks differently than the other ladies by saying, "His food doesn't stick down, does it?"(Lee 312) This demonstrates how Miss Maudie speaks up to defend Atticus of the insulting statements that Mrs. Merriweather said about him. And this shows that Miss Maudie does not despise people from the black community unlike Mrs.Merriweather and the other ladies. It was more likely to have people display the negative attitude in the courtroom like Mrs.Merriweather in the missionary circle. On the other hand, it is unlikely for someone in the courtroom to have the same attitude as Miss Maudie in the missionary circle, since most people despise the black community which makes them lean more toward making Tom Robinson guilty.

Sharat Kalaga

5/11/2013 03:08:54 am

QUESTION#2: Tom Robison's death is sudden and quite surprising to the reader. The question is who killed Tom Robinson and why? The most obvious answer is Bob and Mayelle Ewell. They were disgraced and lost a court case to a black man, bringing upon shame on the two in society. This particularly applies to Mayelle because she wanted to kiss and collaborate with/for a black man. This shame and guilt may have led to the already short-tempered Bob Ewell to attempting and killing Tom Robinson. The racial prejudice the town's people have for black people as a whole could be another reason explaining why Tom Robinson was killed. The outcome of the court case may/probably have angered many people, as many of the town's people will support a white person over a black person no matter what the situation or concern is. Many people not supporting Atticus and his case may have teamed up to kill Tom Robinson. I feel Tom Robinson was killed by Bob Ewell along with Mayelle Ewell, although, there could be a possibility they were assisted by many town's peoples to support their cause, to show their prejudice on black people in the town of Maycomb.

Kartik Talwar

5/12/2013 12:57:03 pm

I agree with you that Tom Robinson was killed by Bob Ewell and they would have been assisted by another white person in the town. Since they don't want other black people that have been accused of things they didn't do to start winning cases and putting white people to shame.

Brittany Xiao

5/11/2013 07:09:20 am

QUESTION 1

Most people look down upon the black people and consider them their inferiors. They dislike them so much and think that they are entirely different from them. Their prejudice is so great that they turn into hypocrites; whenever a black person is exhibiting negative behavior (like sulking), the white people make a big deal of it whereas when they themselves do that no one says anything. "'Gertrude, I tell you there's nothing mor distracting than a sulky darky...'" (Lee 232). Only few people like Maudie actually realized that black people are their equals, and that they should be treated the same and deserve the same rights (well only the Finch kids and Dill go to that extent). Others are indifferent ish, but still treat black people not entirely the same as their peers. The guilty was determined by basically a popularity contest. Many white people liked (not really but ya know) Ewell more than a black man, so of course they think Robinson as guilty. Plus most of the white people do not trust black people, so they would not trust Robinson.

Janie Hu

5/11/2013 07:37:08 am

Brittany, I agree with the points you had made in your posts and how Tom's conviction was mainly a popularity contest rather than a fair trial where they actually used the testaments to declare convicting or acquitting Tom. All because he was black he was not given a fair trial because opinions of him being guilty already existed in the jury's decision before the testaments started. (prejudice)

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 10:31:11 am

I also agree with Brittany. Like Brittany said, "most people do look down upon the black people and consider them their inferiors," like Mrs. Merriweather. However, Miss Maudie has a different perspective on the whole matter by treating everyone equally. The jury's prejudice has greatly affected the outcome of Tom Robinson's trial.

Geo Aickareth

5/12/2013 02:11:32 pm

I agree with you and I also believe that if Tom Robinson had a different complexion he would have the higher odds of winning the case. At the same time I don't believe all the people are discriminatory and that some individuals are actually not narrow minded and they accept Tom Robinson.

Sonali Ghante

5/11/2013 09:36:21 am

Question 2: Both Mayella and Bob Ewell are responsible for Tom Robinson's death. The shameful act of Mayella trying to tempt Tom Robinson and then blaming Tom for rape, eventually made him go to the court and land in prison. Tom had no chance of winning the case even though Atticus tried very hard to, mainly because of Mayella. For example, “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed."(Lee 323) Tom must have felt shameful in the situation he was in, so he tried to escape and sadly gets killed by the police. However, Tom should have had faith in Atticus to get him out of prison, but unfortunately Tom did not, and that led him to escape. Also, Bob Ewell being a neglectful and abusive father must have made Mayella feel lonely and unhappy, which made her tempt Tom Robinson, an innocent hard worker. It is almost as if Tom Robinson represents a mockingbird because he is a genuinely good person on the inside but viewed as evil on the outside.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/11/2013 12:30:51 pm

I am sorry Ms. Ghante but I will have to disagree with you on almost all of your last post. Yes Mayella did tempt Tom Robinson, and the her and Bob Ewell later blamed him for rape but that is NOT why Tom Robinson died. Tom Robinson died because of what I said before, the stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community of Maycomb by most of Maycomb, in this time period and location. You may say in spite of all of this Mayella still tempted Tom, but then picture if Tom Robinson was white. Atticus said that this case had no substantial evidence to begin with, just the witnesses of Bob and Mayella Ewell. And the only reason the were believed in this case was because in that day and age no one, no one would take a black man's word over a white man's word. And that is because of this pathetic lie that has been reconfigured in the hearts of white men in this era, "[...] all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber."(pg.273) This is why Tom Robinson had no chance of winning, this, not Mayella. If Tom was white this case would have been a laughing stock much less even be tried. But it was. And the only reason why is because of the stereotypes and negative connotation towards the black community of Maycomb by most of Maycomb. The only reason why Tom was a dead man is because of the lie and reason stated earlier. The only reason why Tom didn't have faith in Atticus was because he knew that he was a dead man because he knew that jury believed that lie, and so knowing he would die anyways he tried to escape because if climbing that fence was the only way to see his family again before he dies, he might as well try. Lastly, i agree with Tom being a genuinely good person on the inside though viewed as evil on the outside.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/11/2013 12:39:22 pm

Sorry my computer is being stupid, I also meant to say I agree with Ms. Ghante on Tom being the mockingbird before my last post.

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 03:33:22 am

I do see your point and I respect your opinion, but personally I believe that the characters of Bob and Mayella Ewell are responsible for Tom's death. Tom would have never landed in court if Mayella did not tempt him as well as Bob Ewell blaming Tom for rape. However, I agree upon the negative connation and the stereotypes that caused Tom Robinson's death. As a result, there are many reasons to blame for Tom Robinson's death.

Sayed Shahrier

5/12/2013 11:58:16 am

Actually if you look at her post thoroughly, what you think and what she thinks is very similar. You guys both believe that the community destroyed Tom. Sonali also included that the fact Tom had no chance to fight in court goes with the fact you said about Tom recieving negative connotation from the white community. By being sentenced guilty even with all the evidence and having no chance like Sonali said, was neg connotation to Tom.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/11/2013 12:36:25 pm

Also, Tom may represent the mockingbird, and how people shouldn't kill mockingbirds because it is a sin to kill them. All they ever gave was music, never doing anything wrong. Maybe in that sense, that is why Tom Robinson should had never been killed, he never did anything wrong he just took pity on Mayella and helped her out. It would be a sin to kill a human for senseless slaughter.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/11/2013 12:37:16 pm

Suhrin Whang

5/12/2013 03:09:42 am

So To Kill a Mockingbird symbolizes how "innocence" was killed which is Tom Robinson? Could it also be Scout's innocence as well? She started off in the beginning of the book not knowing much about society but in the end she finds out how African American people are mistreated and the way of society which eventually kills her innocence.

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 09:52:48 am

I agree with you, Tom should have never been killed because he didn't do anything wrong and he was simply a hard worker. Similarly, Boo Radley could also represent a mockingbird, because he had horrible rumors that were spread about him, when in the end he saved Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell making him an innocent and kind human being.

Selina John

5/12/2013 11:44:08 am

I agree with you Debbie that Tom could represent the mockingbird since he was innocent in comparison to mockingbirds that don't do anything wrong the hurt humans. But, I also think though that Boo Radley could also represent the mockingbird because he excluded himself from the town of Maycomb by never leaving his home to prevent people from hurting him phyiscally or emotionally. (which causes no harm to the town of Maycomb so they don't bother him). So the mockingbird can also represent Boo's innocence.

Suhrin Whang

5/12/2013 02:58:21 am

Question 3: The novel is divided into two parts: one being about Boo Radley and the Radley’s house and the other is about Tom Robinson’s trial. In conclusion, the two paths cross each other when Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell who was trying to hurt the kids. Harper Lee divided the book into two parts because he wanted to divide the story so later the cross between the two events would seem unexpected yet connected. Even though it was divided into two parts, There was a meaning behind it: Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson were innocent people that were neglected in society. People had thought Boo Radley was a freak and that Tom Robinson was guilty mostly due to the color of his skin. In the end, Boo Radley was a man who wanted to block out the chaos and dangers of Maycomb and Tom Robinson was a kind-hearted and innocent man that did not rape Mayella Ewell. It was effectively connected because it made me realize how the two could relate. Readers already knew from Tom Robinson’s trial that Tom Robinson was innocent and then found out later Boo Radley was too in the second part. “Thank you for my children, Arthur,” shows Atticus appreciation towards Boo Radley for saving his kids. “Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white,” shows Atticus defense for Tom Robinson which tells us that Atticus truly believed that Tom Robinson was not guilty.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 03:59:53 am

I am sorry but i will have to clear this up with everyone , Harper Lee is a girl not a guy and also suhrin i agree with your statement about how she brings the two parts of the novel together and also suhrin i meant that Tom Robinson is like the mockingbird in the sense of how they are viewed but it could also be about how innocence was killed.Though i do not think Scout's innocence was killed more that she learned things about the society of Maycomb and life and eventually understand it later in life.

Suhrin Whang

5/12/2013 07:46:09 am

If I'm not mistaken innocence also means "lack of knowledge" so wouldn't killing Scout's innocence still make sense?

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innocence

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 08:22:57 am

In a way, I think killing Scout's innocence would make sense. Once she started learning about the real world with her participation in Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle and the trial of Tom Robinson she was no longer as innocent as she was before.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 12:23:25 pm

I think when examining this aspect, it's a good idea to look back to the idea that ignorance is bliss. Before Scout witnessed and went through all the harm and controversy surrounding Tom Robinson, she wasn't able to completely understand why an innocent man could ever be convicted. She couldn't understand the corruption that inherently poisons human nature and she couldn't understand prejudice and how deeply it cut into society. The more knowledge she gained, the less ignorant and yes, innocent she became as she unlocked the truth behind the way people's thinking was regarding the black population and how negatively impacting all the prejudices really could be on a society.

Danielle Edmonds

5/12/2013 08:26:58 am

I see what you mean by saying that Scout's innocence wasn't totally killed and that she did learn lots about Maycomb's society, but that part of her innocence (when she didn't understand much is a child) is pretty much gone forever. Now that she understands more about everything, she will never be able to completely return to her state as a naive child.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 11:31:21 am

Now I see what Ms. Edmonds and Ms. Whang were trying to explain to me and yes I would have to say that you are right, she will never be able to return to her state as a naive child and part of her innocence is gone.

Apurva Swami

5/12/2013 01:32:22 pm

I see what you mean Danielle. I don't think her innocence was killed, but rather it was compromised. Scout lost her naivety after she witnessed the jury make their extremely unfair conviction. Scout simply grew up, as we all do, but she just grew up a bit too fast, which makes the reader feel as if her innocence has gone, but it has not. Going along with Pranidhi, i agree that innocence is bliss, and Scout doesnt exactly have that bliss after the Tom Robinson trial.

Sharat Kalaga

5/12/2013 07:43:55 am

QUESTION#3: Harper Lee writes the story of To Kill a Mockingbird in a unique and distinct manner. She connects the story of Boo Radley to start the story with Tom Robinson's case. I think she does this to show the growth and steady development of Scout and Jem throughout the tough times. Scout and Jem mature and change characteristically through these two events, becoming truly a man and woman. This particularly can be seen in Chapter 23 when Jem says, "Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time.....it's because he wants to stay inside." This quote shows the maturity and the knowledge the two, Jem and Scout, have gained about Boo Radley and his lifestyle. To my conclusion though, I feel Harper Lee did connect the two parts of the story effectively and with reason. When Bob Ewell tries to kill Scout and Jem due to the outcome of the Tom Robinson case and his vengeful attitude on Atticus, Boo Radley saves the two. With this event, the reader can see how much Boo Radley cares for both Jem and Scout. Through the plot of the story and the expression each part of the story gives to the novel, I conclude that Harper Lee effectively separates and reconnects the parts of the story back together comprehensively.

Janie Hu

5/12/2013 09:31:17 am

I totally agree with you that Scout and Jem mature throughout the book and realized that Boo was not a "monster" who had terrorized kids and did nasty things inside his house that made him embarrassed to go outside in public. It was that he did not want to. With the ending, I would like to add that it adds closure to the readers' ultimate perspective on Boo Radley. Shows us that he is a man who has a genuine heart for others.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:43:07 pm

I think the children matured from the trial and their father's actions to defend an innocent person in need. However, I also believe that they gained their sense of assumptions and curiosity from the rumors spread by the people of Maycomb, for the fact that in the beginning of the story, all they had to operate/think on was assumptions by the town.

Sonali Ghante

5/12/2013 08:30:26 am

Question 3: Harper Lee divided the book into two parts to show the development and change of the characters of Scout and Jem. In the first part, the children are imaginative and curious about the mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. There are many horrible rumors that have been said about him. In the second part, Scout and Jem start to understand the outside world as they see Tom Robinson's trial. And how he was treated unfairly. They develop a sense of right from wrong as they understand the racial prejudice that occur in the town of Maycomb. The novel effectively connects in the end as Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell. Boo Radley was nothing like the rumors that have been said about him, but he simply showed kindness towards the children by saving them. She also understands that Boo Radley is a kind gentle man. Similarly, Tom Robinson showed kindness to Mayella but landed in prison because of the racial prejudice that was going on at that time period. Also, Scout understands the problems in the town by helping her father understand the situation of Bob Ewell falling on his knife as a lie to help Boo Radley. She says, "Well it'd sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"(Lee 370) This shows change in Scout's as well Jem's thinking from imaginative to understanding.

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 10:35:11 am

I agree with what you have to say. I feel that in the end, the entire story connects to show us that prejudice back in the day would end in a similar way. The rumors about Boo are completely different than the person he is, and the false accusing of Tom is also completely different. I also agree that "Well it'd sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"(Lee 370) shows that Scout now understands the innocence of things.

Selina John

5/12/2013 11:36:24 am

I agree with you Sonali that when Boo Radley saved Jem and Scout from Mr.Ewell, it brought the two stories together effectively to show that first of all that Bob Ewell is evil and that Boo Radley is not like Bob Ewell at all, but a kind-hearted man who cares about Jem and Scout. I also think that the story showed the growth and maturity Jem and Scout gained as they grew older and learned about the identity of Maycomb and how people are like there and their point of views.

Sheila Patel

5/12/2013 11:48:05 am

I agree with what you. The mockingbirds in the story are both kind people that are treated unfairly just because they see past the racism in Maycomb. The quote where Scouts says, "Well it'd sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?" shows how much Scout has grown since the begining of the book.

Pranidhi Dadhaniya

5/12/2013 12:13:15 pm

WOW, I never interpreted the story the way you did, Sheila, but I think it's an excellent interpretation. I just would like to pose a question. There must be a reason that prejudice and innocence were shown through two "mockingbirds" or characters. In my opinion, it must be to establish so kind of impact that they have on one another. Thus, what was the impact the prejudices surrounding both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley had on one another?

Brittany Xiao

5/12/2013 01:14:02 pm

RESPONSIVE POST 1 FOR QUESTION 3
xD Ham, that was what I was thinking about the mockingbirds lol. To kill Tom Robinson would be a sin for Tom Robinson is innocent, and to kill Boo Radley would be a sin because he is mentally challenged.
Also Scout really has matured based on the quote but it's not just that. The fact that Atticus failed to understand it was Boo Radley that killed Ewell after all the strong hinting (HINT HINT LOL *COUGH* Boo Radley killed him not your son) Mr. Tate did, but then Scout was the one that knew what Mr. Tate was talking about is astounding.

Ching Liuhuang

5/12/2013 04:38:14 pm

I agree with you for the fact that Scout has matured in the way that she now possesses the skill of empathy, and being able to understand the situation from what has happened to why it occurred. She is now able to stand in someone else's shoe and act from there, instead of acting based upon assumptions and imaginations.

Brittany Xiao

5/12/2013 08:45:46 am

QUESTION 2

It's hard to determine who exactly is responsible, because there multiple "what if's?" Like what if Mayella hadn't asked Tom Robinson to come into the house, what if Bob Ewell wasn't an abusive father so that Mayella wouldn't have been beaten up, or what if the jury wasn't all white? Though even if Tom Robinson was considered innocent by the jury, many people think differently and attempt to kill him anyways. Therefore I think the cause for his death is because of racial prejudice or just racism :P. If he were white, then none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have run away from the house after Bob Ewell saw b/c "'Why did you run?' 'I was scared...' '... if you were a nigger like me, you'd be scared, too." (Lee 195). He would've had a more fair trial (more not totally) because people can't judge him based on his skin color, & people wouldn't distrust him as much since they only have to look at the evidence. I'mma confusing woman sorry!

Geo Aickareth

5/12/2013 03:13:45 pm

I agree with you and I also believe that he is also to blame since he put himself in this position to fall victim to this situation.

Kartik Talwar

5/13/2013 03:34:48 am

I agree with you Geo and Brittany, he shouldn't have gone to her house since she was one of the white people in the town that were strictly against supporting African Americans

Brittany Xiao

5/12/2013 10:33:14 am

QUESTION 3
She divided the novel into 2 parts to create emphasis on the trial of Tom Robinson. In the end it does connect and all makes sense because in the beginning of the book, it talks about Jem getting a broken arm at 12 years old. “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken…” (Lee 1). Jem and Scout recount how Jem ended up with a broken arm. They argue about where it all started, and eventually decide to start with their family history (Simon Finch). Eventually, the reader forgets about Jem’s broken arm as we lose ourselves in this tale, and in the end we realize that we’re back to where we started when Jem breaks his arm. “’He’s got a… broken arm.’” (Lee 264). It’s in medias res if I’m correct lol.
Also in the 1st part, it’s all about the kids and Boo Radley. In 2nd part, Boo Radley is barely mentioned and then BAM. We’re suddenly shocked to find out that Boo Radley got out of his house to save Jem and Scout. Boo Radley is not a monster, and he is actually mentally challenged. Lee effectively surprises the leader and make us have sudden epiphanies. (I sound ridiculous but LOL).
In the 1st part of the book it is said that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird; in other words, it’s a sin to kill something/someone innocent. In the 2nd part of the book, Tom Robinson, an innocent man that was put on trial, is killed. Then Bob Ewell is killed by Boo Radley, who although killed a man (not even in self defense), was not put on trial for murder (which could have resulted into dealth penalty for Boo Radley). The reason is because Mr. Tate knew it was a sin to kill Boo Radley, who was innocent due to being mentally challenged. “’…taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight… that’s a sin… If it was any other man it’d be different. But not his man…’” (Lee 276).

Kasey Zhang

5/12/2013 10:39:57 am

I agree with what you have to say, and I do believe that the book is separated into two parts because it slowly relates the innocence of killing something, to actually killing something. Although Boo Radley had to kill Bob, killing Boo will essentially be like killing a mockingbird.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/12/2013 12:13:27 pm

In response to Ms. Xiao Xiao, woww..... I had never thought of it that way with the emphasis and leading up to killing innocence. All I have to say is that I agree with you and Ms.Zhang utterly and completely.

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/12/2013 10:51:21 am

I do believe that the blame partially lies with Mayella and Bob Ewell in Tom's guilty verdict. But, I also believe that the jury is at fault. Mayella and Bob Ewell blatantly place the raping of Mayella on Tom Robinson, and this then causes the entirety of the white community to believe in this story- because after all, the Ewell family is white. However, Atticus presents evidence that undeniably proves Tom innocence. The Jury's job is to give a true verdict of the defendant's crime. If this trial had been happening today, the jury would have found Tom R. not guilty. But because this happens in a time of racism in Mississippi, the jury finds him guilty. If the jury had found Tom not guilty, Tom wouldn't have ever needed to escape from jail and he wouldn't have been shot. Yes, it's true he could have been shot even if the jury had found him innocent, but the reader will never know if that's the case or not. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but I believe that the Jury is to blame.

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/12/2013 10:52:01 am

AGH . ^That's for Question 2!

Srisanvitha Sridhar

5/12/2013 11:22:41 am

I agree with Ragini as she said that the Maycomb jury was at fault since they made sure that Tom Robinson would be assured about his death which made him run away since he knew he would die either way.

Thomas Ledford

5/12/2013 11:05:02 am

Question 1: These ladies attitudes towards the black community are rash determined by this quote, " their mouths down down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in your kitchen."

Your Bellybutton

5/13/2013 07:56:34 am

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Thomas Ledford

5/12/2013 11:09:10 am

Question #1: I agree with Debbie's statement of that ms. Maudie does speak of an equal community, and dues show some respect towards the black community in some places.

Thomas Ledford

5/12/2013 11:14:22 am

Question #1 I agree with Danielle's statement that almost all the white citizens of maycomb disapproves of the African American community, but not all do some can be a friend to these "outsiders" or "unequal" people.

Thomas Ledford

5/12/2013 11:20:01 am

Question #2: The death of Tom Robinson is entirely due to the overwhelmingly amount of racist and ignorance number people of this town.They all determined from the very start; no mater what the evidence indicates that he was going to die.

Geo Aickareth

5/12/2013 02:49:55 pm

Also it is Bob and his wife who filed the charges so they should be blamed more since they instigated it.

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 10:52:22 am

Thomas I agree with you. The town of Maycomb is very racist towards the black community. Even though they did not have sufficient evidence to back up this conviction they still did. The town of Maycomb probably influenced the jury

Thomas Ledford

5/12/2013 11:27:06 am

Question #2: I agree with Janie about how Mayella was the one who created the lie of the supposed rape, but i believe the father was the real one who feed the lie to her to save her.

Thomas Ledford

5/12/2013 11:32:49 am

Question #2: I agree with sara about the fact that none of this would exist if it weren't for the treatment of Mr. Ewell to Mayella, he was the source of the situation. Without all the suffering and pain he caused her she would not have done what she did, but the actions and precautions she made were of her doing.

Kartik Talwar

5/12/2013 01:44:21 pm

Another reason Harper Lee divides up the book into two different parts is to show how Dill, Scout and Jem felt towards two minorities in the town that are different from everyone else. They thought Boo Radley was scary, violent and a freak, like in, "[Mrs. Radley] also lost most of her teeth, her hair, and her right forefinger (Dill's contribution. Boo bit it off one night when he couldn't find any cats and squirrels to eat)" (Pg. 52). This is showing how the children thought Boo Radley was a crazy monster without ever thinking he was mentally challenged. And for African Americans, "Reverened Sykes came puffing behind us, and steered us gently through the black people in the balcony,"(Pg. 219). This is saying that Scout, Jem and Dill don't mind being around black people or in the balcony for African Americans, which most of the town's people would never have even thought of doing. Another reason that it was split into two parts was to give the reader a back ground on all the characters and how the feel towards African Americans and Boo Radley. The two parts connected well since the book started off talking about Jem's injured arm which the reader was left wondering about. And is found at the end of the book, since it talks about Jem's arm being injured after Boo Radley saved them from Bob Ewell.

Chi Phu

5/12/2013 02:11:07 pm

I believe that the reason for Harper Lee to split the book is to show the growth of Jem and Scout. At the very beginning of the book, both Jem and Scout were very childish and immature. But towards the end they're starting to be more mature. "Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time.....it's because he wants to stay inside." this shows that Jem and Scout are beginning to realize the truth, not whatever the people spread around the county. The splits also shows that Boo Radley helped them at the end from Bob Ewell, he wasn't like what the rumors had described him. The rumors described him as scary, violent, and and freak that never comes out of his house. at the end he helped Jem and Scout escape from Bob Ewell, this shows the true character of Boo Radley.

Geo Aickareth

5/12/2013 02:20:12 pm

Question 1: The women of Maycomb have a real negative connotation towards the black community. This is evidently seen when the reader hears “…nothing more than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen." (Lee 310) This evidently shows The racial segregation and stereotypical judgments. Fortunately this is not the perspective of each member of Maycomb as we also see " The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trail is for everybody, not just us ; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a Negro, there but for the Lord's kindness am I"( pg. 316) This quote also shows the difference of the women of Maycomb. Finally, this influences the case since racial prejudice can sometimes distort the truth.

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 10:48:21 am

I Agree with you Geo about the woman of Maycomb having a negative a
attitude towards the black community there. but their some woman there that do not agree with the majority of them ad you have stated

Geo Aickareth

5/12/2013 02:46:57 pm

Question 2: I believe that there are many factors and people that killed Tom Robinson. The first to blame is the people of Maycomb because of their racist attitudes. They believe that because of his skin color that he is a criminal which is not true. This influences the trial tremendously. The prosecutor is also responsible because of their false claims and accusations. Lastly, I believe Tom Robinson is responsible because he was in the wrong position at the wrong time which led to his demise.

Geo Aickareth

5/13/2013 04:14:54 am

Question 3: In my opinion I believe that Harper did this to express the book as a timeline of events and the blossoming or maturing of an individual. In the beginning, the kids struggle to understand Boo Radley much as the town is stereotypical to Tom Robinson. As they evolve they understand it more and their judgmental thoughts and ideas of Boo Radley are changed. This plays an effective role in the end as they understand Tom Robinson and it all connects together on the motif of racism.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/13/2013 08:16:30 am

Question 1: The majority of the white population in the town of Maycomb look down upon the black population, and look at the black population differently with more discrimination. Some of the women even go as far as calling a black individual by the name of "Darky", this evidentially shows in the case of Tom Robinson. During the trial Atticus clearly gives enough evidence to show that Tom Robinson wasn't guilty of rape, but the jury knew no better because they looked at a black people negatively. Only Atticus, the judge, Atticus's boss, and Miss Maudie, actually see the black population for who they are and not by what other people think of them. Therefor, this lead to the conviction and death of Tom Robinson. Society doesn't take a person for what he/she truly developed into, but what he/she was born into.

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 11:10:19 am

Nithin, I i agree with you mostly until the last part where you say only 3 people are not racist to the Black population. I think there are more people that believe in equality in Maycomb.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/13/2013 08:29:40 am

Question 2: Through all the mess only 2 individuals are responsible for the death of Tom Robinson, and those two would be Mayella and Bob Ewell. Even though Mayella lied to save the kids that she was taking care of, she still persisted the lie that Tom Robinson raped her. Her and her Father took the small accusing all the way to court. This conflict would have been forgotten and Bob Ewell would just keep on beating Mayella, possibly raping her. The fact of the matter is that a simple lie has caused the death of an individual and has created commotion in the small town of Maycomb. Tom Robinson never should have been accused for rape, instead Bob Ewell should have been accused for the constant beating on his daughter and possible rape.

Nithin Kakulavaram

5/13/2013 08:48:19 am

Question 3: From my understandings, I believe that Harper Lee has done and excellent job on connecting the two parts of the story. The first part of the story was to basically give background information about the characters and there stance in society. Lee introduced Boo Radley in the first part of the story, and the Scout and Jem really didn't know what to think of him, but kind of a weird person. In the second part of the book as Scout starts to mature and the story develops, the reader gets a greater understanding of the story and the events that take place in it. Boo Radley finally comes out of his house and we see that he is definitely not a weird person, but he is a person that doesn't want any part of society, an outlaw. The existence of the two parts in the story are key in understanding events that occur with Boo Radley. In all, Harper Lee does and outstanding job linking and connecting the two parts of the story.

Bob

5/13/2013 10:31:28 am

Bitch please wtf is this.

Debbie Nehikhuere

5/13/2013 10:50:13 am

Hey bob, whoever you are just because you don't agree with Nithin doesn't mean you have to be hostile and curse in this, if you do not have anything nice to say, say nothing at all.

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 12:56:06 pm

QUESTION#1: Most of the population in Maycomb is against the black community with the exception of some people there in Maycomb are for black rights. Through the conversation of the women in Chapter 24, we can tell that many woman there have negative connotations such as Mrs. Merriweather through her conversation she conveys her message of White people being better the black people such as when she says " ..Distracting than a sulky darky. Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day to have one of 'em in the kitchen,” and someone who does not value and treat black people the same way as white people. In this quote you can tell she isint really fond of the black community in Maycomb. But there are other people who support the blacks such as Ms. Maudie who is pretty mad at what has been said.

Grace Azuike

5/13/2013 12:57:48 pm

I agree with Nithin, Harper lee divided the book almost as if there was a shift in everything that happened in the story, from Scout maturing, to the town of Maycomb's "maturing" and Tom Robinson's trial almost as a turning point in the whole history of Maycomb

Hussain Azeem

5/13/2013 01:12:50 pm

Through the many people that were involved in the conviction of Tom i think Mayella is ultimatley to blame. Mayella lied through out the trial to save her self from her father who had beaten her from kissing a black man. She cpuld have told the truth and instead of Tom be tried her father would be and may be they would sentence him.

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/13/2013 01:13:19 pm

Question 1:
To keep it simple: basically what is brought up in the conversation is that "all Negroes lie,that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women" (273). This shows the ignorance of many white people living in Maycomb at this time. Maycomb's white people have a negative attitude towards black people, solely for the reason that their skin color is black. They see a color, and they automatically reference negative qualities with the black population. This affects the trial because rather than looking at the evidence, the jury is judging Tom by his color. And in the end he is guilty for rape because of his color, even though he clearly didn't do it.

Grace Azuike link

5/13/2013 01:21:23 pm

Question 1
The trial of Tom Robinson and the high tea is the point in the book where you see how almost every member of Maycomb feels on the black community, they may have coincided "quietly" in the past but now it shows that what was done in quiet will come out, Ms. Maudie being the only one standing up for the blacks shows the racial tension the town may have had ALL this time and never knew

Ragini Kondetimmanahalli

5/13/2013 01:21:27 pm

Question 3:
As others have been saying, I believe that the book is split up the way it is because Harper Lee wanted to show how the children grow from the beginning to the end. In the first part, we are introduced to the children and we begin to see the children's enchantment in finding and interacting with Boo Radley. The trial is of course mentioned in the first part, but is not the main point. In the second part, we see Scout and Jem grow a little older and see how they understand about the world more. The trial is the main event that happens in the 2nd part. In the end, when Bob Ewell starts to follow Jem and Scout, Boo Radley comes out of his house in order to save Scout. Because of his love for the children, he comes out of his house. I think it has an effective ending since it ties the first story back to the second. It's basically what everyone else has been saying :P

Grace Azuike

5/13/2013 01:28:41 pm

Question 3
Harper Lee divided this into two parts to show the maturity level of scout and Jem in between both, they grow up and start to understand things about Maycomb that they didn't nessicarily understand before, the title of the boook is a symbol/variation of the theme, Scout's maturing isn't the killing of her innocence but Tom Robinson's Trial also ties into the title of the book. Could Tom REALLY be the mocking bird of this book? Or is the mokingbird of this book a symbolism of character instead of an actual character?

Grace Azuike

5/13/2013 01:36:42 pm

Question 2
Tom Robinson's death's responsibility must be blamed on himself, like I said betore, he never should've left that cell and tried to escape. Now if he had died by execution my answer would be VERY different, but since that is not the case no one can be blamed but himself.

anal

2/12/2018 03:40:15 pm

slob on my nob like corn on the cob

fatma

4/9/2019 02:04:05 pm

what in the world is this a class?

Period 7 - Discussion Questions

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