Rossiter's TKAM Blog 2019

"'You know something, Scout? I've got it all figured out, now. There's four kinds of folks in the world. There's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there's the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes'" (Lee, 258). In this instance, Jem is completely correct. In the town of Maycomb, there are only these four types of people, although it can be argued that there should also be another category, one which would fit Boo Radley better because although he might be similar to an Ewell, at the same time, he couldn't be more different.  Jem states that he had been thinking, and he finally figured it all out. In the beginning, Jem was under an illusion that everything was perfect in the world, and his town was just another cute little town where everyone was happy. This obviously wasn’t true, and Jem first understood this because of Boo and Nathan Radley. This trial also changed Je...

1.) What do we learn has happened to Atticus and how do we find this out? Are you surprised by his reaction? In Chapter 22 we find out that the morning after the trial Atticus goes to the post office. He encounters Bob Ewell. Mr. Eweel spits on Atticus's face and threatens him. When he gets back to his children and Aunt A the only thing he mentions is that he wishes that Mr.Ewell didn’t chew tobacco. I was very surprised by the reaction that Atticus displayed. He didn’t fight back. He didn’t say anything mean or hurtful to Mr.Ewell he just took out his handkerchief rubbed off the spit and kept walking. In the text it says “Miss Stephanie said Atticus didn’t bat an eye, just took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and stood there and let Mr.Ewell call him names wild horses could not bring her to repat.” this quote goes back to the point I made earlier about Atticus how he just went on with his day. He even said that Mr. Ewell had to take out his anger on someone and he sai...

Jem and Atticus are discussing Tom Robinson's case, Jem obstinately attempting to find a way to change the jury’s verdict, when Atticus tells him that “If you had been on that jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man. So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process” (251). Unlike many other white people in Maycomb, Jem has had a more open-minded and arguably liberal (for the 1930s) upbringing. He has seen his father choose duty and empathy over racism, defy an intolerant town, and speak about equality in courts. He has also been exposed to the black community and learned multiple lessons on how the Maycomb way is toxic and dangerous. Race has not yet influenced his reasoning. However, many Maycomb citizens are not as lucky. In the 1930s Alabama, there was no room for white people who respected African Americans or thought that they deserved equal rights. Being taught that black people are inferior, that there need be no equality, th...

According to Jem, there are four types of people in Maycomb-" There's four kinds of folks in the world. there's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there's the kind like the cunninghams out in the woods the kind like the Ewells down at the dump and the negroes." Harper Lee is showing a divide in the town that Jem and Scout have not yet seen. The Trial shifted his point of view. Before, he thought there was just Maycomb and they were all the same, like Scout does. During the trial, he sees that Maycomb can be cruel because Tom Robinson was clearly not guilty, yet that is what they said he was. This shows that is more than wealth and black and white like the kids are used to, but opinions and racism. Both Jem and Scout see how racist parts of the town can be. That is what really divides Maycomb.  The utopia they thought they lived in is not what they thought. The town is filled with hate and that is what separates people. "The thing about it is, ou...

Scout's perspective on Mr. Raymond shows how the town has spread rumors about him. When Scout, Jem, and Dill first meet Mr. Raymond, they were surprised that Mr. Raymond was trying to"corrupt" Dill by giving him Whiskey that they later find out is actually coca-cola. Mr. Raymond tells Scout that "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason"(228). Because Mr. Raymond doesn't follow the racist Maycomb way, people often try to find reasons like assuming that he is drunk all the time. Most people in Maycomb don't think of the way Dolphus Raymond live or liking African Americans as reasonable behaviors which is why they resort to finding reasons. These encounters with Racism Harper Lee has created will help Scout better understand the real world and how people act. Having Scout see her father lose a case as "simple as black and white"(231). and that Dolphus Raymond does not really drink alcohol is g...

In the beginning of chapter 20, Dolphus Raymond stops the kids and  has a conversation with them. Dolphus Raymond offers Dill a sip of  his drink and Dill accepts his offer. The kids are surprised to find out  that the drink in his cup all this time has been Coca-Cola instead of  alcohol. This is because there has been a stereotype put on Dolphus  Raymond that he is an alcoholic and he is an evil man. Everyone in  Maycomb has a stereotype about them whether they like it or not. This is  just the “Maycomb Way” and this is how this town has always worked.  Dolphus Raymond puts this stereotype on himself because he does not  care how the people of Maycomb view his decisions. He does this  because it makes it easier for people to understand why he spends so  much time with black people. While he is talking with Scout he explains t o her the reason why he pretends, “‘Well, it’s very simple,’ he said. ‘Some ...

At the end of chapter 20, Scout talks about Atticus' exit out of the courtroom. After the decision was made that Tom Robinson was indeed guilty, Atticus whispers something to him and walks out of the room. Scout says that "he must have wanted to go home the short way because he walked quickly down the middle aisle... he did not look up" (241). This shows that Atticus was either wanted to take the "short way" as Scout said or Atticus was deeply upset about the turnout of the case. After all, Atticus worked nonstop to prepare for this case and got to know Tom Robinson for the hard-working and kind family man he is, but when he got in front of the public, they must not have seen the same. Jem was very sure that the jury would finally make the right decision and say that Tom was not guilty, so maybe Atticus felt the same. He made all the right points and caught both Mr. Ewell and Mayella in lies, but still, the jury decided that the white man would win. Although Att...

Dill and Scout ran out of the court only to have Dolphus Raymond stumbles upon them. He confesses to both of them that he is no evil man, which Scout thinks at first and questions herself if they should go away from him. The Children find out that the supposed liquor that he is constantly drinking out of the paper bag is Coca Cola. Dolphus Raymond says, “Secretly Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that's the way I want to live” (228). Harper Lee puts this line in the text to show how Dolphus copes with his feelings towards the discrimination that black folks face in Maycomb. How it is so easy to get a bad reputation if you don’t fit the Maycomb Way. He is seen as a “sinful” person who drinks constantly because that is the image he wants people to see. He puts fraud against himself and it’s his way of connecting to the black community. This is important for Scouts growth because she is learning how...

Tom Robinson walks by the Ewells’ home everyday as he lives close by. Mayella Ewell would often ask Mr. Robinson if he could help her with work in the house. On the day of the incident Mayella asked Mr. Robinson if he could come inside and help her get a box down from the “chiffarobe” (220). While being questioned Tom explained that when he went to get the box down Mayella jumped into his arms and tried to kiss him. As Tom attempted to break free, Mayella ran and blocked the door. Just when Mr. Robinson said “lemme pass”, Mr. Ewell came running and that’s when Tom pushed her aside and ran. Having an all white jury will never give Tom the advantage, especially as a black man in 1930s Alabama. In my opinion the jury will not believe Tom’s version of the incident. Most people will not go out of their way to do “all this chopping and work from sheer goodness,” as Mr. Gilmer had said (224). The jury would most likely be suspicious of him doing all this charity work for her becaus...

What does Tom Robinson suggest happened on the day of the rape? Do you think the jury will believe his version of events? Explain why you think this.    Tom Robinson’s version of events was very different from what Mayella said. Tom said “ Why yes suh, I’d tip m’hat when I’d go by, and one day she asked me to come inside the fence and bust up a chiffarobe for her.’’ ( Lee, 217) Tom clearly said this happened last spring, not on November 21st when Mayella says she was raped. Tom also states “ She reached up an’ kissed me’ side of th’ face. She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count. She says, ‘kiss me back, nigger.’ I say Miss Mayella lemme outta here an’ tried to run but she got her back to the door an’ I’ da had to push her.” (Lee, 221) This shows us that Mayella is lying based on Tom’s side of the story. Tom also tells the judge and the jury that Mr. Ewell hollered...

2.) What does Tom Robinson suggest happened the day of the rape? Do you think the jury will believe his version of events? Explain why you think this. Tom Robinson had a very different view of the events that took place on November 21, but because of his race he isn’t respected or trusted.  Tom’s view of the events that took place are on pages 221 and 222. A summary of the events is that she trapped him and tries to hug and kiss him. This is opposite to the claim that she and her father made and will be difficult for the all-white jury to believe. Atticus also doesn’t think the jury will believe Tom Robinson and he says so on page 87. “Atticus, are we going to win it?” “No honey.” “Then why-” “Simply because we were licked 100 years before we started doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to win” (Lee, 87).  Here Atticus is saying that he knows that he won’t win the case but that he still has to try. Atticus says that he is at a disadvantage because of how Black peop...

During the trial, Harper Lee depicted Mayella as a young girl who seemed lonely. She herself said she had no friends and Scout realized that the girl was lonelier than Boo Radley. It seems that Mayella’s testimony was inconsistent. She was fidgeting and hesitating, like she didn’t know how to answer Atticus’ questions. At one point Mayella said, “He does tollable, ‘cept when–” (208). Mayella is referring to her father when Atticus asked her if he was good to her. Mayella knew she had to answer a certain way but couldn’t lie and after that, there’s a paragraph stating how Mr. Bob Ewell stiffened as if he was expecting her to rat him out. Maybe she was manipulated by her father and maybe he threatened her. There is evidence that could prove that it wasn’t Tom Robinson. For example, Tom’s hand was crippled at the age of 8, which means he couldn’t have strangled her with one hand if there were finger marks and it was hard enough to hurt her. Why might her father have the motive to her May...

In chapter 17, Scout gives a description of the Ewell family yard. The yard is full of trash and random items scattered all around the fence inclosed yard. Scout says that there was “the remains of a Model-T Ford, a discarded dentist chair, an ancient icebox, plus lesser items” (194). The Ewell family is very poor, which is most likely the reason why their yard is such a mess. Although Lee describes in great detail, the mess that their yard is, she also makes a point to emphasize a corner of the yard, that has very well taken care of, very pretty, red geraniums, that Miss Maudie planted. These geraniums help to make the yard look a little nicer but are also used as a symbol for the Ewell family, and maybe even all of Maycom. And that is that although something may look all bad, there is still good in it. For example, Atticus explains to Scout that although he had plans to kill him, he believes that he is still a person.There are many things wrong with the town of Maycomb, ...

The Ewell place is an old cabin behind the town dump. According to Scout, “ The cabin’s plank walls were supplemented with sheets of corrugated iron, its roof shingled with tin cans hammered flat...Its windows were merely holes in the wall…” (194). The Ewells are just scraping by. Mr. Ewell said that he could not even go get the doctor for Mayella because it would have cost him too much. However, there are geraniums in the yard because Harper Lee is trying to show that even though the Ewell’s are poor , they still have more than an African American family. The geraniums show the light and hope in the dull, falling apart cabin/house. Also at the beginning of the book, Scout describes the Ewells as animals, but if the geraniums are tended by Mayella, it shows that she is human like the rest of Maycomb. If Mayella is human, it goes against the Maycomb ways because the Ewells are not supposed to be civil. The Ewells are supposed to hunt out of season, act like wild animals,...

The significance of Harper Lee including that the children sit in the “colored section” during the trial offers them a different perspective. The “Maycomb Way” is self-centered around white people and disrespect towards colored ones. Luckily for Jem and Scout, they have a father who is respectful to both races and sets a good example for his children. On page 186, the book states, “...[Reverend Sykes] steered us gently through the black people in the balcony. Four Negroes rose and gave us their front-row seats.” This text shows the inequality of black people in the 1930’s and having to give up your seat to white folks. This scene also gives Jem and Scout the ability to step inside their shoes and feel what they feel. The main takeaway from this passage is that Jem and Scout did not think about sitting with the colored people. Right when Reverend Sykes offers to sit on the balcony with them, they say “Gosh yes” without hesitation. Harper Lee includes this scene at the trial to ...

Dolphus Raymond is in the book because he represents one of many outsiders that don’t fit into the ‘Maycomb Way.’ Dolphus plays a small part, but his role helps Scout and Dill growth. When Dill asks why the white guy sits with the black people, Jem says, “Always does. He like ‘em better’n he likes us, I reckon. Lives by himself way down near the county line. He’s got a colored woman and all sorts of mixed chillun…”(183.) This is Jem’s description of the man, so while it may not be completely accurate, the reader can infer that this guy definitely does not fit into the county’s lifestyle. Harper Lee chooses to include Dolphus because even with his flaws, he foreshadows the future of Maycomb. The fact that they see Mr. Raymond right before the trial is significant because Dolphus represents de-segregation, and Atticus is going to have to fight racism in Maycomb. Dill can learn from this experience because he now has a whole new take on Maycomb. And because Scout is more matu...

              These chapters are in the book to introduce the conflicts in part two, Aunt Alexandra and Tom Robinson. After Dill, Jem, and Scout leave the house after dark to follow Atticus, they discover their father and a group of men outside the jail arguing, "In ones and twos, men got out of their cars.  Shadows became substance as light revealed solid shapes moving towards the jail door. Atticus remained where he was", "'You know what we want,' another man said. 'Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch,'" (171-172). This is about Tim Robinson, as these men want to hurt him for being accused of rape. These chapters are also developing Aunt Alexandra's character. We were already introduced to Aunt Alexandra, but we didn't know she would be a main character in the book until she was reintroduced later. Now that she is living with Scout, she is talking to Atticus about teaching Scout how to be more lady-like and proper. Scout is very displeas...

What is it that caused a mob to form? To disperse? Why do people do things while part of a mob they would not do on their own? Greenup In the first of the two chapters of the reading,  a mob forms in front of the Finch’s house. This is obviously an unusual occurrence, as Scout tells us that  “In Maycomb, grown men stood outside in the front yard for only two reasons, death and politics” (165). This sets the mood of the chapter in a dark, almost foreboding light, and foreshadows the many important events to come.  Scout immediately assumes that the first of the two options has occurred, blind to the social unrest erupting between the Finch family and the Maycomb citizens. Unlike Scout, Jem understand the situation and is in fear of what could happen.  This is another example of Jem’s maturity over Scout. The mob forms to discuss the impending decision on the placement of Tom Robinson. The people seem friendly enough, yet band together against Atticu...

           Throughout Chapters 12 and 13 the main two focuses are on the new dynamic between Jem and Scout, and the build up to Atticus' trial. Earlier in the book, Scout and Jem were very close, and it was very rare that they would not be seen together. Now, Jem is in a new phase of his life, he is becoming a teenager. Jem now views himself as an adult, while Scout is still a child. The Finch siblings do not share the same interests, and  relationship is changing. In these two chapters, Scout and Dill are often together, while Jem is alone doing other things. When Dill is discovered under Scout's bed, Jem betrays the trust that the kids once had, or as Harper Lee says, "he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood" (159). Jem no longer sees himself as a peer of Dill and Scout, but as a superior.             The other main focus in these two chapters is on the build up of the Tom Robinson case and trial. As the t...

In Chapter 13, Aunt Alexandra moves in with Atticus, Jem and Scout to keep them from doing what she thinks is ruining their family’s reputation. She doesn’t like how Atticus is raising his children, so she moves in and changes their lifestyle. Harper Lee uses the conversation between Atticus, Jem and Scout at the end of Chapter 13 to show how Aunt Alexandra is manipulating Atticus. Scout notices how Atticus was acting different and cries because “This was not my father. My father never thought these thoughts. My father never spoke so. Aunt Alexandra had put him up to this, somehow” (151). Aunt Alexandra thinks that how Jem and Scout act is ruining the family’s reputation. She is trying to change how he is raising them because she hopes to change their behavior. According to Aunt Alexandra, her and Atticus decided that it would be best for Scout to have some “feminine influence.” Aunt Alexandra does not like how Atticus allows Scout to act unladylike, so she tries to change Scout’s beh...