Atticus tells Jem: “So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process.” What is he talking about? - Rafaela Datel
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, that courts can sentence a black man to death without any evidence at all except for a shaky, untrustworthy testimony, are all things that “[infer] with your reasoning process.” Those who grow up believing that racism is “okay” and “normal” are the kind of people who end up saying Tom Robinson is guilty for a crime he didn’t commit because they don’t believe the word of a black man against the word of a white man, or they prefer to adhere to the social norms they’ve been influenced by their entire life. If it wasn't for these factors impacting the jury, Tom may be a free man.
Why did Aunt Alexandra tell Scout she couldn’t play with Walter Cunningham anymore?
Why is Jem so angry about the trial’s verdict?
Explain Atticus’ reaction to Bob Ewells’ threat.
What does the last paragraph of Chapter 23 mean?
Atticus was not mad with Bob Ewell for spitting at him or threatening him. Bob Ewell threatened Atticus but his not worried or frightened at all because he believes that he is just talk and he won't do anything. Atticus says that he is ok with Mr. Ewell taking his anger out out on him because if he didn't he would have taken his anger and rage out on the kids. Atticus considers Ewell's threat a way to save the Ewell children from their own father. When Jem and Scout found out that Mr. Ewell threatened Atticus they asked him to get a gun for protection but Atticus thinks Ewell is all talk which I think is true.
ReplyDeleteExplain Atticus’ reaction to Bob Ewells’ threat.
ReplyDeleteAtticus didn’t have any reaction to Bob Ewell’s threat and walked away calmly from him. I think Harper Lee is showing how hard it is to get to Atticus with the knowledge that he has. Instead of Atticus taking it personally, he looked beyond what was said and analyzed the situation. He knew how he had destroyed Bob’s evidence in court and how it was his way of a comeback to him. It shows how this reflects on Scout and how she thinks and will analyze situations in the future.
Aunt Alexandra told Scout she could not play with Walter Cunningham because Aunt Alexandra thinks that it would tarnish the Finch name. Aunt Alexandra is very old fashioned, especially when it comes to families. Unlike Scout, Aunt Alexandra does not consider that just because someone is from a certain family, they can be different from their relatives. Since the Cunninghams are considered to be less fortunate than the Finch's, Aunt Alexandra automatically prohibits Scout from having any relation to them. Aunt Alexandra has never met Walter, but once she heard his last name, she thought that he was not worthy of being around Scout. This would be slightly more reasonable if it was the Ewells, because not only are they less fortunate than the Finch's, they are not respectable. Scout hanging out with one the Ewell children would make sense to prohibit, but the Cunningham family are respectable people.
ReplyDeleteAunt Alexandra told Scout that she couldn’t play with Walter Cunningham because of how the Maycomb way labels his family. Aunt Alexandra constantly worries about her family’s reputation. She thinks that Scout playing with a Cunningham will destroy the family name. At the end of Chapter 23, Jem tells Scout, “our kind of folks don’t like the Cunninghams, the Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells, and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks”(258). According to Jem’s explanation, the Cunninghams are less respected in Maycomb than the Finches. Aunt Alexandra thinks that if Scout is seen with someone who is less respected, then their family will become less respected. Aunt Alexandra is very worried about the family’s reputation after the trial, so she is doing everything she can to prevent it from being destroyed.
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