Reader Response Forum Chapters 15-21
What is your opinion on the Tom Robinson trial? (Nick & Evan)
I think it will be a bias court trial. People shouldn't be mad at Atticus for doing his job and being a lawyer.
In your opinion, what type of character is Jem? Is Jem a static or dynamic character? Also, is Jem a round or flat character? Explain.
I feel Jem is a dynamic character. He changes over time, examples from the book say in the beginning he hung out with Jean a lot, doing plays, playing in the snow, climbing trees, being obsessed wit the Radley's, and playing in the tree house. Now he sits in his room reading magazines, and being less active with Jean as he gets older.
I think that Jem is a dynamic characters because of how she used to be playful and full of energy, but then as time went on, she became more lazy and not as active.
I definitely agree. Jem is a dynamic character because he changes over time by as we know in the beginning he is more involved with Scout doing plays hanging with Dill. He is definitely full of energy he is growing up and wants to get more involved. As we also know later on Jem starts not hanging with Scout and Dill, becoming more independent so that is definitely a change.
I definitely agree. Jem is a dynamic character because he changes over time by as we know in the beginning he is more involved with Scout doing plays hanging with Dill. He is definitely full of energy he is growing up and wants to get more involved. As we also know later on Jem starts not hanging with Scout and Dill, becoming more independent so that is definitely a change.
Jem is a dynamic and round character. She's dynamic because she grows and mature over time as the story progress. She's a round character because she has more than one personality traits. Jem isn't judgemental and she is very curious when it comes to segregation.
Jem is a dynamic character. she's a dynamic character because she matured over time. In the beginning of the novel she was just a child that was very stubborn, closed minded, and a follower. she followed Scout everywhere he went and wasn't her own person. But, throughout the novel her and Scout did their own thing and became their own person, Jem became friends with a variety of people instead of just her brother. She learned how to not let people get to her. For example she learned that fighting didn't solve anything when Atticus told her not to fight anymore. she left stuff go and kept moving forward. She's a round character too. She's a round character because she has more than one personality. Jem can be hostile when it comes to defending people she cares about. But, also be level headed when Scout and Dill wants to do something irrational. When it came to Boo Radley she was very curious but, at the same time cautious. She was aware of the possible threat but, at the same time was curious to see if the rumors were all true.
Jem is a dynamic character because he has changed from more of a hot head to a very laid back kid, which he calls himself a gentleman.
I feel that Jem is a dynamic character. I think this because from the beginning of the book he has been maturing into a different person, and people even call him Mister Jem. Also, I feel that Jem in this story is a round character, because throughout the story his feeling towards different matters and his personality changes.
Jem is a Dynamic character because he has changed from a energetic, playful child to a laid back, lazy adult.
I think Jem is a dynamic character because his personality has definitely calmed down over the course of the book.
In the beginning of the book he was a very lively character especially when he first met Dill. However towards the end of the book Jem became very mature and a much more laid back character. He also seemed like more of a parenting figure towards Scout than a brother.
An example of this can be found on page 66 when Jem says, "Don't you cry, now, Scout... don't cry now, don't you worry-" as he comforts her on their way to school.
In my opinion, Jem is a very dynamic character because hes going through his puberty years. it even says at the beginning of chapter 12, scout says he was very different to live with. very inconsistent. Also Jem is a round character because of the fact that he changes a lot through the story, and very complicated to understand throughout the novel.
Elaborating on my last comment posted. Jem is a Dynamic character because, like I said, he's maturing and doesn't want to be bothered by anyone. He wants to do things on his own and doesn't want to hang around scout that much anymore. At the beginning of chapter 12, scout also says that Jem was very different to live with. Elaborating on how Jem's a round character is, he takes a lot of harassment when Atticus is fighting for Tom Robinson. And Jem has to learn to take the constructive criticism throughout the case. So, this is what I believe how Jem is a dynamic and round character.
A quote that accompanies my comment well is,
"Jem is growing, becoming very inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him that I consulted Atticus. He said he was growing scout."
This is basically the epitome of what I said and perfectly accompanies this.
In my opinion, Jem is a dynamic character and a round character. He is a dynamic character because throughout the book he matured, and toward the beginning of the book he always played outside and played games, but towards the end of the book he sat in his room and read his sports magazine. Also, Jem is a round character because his views on different topics changed throughout the book.
In addition to my last post, Jem is a dynamic character because throughout the book he matures. In the beginning of the book Jem would always play outside with scout, "'Well, are we gonna play anything or not?' 'Let's roll in the tire,' I suggested." Towards the end of the book Jem doesn't want to hang out with Scout as much. Also towards the end of the book Jem becomes a lot more mature, "As we grew older, Jem and I thought it generous to allow Atticus thirty minutes to himself after supper." (135)
I think Jem is a dynamic and round character because threw out the book he was growing up, changing, and maturing. He went from being a little childish to more of an adult in a way.
I think Jem is a dynamic and round character, but sometimes a flat character. In the beginning of the book him and Scout would always be out in the backyard reciting made up plays and playing games. Through out the book Jem had gotten older and lost interest in playing games with his sister and stopped acting out made up scenes, and became more interested in what his father, Atticus, was doing in the line of law. Towards the end of the book when it came time for the pageant Jem left Scout and Cecil to go off and be with kids his age. As for a round character when he was going through phases of becoming a young man as Aunt Alexandra had said he seemed to be conflicted and unsure of himself. When Jem went to town to buy a train he had his eye on and a baton for his sister he seemed rather happy to be getting his sister and himself the items. On the way home, however, when Jem had snapped her baton it seemed as though he didn't want to but that he only did because he was so frustrated that he figured that would be the best thing to take his anger out on. Although through other times such as the trial to me he seemed like a flat character where he was very sure of himself in knowing what his father and Mr. Tate were doing, and was almost certain of the whole thing in knowing his father was right. During these more serious times Jem didn't seem conflicted in any manner.
I believe that Jem is a dynamic character because as the book progresses he starts to grow out of the things he used to do with scout when they were younger, like putting on plays in there backyard, being obsessed with making Boo Radely come out and creating games to do with Dill. I also believe that Jem is a round character because as the book goes on his personality changes because at the beginning he was carefree then as the book progresses he starts to take things more seriously like Tom Robinsons trial and what is going on in maycomb.
Jem, in my opinion, is a dynamic character. He changes from a happy, adventurous kid, to having to grow up really quick and losing what he used to be. He was a round character, and changed into a static character towards the end of the novel.
I think that Jem is a dynastic character. throughout the book he has matured and grown up. in the beginning he was always wanting to play with his siter outside and always making up games that Scout and them have created. Now he is always in his room reading magazines and not really paying attention to his sister.
Jem is a dynamic character, he started off childish and hot headed. He wanted to fight people when he was upset. Then he matured into a gentlemen. he discovered was was important in life and what he needed to do the help his family. He was a round character because he has changed over time. "Jem is growing, becoming very inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him that I consulted Atticus. He said he was growing scout."
I think that Jem is a flat character because you don't really hear much about or from him. When we do hear from him he doesn't say much and he doesn't really have to much to do with what is going on throughout the story except for the fact that he is Scout's brother.
I think that no matter how much proof of Tom Robinson's innocence there is, he will still end up proven guilty because of his skin color. I can infer that based on the time period and the racism shown throughout the book. Some racism shown was when Scout was made fun of for being a "nigger lover".
I think the trial is very biased towards Tom Robinson only because he's black because in maycomb they don't like colored people especially the ewells.
I think the trial will not be fair and it will be a bias trial. they will not support him because he is black.
My opinion on the Tom Robinsons Trial is that he didn't do it, and the people are judging him on his race not the actual situation. I do not think his trial was fair because he didn't do anything wrong, it said right in the book he couldn't have do to an injury, yet he was still found guilty.
My opinion on the Tom Robinson case is that it's completely bias and judgmental. The favors were not in Tom's favor whatsoever. Just because Tom is who he is automatically gives him a disadvantage in the trial.
The case is completely bias and Tom Robinson wont get a fair trial because of his skin color. He's automatically at a disadvantage because of the racism that occurs in the town.
I think the Tom Robertson trial was totally unfair. There is no way that Tom should have lost, he was telling the honest truth. And there is no way that he could have possibly done it, his one hand that would have done the punching was in no use and was much smaller than the other hand. And the fact that when Mr. Edwell returned and started yelling at his daughter and threatened to beat her up means that he obviously did it.
I think it was a biased trial. Everyone knew Tom Robinson was innocent, but because he was black he got blamed for it.
I think Tom's trail was treated unfairly. No one would believe his side of the story because he is black and all the jury members were white and do not like blacks. Also the lawyer for the Ewell's flipped the story around to make it seem that Tom did do it and that he was lying.
The Tom Robbinson case is very similar to the Scottsboro case in the fact that both cases had lies intwined in the testimonies of the wittnesses and victims. Also in both cases the accused was pronounced guilty.
My opinion on the trial is that all the evidence and lack of evidence favors Tom Robinson. With Bob Ewell being left handed and Mayella Ewell having a black eye on her right eye. Also, I feel that Tom Robinson's side of the story will not be believed because of the town being so racist towards blacks. When he tells what happened in his point of view, you can tell by the mood that the crowd doesn't believe him.
I think it was unfair because Atticus put out good evidence that Tom did not commit the crime, but people still accused.
I also think the trial will be bias just because of his race, mainly because of the time period in which this story takes place.
In addition most of the people in Maycomb are very judgmental. For instance Boo Radley was never actually convicted for the stabbing. People assumed we was because he was different. He was and outcast to begin with. Everyone assumes the worst. since Tom is colored he will be treated like an animal not a human. "the evil assumption that all Negros lie-that all Negros are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around women, an assumption one associates with minds on their caliber." (232)
I think the trial is biased, and unfair. Do to tom being a negro, and in that time they didn't have nearly as many rights as white people, do to jim crow laws. Atticus and his family receive a lot of hate for supporting a negro.
It was very interesting cause their was alot of lies and drama. like Mayella's dad lied about her getting raped and slaped. when that was actually her father who did that to her and not Tom Robinson.
My opinion on Tom Robinsons trial is that it isn't exactly fair. It isn't fair because of the Jim Crowe laws which say "separate but equal" obviously isn't true, if Tom Robinson felt bad for Mayella then how is it equal? Tom said he felt sorry for her and he got reprimanded for "insulting" them. Tom wasn't treated fairly at all because he was black. For the time whites even though they lived worse then blacks and were definitely worse, for a black to sympathize for a white was wrong. That's why the trial wasn't fair because if he couldn't even feel sorry without offending someone, how could he be given a fair trail?
I agree.
My opinion on the whole case it that it its very unfair. there is hard core evidence proving tom not guilty some examples; an all white jury, he would of had to use to us his none dominant hand and it is useless his arm was in an accident and he has no use of it therefore there is almost no way possible he could of done it. I think he was accused guilty cause of his skin.
My opinion on the Tom Robinson trial is that the verdict was wrong. Due to the time period there was a lot of segregation between races. Like Atticus said "this trial is black against white"(203). If Mayalla was not White the verdict could have not been the same.
My opinion of the Tom Robinson trial is that it was unruly and unfair. It's pathetic that he was found guilty, even though the evidence clearly showed he wasn't. Yes, we have to think back to the 1930's. The prejudice was highly common, but in my opinion, it was clearly set on him being guilty, because he was a colored man. Also, the jury was all white. That means that even if he was found innocent, he would still be guilty for anything the jury wanted him to be for. Tom Robinson even has evidence of his left arm being shorter than his right, because of years ago at the cotton gin when he got left arm stuck in it. Even when Atticus tries as hard as he could to get him innocent, he couldn't win. He couldn't win just because white people didn't approve colored people.
My opinion on the Tom Robinson trial is that it will be very biased. I think that even if tom Robinson did not even really rape her. (which I don't think he did) Then he will still get accused of doing it because of his skin color.
My opinion of the Tom Robertson trial is that it was completely unfair to Tom because it was obviouse that he was innocent but because he was black they voted guilty.
I think it was a bias trial, my reason for saying that is because all of the jury is white and they all dislike the blacks of Maycomb and could careless of what happens to them. I also believe that it was an unfair trial because of the way the witness's lied about what happened and he was found guilty in the end anyways.
My opinion on the Tom Robinson Case is that Tom is not guilty but since the color of his skin is different people just go against him. like Atticus said " this Trial is not man vs. Women is is white vs. black".
I think these courts are similar about black people got disadvantages because they are black.
My opinion on the Tom Robinson case is that tom is not guilty because there were marks on both sides of Mayellas neck and Toms left arm was shorter because it got stuck in a cotton gin a while earlier. since the jury was all white i think they also just felt like siding with Mayella because she was white and Tom was not. Like Atticus said "This case is as simple as white and black."(203)
The whole thing was based on what this whole book was basically about, and that was being unequal. The entire trail was biased. One person who is there only to be doing what they need to do is wrong.
The trial will be bias and racist considering the time period and the small town in that period, and there will probably be a white jury.
I think the outcome was utterly ridiculous. Its very obvious that Tom did not lay a hand on mayella yet he was still found guilty. It outrages me because we all know the only reason he was found guilty because he was of color and the jury was made up of white men.
I believe that the trial was unfair and bias because Tom Robinson is African American and most of the town if not the whole thing is racist.
I think that people should not blame Atticus and be mad at him because he knows the truth about what happen and believes a black man.
my opinion is that the trail was made uyp of a pretty good amount of racist people i mean look at when it was tom turn to go to the stand he was constantly made fun of by the other lawyer
I think the trial was biased. Tom didn't do what they said. She got caught messing with him and tried to get out of it. Tom wasn't going to get a fair trial.
How is the Tom Robinson trial similar to the Scottsboro Case?(Nick & Evan)
The Tom Robinson trial is very similar to the Scottsborough trial because not only are the names similar, both of the men accused for rape are innocent but proven guilty. Also, in both the trails the women were completely willing to be with the men.
In the Tom Robinson trial there are many similarities with the Scottsboro trial. They both involve a black man raping a white woman and it appearing as a court case. Both black men in both trials were proven guilty but vere acutely innocent.
They are both the same because they both deal with colored people being accused of rape on white girls. Although they were accused they were both innocent but they were found guilty because of a bias towards black people.
It's similar because both of the people accused in these cases were found guilty because they were black. Even thought the evidence against them wasn't accurate they were still found guilty. Also, in the Scottsboro case the one boy that got charged with death that wasn't even possible because of his illness is like Tom Robinson hitting Mrs.Ewell. That wasn't possible because he was left handed.
The Tom Robinson case and the Scottsboro case are very similar. Both of the victims were white woman and they both weren't being truthful. In the Tom Robinson case Mrs.Ewells was lying about Tom raping her because she wanted him to love her. In the Scottsboro case Victoria Price lied about being raped because she wanted the attention and fame from the case. But, at the same time both victims were different because they lied for different reasons.
I think that the Scottsboro case is similar to the Tom Robinson trial because in the Scottsboro case one of the boy who were tried and found guilty also had a medical history that would have made raping the girl very difficult. Also there was a biased jury, crowd, and town and both of the cases involve black people supposedly raping a white girl.
They are similar because they are both racially biased cases with suspect witnesses that would change their story easily.
Tom Robinsons case is similar to the Scottsboro case because they were both very unfair and racist. In both cases the people didn't believe what the black people were saying and had horrible stereotypes. They thought that because the people were black that they would do these horrible things and that they were lying. The black people were never given a fair chance in both cases.
The Scottsboro case is similar to the Tom Robinson case because, they were both accused of raping a young(19 years old) women. Another reason how the two cases are similar is, they both are guilty when both girls have something their hiding. Like Mayella lying when her father actually beat her.
Adding on to my last post, the Scottsboro case is similar to the Tom Robinson case because, like I said, the girls both accused the black men of Raping them and they were lying about it. Adding on to how they were lying, Ruby Bates was following along with whatever Victoria Price said to the police. And also, when Bob Ewell beat Mayella, he probably told her to say something not true or he would beat her to death again. Also, both Juries didn't care about the case at hand, they juries were too prejudice and only wanted the white girls to win. One last way how I think the cases are similar is, both cases were filled with crowds that could turn the way the case was determined. This is how I believe the two cases are similar.
Some more ways on how the two pieces are similar is, the African Americans both had white people defending them at the trial. For example, Atticus was defending Tom Robinson and the Scottsboro boys were defended by Samuel Leibowitz.
The Tom Robinson trial is very similar to the scottsborrow case. In both trials it is a black man accused of raping a white woman, and the men are both innocent. Also, in the trials the jury bases their decision on race, and accuses the scottsborrow boys and Tom Robinson of being guilty only because they are black.
I thought it took the jury longer to make a verdict because they all had to come to one solid sentence as a group and maybe some members on the jury thought he was really innocent where others thought he was guilty and it took them longer to convince the sides to come together to make one decision.
It is similar because in both cases negroes were accused of rape, unfair trial, and both a proven to be guilty. Although most likely both were innocent.
Its similar cause Tom Robinson is innocent just like the black boys, Mayella's dad is just like Victoria cause they both make up lies and don't let their siblings talk at all. Mayella is quiet just like Ruby their both quiet and agree to anything cause they don't want to get involved in anything.
The Scottsboro case and Tom Robinsons case from To Kill A Mockingbird for both quite similar in the fact that although both sets of accusers were telling lies they were believed only because they were white and no other reason. Tom and the Boys were treated unfairly while in prison and like Tom one of the boys did manage to escape but was not killed like Tom. Although he wasn't killed that way, all of the Boys suffered far too much, by having to deal with years on trail and being stuck in prison, I think Tom was lucky to be killed and wasn't put through such hardship.
between The Scottsboro case and Tom Robinsons case from To Kill A Mockingbird are similar. They both show racism and unfair trials. Each of those cases should have been a fair trial as it would of been if the men were white instead of black.
between The Scottsboro case and Tom Robinsons case from To Kill A Mockingbird are similar. They both show racism and unfair trials. Each of those cases should have been a fair trial as it would of been if the men were white instead of black.
I think the Scottsboro case is very similar to Tom Robinsons case because it is two colored men who are both being accused of raping a female. And both the outcomes of the trials are basically the same. They both had people who thought that the girls were lying about really being raped. I think that neither of the guys raped the girls and that the girls might of just been doing it to get attention.
I think the scottsboro case is similar to tom's case because they were both sentenced to punishment just because of there skin color and it is very unfair in both cases cause neither of them are really guilty.
To kill a mokingbird is similar to the Report on the scottsboro case because in both of the writting white women blame African American men of raping them. Also because of their skin color the men are blamed. With no evidence to back up what the white women were saying the men were convicted for no reason.
The Tom Robinson case is similar to the Scottsboro Case by both of these trials being about black males raping females. In the Tom Robinson case he was accused of raping Mayella and in the Scottsboro Case 9 men were accused of raping 2 girls. Both these trials these men were accused of doing wrong when they did no such thing. Which ruined their lives.
The Tom Robinson case is similar to the Scottsboro Case in that they are both accusing at least one black person of rape. In both of the trials the court has been biased and convicted the blacks for the crimes even against the evidence that proves they are innocent. In the Scottsboro Case, one of the boys had a disease that would not allow him to have sexual intercourse but was still found guilty. "Willie Robeson was suffering from a bad case of venereal disease,... the jury again turned in the verdict calling for the death penalty," (Ransdell 6). In To Kill A Mockingbird Tom Robinson helps the girl he was accused of raping a large amount of times showing that he is very kind hearted.
Tom Robinson is similar to the Scottsboro boys because they were both accused of a crime that they did not commit and there was no way they jury was going to listen to them.
they are similar as in the juries being all white. Also, they are prejudice in both trials. back then, the judge and the jury just want the accused (Tom Robinson & the 12 negros) to get the worst punishment possible. They have horrid hate toward the black community and would do anything to find them guilty; even though they could be innocent to everything but still be guilty to whatever the judge says they're guilty to.
The Tom Robinson trial is similar to the Scottsboro case because Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell and the Scottsboro boys are accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price. Tom Robinson and the Scottsboro boys are also absolutly innocent, but still found guilty.They were found guilty because they are African-Americans and most of the white people in this time period did not like or give any respect towards black people.
The Tom Robinson case is similar to the Scottsboro case because black men are accused of rape, and both are false. they never committed the crimes that they were convicted of
I think it is similar because there is case where there is a black man or men considering the scotts boro case is being blamed or accused of rape. Also by both the white women lied or either made up a story to get blacks in trouble.
The Tom Robinson case is so similar to the "Scottsboro case" because Tom Robinson is a black man accused of raping a white girl. In the "Scottsboro case" nine black boys were accused of raping two white girls. All of the black men were accused of raping white girls.
The Tom Robinson case is similar to the Scotsboro Case because they both have racism in effect. that is an issue in both of the cases. in the scotsboro case, the boys were accused of rape by Victoria price and ruby bates just because they were black and they didn't think they would take it so seriously.
There are many similarities between the two, but some that stand out more than others are the fact that there was an all white jury in each, and they would do anything to convince the jury that the black men were guilty, giving them the worst punishment, even if there wasn't enough evidence to prove that. Also, there was a lot of prejudice and bias is each.
The Tom Robinson case is like the Scottsboro case because they are both in the same time period where there was still a lot of segregation between races. Like everyone keeps saying that Atticus is a "nigger-lover" because every thing was segregated.
I think that the Scottsboro case and Tom Robinson case are similar because in both cases the black man or men were accused of rape, yet Tom Robinson and one of the Scottsboro boys had a medical reason why they couldn't have done it. Also they had many reasons not to be found guilty yet were anyways.
I believe so because the same thing is that a girl/girls are accusing black men/man of rape because some white folk seen it and they didn't want to be made fun of for messing with a colored man.
I think the Tom Robinson case is almost identical to the Scottsborrow case because an African - American(s) is being trialed for a crime they did not even do
why did it take the jury so long to make a verdict?
Anne Bobin, Madi Reed, David Shapiro
Because the Cunningham's thought that he wasn't guilty and everyone else agreed on guilty.
It took the jury so long to make a verdict because was one of the Cunninghams on the jury, and that one person thought that Tom Robinson was not guilty. But everybody else on the jury agreed that Tom was guilty.
The verdict took so long because people knew he wasn't guilty and because it was the Ewell everyone knew he was innocent. But, since he was black they still found him guilty.
It took them so long to make a verdict because Atticus made such a good concluding speech that the jury had to think about the trial. Which caused the jury to take longer then what every one thought it would take to make a decision.
It took so long to reach a verdict because they most likely knew that Tom was innocent but had to find a way to convict him. Also they probably didn't want people to think different of them if they voted in favor of Tom's innocents, so they had to take some time to ask themselves if they should go against the norm in order to save a man's life. Also regular court juries do take a long time to come up with a verdict because they have to go through all of the evidence to make a decision.
The jury took so long to come to a verdict because Atticus made a lot of good points as to why the black man wasn't guilty but everyone else couldn't let go of their racism to see that the man was actually not guilty.
It took the jury so long to make a verdict because the night with the mob in front of the jail, when Scout, Dill, and Jem snuck over to Atticus and Scout talked to a Cunningham, he gained The Cunningham's respect. Gaining the Cunningham's respect is a big deal and one of them was on the jury; because he was on the jury he was on Atticus's side and it took a lot to change his mind. Also Atticus gave a great ending speech and even though the jury knew what their verdict would be it took a long time to actually make the verdict.
it took so long because in that time period their were many racial conflicts going on and since it was a black man accuesed of rape they had to think more about the verdict.
I think that the trial took so long because in that time period there were many racial conflicts going on. Since this case involved a black man accused rape the jury was conflicted in figuring out what the verdict would be.
It took the jury so long to make a verdict because they knew that Tom was innocent. There was so much evidence to support that he was innocent so they had a hard time overlooking that. But eventually their racist views took over and they decided that Tom was guilty just because it was a blacks mans word against a white mans.
I think it took so long because the jurymen were being conflicted between doing the right thing or doing what most people want them to do and convict Robinson of rape.
I think it took so long because the jurymen were being conflicted between doing the right thing or doing what most people want them to do and convict Robinson of rape. Also, in the book, Atticus said how Mr.Cunningham one night had wanted to threaten Atticus but when he was on the jury, he actually voted Tom Robinson innocent.
I think it took so long because the jurymen were being conflicted between doing the right thing or doing what most people want them to do and convict Robinson of rape. Also, in the book, Atticus said how Mr.Cunningham one night had wanted to threaten Atticus but when he was on the jury, he actually voted Tom Robinson innocent. Atticus said" One second he wants an outright acquittal the next he wants to turn him loose."
the jury took a long time to come back with a verdict because Atticus made such a convincing case for Tom Robinson. In a town with a lot of racism like Maycomb, it is amazing that atticus got them to stay out as long as they did. Atticus knew he wasn't going to win but still tried his hardest anyway.
I believe he wasn't guilty of rape because when he stood up and showed his deformed arm I realized that he couldn't have help the woman down and rape her with only one arm. He was also very sure of his testimony and wasn't changing it throughout the trial.
In addition to my other post, I would like to add that Atticus had made a very tough defense to Tom Robbinson that made it harder for the jury to convict him. He made very clear that if Tom Robbinson had actually done what he was accused of, that he would have had a very tough time doing the act of rape. Tom Robbinson does have a deformed arm so he would have to do everything one handed and you can't do that without struggling majorly. I know it would take a lot of strength to hold down a person with only one arm and then you can't really do much else if you only have one arm. Tom Robbinson wouldn't really be able to do anything to Mayella Ewell with his one arm. She would have had to cooperate and allow him to hurt her for anything to happen. In addition, she was beat on the left side of her face and Tom Robbinson has a deformed left arm and hand. "He rubber-like left hand" Which was caught in a cotton-gin many years prior which left him no feeling in his left arm. Her father, on the other hand, used his left hand to write his name in court which most likely means that he usually uses his left hand so it would be easy for him to beat his daughter.
It was a long time for the Jury to make their verdict because Atticus was telling good information why Tom did not commit the crime, but also Maylla was telling a whole different story that was the opposite of Atticus' and it was probably really hard for them to make the decision and if they made a slip they could have some real trouble on their hands.
It took the jury so long to make a verdict because Atticus was putting up such a good fight. Everyone knew that Tom Robinson wasn't guilty of the crime, but because of his skin color he got charged with rape. Everyone knew he didn't do it because of what he says happened that day. "Mr. Finch I got offa chair and she jumped an she sorta jumped on me. Jumped on you violently? No sir she hugged me. she hugged me around the waist. then what did she do? she reached up and kissed the side of my face. She says kiss me back nigger. I say miss Mayella lemme out of here and tried to run but she got her back to the door".
it took the jury so long because they wernt really sure who was guilty and who was not guilty
I think the Jury took so long to decide because Atticus was proving the Ewells wrong and everyone was getting suspicious so they kept the jury going until the judge and jury finally decided that it didn't matter anyways and just found him guilty out of the fact that he was black.
Everyone knew he wasn't guilty. though with him being black it made everyone second guess it. When there are two choices like that it will hold the process back because they know if they choice one decision it will causes a problem on both sides.
The jury took so long to make a verdict because they had to analyze everything and they had to make sure that all the facts were true
it took a while for the verdict because the cunninghams thought he was innocent and everyone else is saying guilty.
They too so long because the Cunningham's said that Tom wasn't guilty and in order to convict someone you must have a unanimous decision on the verdict.
because in order to reach a verdict you need everybody in the jury to agree to on the same side and all it takes is one person to say no and you have to do all over again
Do you believe Tom Robinson is guilty of rape? Why or why not?(Nick & Evan)
I don't think he is because Mr. Ewells was so upset over the fact that his daughter was a black man he wanted to punish the man his daughter loved.
I believe that Tom is innocent for the fact that later in the trial when he went to swear oath his left arm was injured and frail and they said Mayella was hit by a left hand person. How could Tom hit her left handed if he has no movement really in his arm?
I think he is innocent because mayella doesn't seem upset or scared when she is at the court when most people would.
No. He can't even use his left arm, & it's obvious who hit Mayella.
No, I believe that all the evidence in the trial was weighing heavily in Tom Robinson's favor.
I don't think that Tom Robinson is guilty of rape because he seems like a very nice person. Also It would be impossible for him to punch the girl and hold her down with one hand. Another reason I don't think that Tom Robinson is guilty of rape is because I seems like Mr. Ewell was the one more likely to rape her.
I believe he is not guilty because they are acusing him because he is black and only because he is black.
No he wasn't guilty Atticus gave all the evidence that he wasn't guilty.
no because all evidence shows that he is not guilty.
I believe that Tom Robinson is innocent. His venereal disease would make it very painful to actually perform the rape. Not only that, but his distorted left hand suggests that the bruises on the girl's left side of her face came from an outside source.
One example of this is on page 179 when Mayella was called to the stands, "She nodded vigorously, saying, "Don't want him doin' me like he done Papa, tryin' to make him out to be lefthanded..." She is saying that her dad is trying to make Tom out to be lefthanded so that the bruises make sense for where they're placed.
I do not think that Tom Robinson is guilty. In the book it said that the man who hit her most likely hit her with his left hand because the right side of her face was bruised and Tom Robsinsons left hand is all messed up because of the cotton gin accident. Tom Robinson will probably still get called guilty because of the segregation
I do not think that Tom Robinson is guilty of rape. To begin, when Tom was giving his testimony, he seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. When Mayella was giving her testimony, she seemed very unsure and confused. She cried a lot, and would get frustrated because she knew her story was false. In my opinion, Mayella set the whole thing up. She made sure everyone was out of the house by sending all the children out for ice cream. She invited Tom into the house to fix her door, when nothing was wrong with the door. She is the one who tried to get Tom to kiss her. I think Bob Ewell beat her up because he was so furious with her, for kissing a black man. Bob calls Mayella a "whore" and he says "I'll kill you". Finally, Tom had a messed up left arm, making it nearly impossible to leave the bruises on the right side of her face.
No I don't think he is. It was impossible for him to have left the injuries on Mayella, and on the stand he was respectful and kind; not the kind of person likely to rape someone. Mayella was just embaressed by what she did so she said he raped her.
I do not think Tom Robinson is guilty of rape. Mayella was hit on the right side of the face, which means someone who was left handed would have had to hit her. Bob ewell is left handed, and Tom Robinson's left was injured from the cotton gin so there is no way he could have hit her. Also, the only reason the jury found Tom robinson guilty was because he was black and they were racist.
I think Tom Robinson is not guilty of rape because he was treating everyone with respect and he kept repeating the same answers when Mr. Gilmer asked him the same questions. An example of Tom Robinson being polite was when he said "I was glad to do it" (meaning the work.)
No I do not believe Tom was guilty of rape because it is quite obvious from the Mayella talks and responds that she isn't telling the truth. Tom couldn't have possibly done what Mayella said he did, what with his crippled hand and how he wasn't even interested in a white girl what with his wife and kids at home. Tom was come on to by Mayella, her father saw, messed Mayella up and when she was all bruised from him beating her, he said to blame the black because obviously who would believe him?
I dont think Tom was guilty of rape. Tom has a wife so theres no way he would want to rape anyone. Also back in those times you could be put in jail if you even touched a white women in public without her consent. Tom wouldnt want to risk going to jail. Theres also no legit evidence to back up the "rape". To add on to that the jury was an all white jury. Toms right arm was shorter than his left because when he was younger it got caught on the cotton gin. The lady who got raped got right side of the face. theres no way he could have hit her with his shorter arm because when u go to hit with that arm u hit the right side of the face.
I do not think Tom Robinson is guilty. I think this because Tom is very helpful and caring to the girl is is accused of raping. "Seemed like every time I passed by yonder she'd somethin' for me to do,... I was glad to do it." (Lee 191). Also because the title of the story symbolizes Tom and his case. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do nothing to upset people. Tom Robinson, being the mockingbird, has done nothing to harm anyone.
No, I think Tom is not guilty because the courts never really reviewed how it all played out and just went along with the lies. The injuries that were inflicted on the girl don't seem all that possible since she had a bruised left eye and tom is right handed. Also, Bob is left handed and could've done it himself.
No. I don't think Tom Robinson should be guilty of rape. Because Mayelle already had bruises all over her from her father beating her. Also because Mayelle was trying get something that Tom was agreeing with.
No, I do not believe that Tom Robinson is guilty of Rape. There are many reasons as to why I think this way. The first example as to why I think this way is, he was only helping out with Miss. Mayella's chores. Bob Ewell was lying when he said that he raped her. Tom Robinson actually fell onto her because he was lifting something enormously heavy down the stairs. Bob Ewell overreacted when that incident occurred. another example as to why Tom Robinson is innocent of rape is, he only has one arm in use. this plays a major role as to why he did not rape her. there was a scar on the side he could not have possibly have scratched her on. This also references as to illustrate that Bob beat Mayella. This is what I believe as to why Tom Robinson is innocent of rape.
I do not believe that Tom Robinson is guilty of rape, because he has so much detail to his story. Plus, we learn that Mayella's father did drink a lot, so that might have made him easily angered. When he hit Mayella too hard, he blamed Tom Robinson because he was black and made Mayella lie to keep her father out of trouble. In the time period that the Tom Robinson case takes place, white men were able to commit crimes and blame it on black people without anyone knowing except the black man. But because the accused was African, no one believed what he said, and everyone believed that the white man was not guilty.
I believe that Tom Robinson was not guilty of rape, because there was more evidence pointing to it being Bob Ewell rather than Tom, however, there was not much evidence proving that Tom was guilty. For example, it was said in chapter 17 that whoever did it to Mayella was left handed, since most of the bruising was focused on the right side of her face. "If her right eye was blackened and she was beaten mostly on the right side of the face, it would tend to show that a left-handed person did it."(pg 178)
i thought the man was completely innocent because he had a crippled arm and she was punched in the face with a left hand and tom was crippled
I do not believe Tom Robinson was guilty. There was no real evidence except for the racist, trashy dad's word. Tom Robinson had a bad arm so there's no way he could have beat Mayella the way it was said he did. Tom was also claimed to have been a good guy who always helped Mayella when she asked and he never accepted payment because he knew that she couldn't afford it, living the way she was.
I think the only reason he was found guilty for rape is because he is black and everyone goes to assumption that he did it because of his color and the time period.
I believe that Tom is not guilty of rape. I think he's not guilty because she lied about her involvement. She was afraid of what the people would say. Bob also lied.
Do you think that Mr. Ewell is guilty of abusing Mayella? Why or why not?(Nick & Evan)
I think that Mr Ewell is quilty of beating Mayella because she would have a reason to lie and say Tom Robison raped her instead of confessing that she likes Tom (a white female liking a black male during this time was almost unheard of) so instead she said he raped her instead of risking more beatings from her father.
He is lying because Tom Robinson couldn't do it because he has a problem with his left arm.
Mr. Ewell had to beat Mayelle because he was left handed and Tom's Left hand was messed up and could not do anything.
Yes I do believe that Mr. Edwell is guilty of abusing Mayella. He is guilty because when he found out that his daughter was with a black man he was yelling at her and he was threatening to attack her as soon as he would get inside. Also, Mr. Edwell was the only one who could have had done it because Tom had a bad hand and he couldn't have held Mayella and punch her at the same time, it wasn't physically possible for Tom to attack Mayella.
Yes, I do because when Mayella was in court and on the stand being questioned she always would look at her father, and when a question came up of if she loved her dad she studdard and would just make up a lie. All the evidence points to her father and makes sense.
I believe that Mr. Ewell is guilty of abusing Mayella. When Atticus went to ask her questions on if he hurt her in any way she seemed unsure of her self and almost that she didn't want to answer.
Atticus: "Does he ever go after you?" Mayella: "How you mean?" Atticus: "When he's -- riled, has he ever beaten you?" Mayella looked around, down at the court reporter, up at the judge. "Answer the question, Miss. Mayella" said Judge Taylor.
She seemed uncertain on weather she should answer the question to save her fathers life or not. Therefore because of her uncertainty and refusal to answer the question I think Mr. Ewell does abuse his daughter but forces her to keep it quiet and sacred so that the he wont go to jail for his actions in which today would be known as child abuse.
I think that Mr.Ewell is guilty of abusing Mayella because hes a known drunk. Everyone knows that drinking causes you to get angry. Mr. Ewell"s family is raised around drinking. It said in the book that they abuse their children. If the children are not around they would mostt likely abuse thier wifes. Also in the book it said that Mr. Ewells"s first wife died. I think that Mr. Ewell got so drunk and he got so mad that he beat his wife to death. Mr. Ewell wanted Tom to be found guilty so bad because he knew that they would look at him next. the Ewells arent educated either. "Burris Ewell, remmber?He goes to the first day of school"
I think that Mr.Ewell is abusing Mayella because Tom Robinson can't really rape her or abuse her in any way since his arm is messed up from the cotton gin and everyone says that Mr.Ewell is a drunk so he could hurt her when he was majorly intoxicated and Mayella might be scared to say anything
I think that Mr. Ewell is guilty of abusing Mayella. The evidence is that Mr. Ewell is left handed, and Mayella said she was hit in her right eye. It would take a punch from somebody who was left handed to hit someone in their right eye. Also, Tom Robinson's left hand was shorter than his right, making it near impossible to him to have hit her with that hand. ""Youre left handed, Mr. Ewell" Judge Taylor said" (177). This quote is the part that you find out that Mr. Ewell is left handed.
Yes. It was said that he often was drinking and when Mayella was asked if she was ever hit by her father she seemed unsure of her answer, leading people to infer that she was in fact beaten by her father. " '... Why don't you tell the truth child, didn't Bob Ewell beat you up?" (Lee 187). Mayella didn't answer these questions that Atticus had been asking her because she knew that Tom would win the case and her father would then be put in jail and she wanted to protect her father.
I do think that Mr. Ewell is guilty of abusing Mayella because of Atticus's evidence against her. He makes the point that Mr. Ewell is right handed while Tom is left handed. Also, Mr. Ewell gets extremely defensive when Atticus says this.
I do believe he was guilty, because ever since it happened she was so hesitant on giving a straight answer. she kept trying to make them ask more question.
Yes, I believe that Mr.Ewell is abusing Mayella because she had marks on the side of her face. Mr.Ewell is right handed and Tom Robinson is left. Atticus has really good evidence against mr.Ewell because all the marks were on the side that Mr.Ewell would have most likely hit her. It would have been hard for Tom Robinson to beat her since he only has one good arm and that is his left. Mr.Ewell is offended by Atticus's evidence.
I think he is guilty but is blaming Tom because he knows people will be against him because he's African American but, really Tom wouldn't be strong enough to hold someone down with his messed up arm unless the girl wasn't fighting back.
Yes I thing he was abusing her because she seem scared when she would answer the question wrong in the trail and I think tom with his one arm had enough trouble with his one arm.
I do think that Bob is guilty of abusing his daughter. I think this because he gets drunk a lot and the three different stories did not match up. I think he was covering something else up and so was she.
Do you think that Bob Edwells is lying about the case? - David Shapiro, Madi Reed, and Anne Bobin
Yes I feel the Ewells are guilty and are lying about the case. To support this it is said in the book Tom Robinson does not appear guilty. He is put in jail though one of the reasons is probably just discrimination. Then later , Mayella does not seem to be unaffected by this I think she might actually have small feelings for Tom.
I think he is lying so that people don't figure out that he beats his kids. I also think he is lying because he doesn't want people to know that his daughter had feelings for a black man.
I think he wants to divert the attention from himself because he might abuse Mayella. So he just doesn't want people to think he abuses his kids.
I think he wants to divert the attention from himself because he might abuse Mayella. So he just doesn't want people to think he abuses his kids. In the book during the trial, Mr. Ewell keeps denying these accusations very defensively. This leads me to believe that he probably abuses Mayella.
Yes I think he is lying, they are a poor family who need money fast. He thought it would be easy to place one of his crimes on a innocent black man and gain money from it.
I believe that Bob Ewell is guilty because he was the one that started the case and is talking for his daughter.
How does the mob that comes to the jail resemble the KKK?
Well they are in the south and a lot of people are racist so they don't like black people and they think everything a black person does is bad. So they will protest anything if it involves a black person.
The men represent the KKK because they where in a mob and they were trying to get after Tom Robinson.
The mob resembles the KKK because they were against everything a black person does. They were going after Tom Robinson because he "committed" a crime and they felt the need to intervene because he was black.
They resemble the KKK by them going after the black man just like the KKK would any way. so they were going after Tom just because he was black.
With the Ewells bad reputation How is that people believe his side of the story?
anne bobbin madi reed and david shapiro
I believe the only reason why people would believe the Ewell's side of the story, even with the bad reputation, is because its his daughter that was "hurt." And people just tend to believe or just go along with the side that has the "hurt" person on it.
I think that the people believe the Ewells only because Tom Robinson is black. If it was a white man being accused in the same situation, he would have been found not guilty. Also, Jem acted very mature when he was sitting there listening to the trial and when he was talking about equality. He believed Tom, despite his race.
They don't neccessarily believe the Ewells, they just won't pick a black man over a white one. They can't coneive how a black man wouldn't rape a white woman if left alone with one; they don't understand. That's why that guy (don't remember his name) pretends to be drunk all the time.
The Jury believes the Ewells because Tom Robinson was a slave and the Ewells were citizens. It would also mean that if Tom Robinson won the case, he would be a free-man.
An example of this was when the jury started saying "Guilty... guilty... guilty... guilty..." just because he was a slave.
The people believe him because no matter how bad a white man is a black man will always be worse. No matter what during that time period a white man's word will always be taken over a black man's.
Black are constantly referred to as "trash" or "no good" (Mrs. Dubose page 102). They were unanimously the inferior race of that time period and had no power or on anything in that society.
I believe it is because black people were hated back then, so they wanted to see him die or be punished for his false actions and scare others.
Ewells bad reputation had nothing to do with this case; more of who to believe the white man or the black man. If they trust the black mans story the downs reputation will deteriorate and most people will hate the people who were in the court or on trial like what miss Maudie said "Atticus Finch wont win, he can't win, but he's the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that." (216); Or trust the white man and all of the town will go back to normal and it will be as nothing ever happened. if Tom Robinson would have won the case he probably would have been killed the instant he won, because that's how these people work, that's why that all white jury convicted Tom Robinson to death and is not a free man.
I believe that they go against Tom because he's black. Plain and simple, most people were racist and were afraid to defend a black man.
I don't believe the people of Maycomb actually do trust Mr Ewell but maybe they are just succumbing to the social prejudice being pressed upon them by society. In the 1930's the people are going through a lot with the changes in their government, at the time of the trial they are dealing with the great depression and many prejudice opinions against negroes, many believed that they were lower in society. So they might not have necessarily have believed Mr Ewell but they were more strongly against equal rights, due to believing that a white mans word is worth more then a negroes. They are just stuck in their old ways.
Do you think Mr. Ewell and her daughter are lying about the case? And if so, what do you think they would gain from lying?
(Matthew Chen and Tye Golden)
I think they are lying and by lying they would gain a sense of security because Tom Robinson will be gone.
I agree with you, but I also think that they are lying just because of racism.
Also I believe they are lying because although Tom Robinson is black I believe he is telling the truth. He has no reason to lie or be distrustful because the word of a white woman would always be taken over his so if he is taking a case to court it must be for a good reason.
I she would rather lie about being raped, then say she loved a black man, and her dad wants another black man in jail.
I think the Ewells were lying about the case in order to gain empathy from the town and to get rid of a threat (in the eyes of Bob Ewell, an African-American)
I think they are lying because if the court believes them Tom Robinson will be gone and they will feel safe again.
What was your emotions towards the Jury's verdict for the Tom Robinson case?
-Savanna, Bryce, Dakota
When the jury convicted Tom Robinson I was angry that an innocent man with no evidence except coincidental evidence against him was said to be guilty. Atticus gave an amazing end speech to the jury that spelled everything about the trial out in the clear. There was no evidence but still he got convicted because it was a white man's word against a black man's word and that in my opinion is a horrible reason to send someone to their death bed.
I was very upset when I read the verdict of the Tom Robinson trial because it was very unfair. Also because the person who did it is still free. And Mayella and the other children still has to live with their abusive father.
The verdict was exactly what Atticus had predicted in the sense that Tom Robinson had lost. Therefore, I would've been surprised either way. Tom Robinson had every reason to be acquitted, but if he had been then Atticaus would've been wrong. The fact that Tom Robinson was found guilty was surprising, even though you were expecting it.
When the jury said that Tom was guilty I was very upset. There was so much evidence that proved that he wasn't guilty and even suggested that Mr. Ewell was the guilty one. At first I was so confused on how they even came to the verdict of Tom being guilty because there was so much to prove that he wasn't but then I remembered how racist everyone was. It mad me really mad that an innocent man had to be sent to prison over something that he didn't do all because of the color of his skin. I was very frustrated and also felt very bad for Atticus because he had lost the trial that he should've won and now and innocent man was being sent to jail
I was also upset because of the outcome. I understand why you all felt the way you did because I felt the same way. He was obviously not guilty and all the evidence pointed towards that but that's never enough to convince a biased group of people that have known this way of thinking their whole life.
Yes I see why you say that. I was surprised to because in the book it seemed like Atticus had the jury in his finger tips. He was showing points like Tom's are that was disabled and how he pointed out Mr. Ewell was always drunk and beat his kids and his face that was described in the book made him look like Atticus was right.
My emotions were not very surprising. I felt that it was the wrong decision towards the case, but I was expecting that decision. The town of Maycomb is very racist towards the blacks which means that Tom Robinson was receiving an unfair trial from the beginning.
How does the Scottsboro case correlate to Tom Robinson's case? Do you think the author purposely made them alike? Why or why not.
Tye Golden, Matt Chen
The two cases are extremely biased against the blacks and the author probably did make them alike so that the readers were able to compare the fictional case in the book to an actual real life case.
I agree that they are very similar, the time periods and the both cases ending in execution due to racism.
the two cases are alike in many ways for instance Mr ewell symbolizes victoria price his wife represents the quiet ruby and the same type of bias and racist mind set in both cases control the verdict of the case and yes i think the author purposely made these cases alike because using this case would show how bias people were against people of color so the readers would understand the the corrupt ideas that are present throughout the book.
The Scottsboro case and the Tom Robinson correlates because both cases took place around the same time period. Also, because of the time period there was biased. Innocent people could be convicted for crimes they never committed just because of the color of someone's skin.
Well first of all, they both took place down south and they both took place in the 1930s. Also, everybody was against the black people(s)? There was also a protest outside of both court houses.
both of them involve involve a white female victim and a black man being prosecuted. And they both involve the suggestion of the charges being pressed only because of racism. I think the author did purposefully make them similar because it allows them to make a fictional book but be able to tie it in to real life events which makes it more relatable/realistic.
The two cases are alike because they both take place in the same time period around the 1930's. The topic racism is strongly discussed and black people are affected the most because of their race.
I think he reacted the way he did due to the fact his dad spent so much time trying to help this man, knowing he was innocent, for it all to go to waste. He and his sister heard the words "nigger lover" referring to their dad multiple times, and now that he's guilty I think it will only get worse.
The Tom Robinson case is similar to the Scottsboro Case in that they are both accusing at least one black person of rape. In both of the trials the court has been biased and convicted the blacks for the crimes even against the evidence that proves they are innocent. In the Scottsboro Case, one of the boys had a disease that would not allow him to have sexual intercourse but was still found guilty. "Willie Robeson was suffering from a bad case of venereal disease,... the jury again turned in the verdict calling for the death penalty," (Ransdell 6). In To Kill A Mockingbird Tom Robinson helps the girl he was accused of raping a large amount of times showing that he is very kind hearted. I do think the author made the book similar to the case to show and stress the racism that was present during the time period.
They are both alike because both try a black man for rape. Also in both trials all evidence shows that they should be innocent but they are still found guilty and are sentenced to death which is a completely ridiculous punishment for the crime committed. I do think that the Scottsborough case influenced the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" and that it is one of the main influences of the book.
Yes, the time periods are very similar and they have somewhat of a similar story ya dingbat
Why do you think that Jem acted the way he did towards the results of the trial?
-Savanna, Bryce, Dakota
I think Jem acted the way he did because he didn't understand how Tom Robinson was convicted when he knew that he wasn't guilty. Jem heard all the evidence and knew that Tom was not guilty, but got upset when they convicted him for doing things he didn't do.
I think that she acted that way towards the results of the trial because she new he was innocent based on the evidence and also she knew that he knew he was innocent so she was angry he was convicted of things she knew he didn't do.
I think that Jem acted the way he did towards the results of the trial was because he became so attached to the case. His father put all this work into the case, that he knew was most likely not going to end in Tom's favor. Jem comes from a family that is not biased against African Americans, and this shows when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom in this case. I think that Jem has heard all of the rude stuff that people are saying about Atticus, and he wants so badly for him to win the case. To add on to that, Jem hears the whole case in the courtroom, and he hears how crazy Mayella's side of the story sounds, and how Tom's side is accurate. Since Jem is not prejudice, he can clearly see that Tom is innocent. There is more than enough evidence that proves that he is innocent. While the jury is discussing, Jem is very confident that they will win the case and says, "...don't fret, we've won it," and "Don't see how any jury could convict on what we heard--".
I agree with you. I believe that since Jem was raised the way he was because of Atticus his views on African Americans were not biased. He believed that it was only right he was not found guilty.
They are all good and I thought that Jem is still to young to understand about White people back then had it easier than Black people. I think he thinks that because Atticus was pointing out good points, people still judged black people poorly. He also didn't understand how the Verdict works and the court itself.
Jem acted the way he did because he knew the truth that he wasn't guilty.
I think Jem acted the way he did because he couldn't understand why Tom Robinson was convicted. He didn't understand that even if the evidence showed in Tom Robinsons favor he still would've been convicted just because the color of his skin.
When Tom Robinson was found guilty, do you think there was any other reason why he was found guilty besides the fact that he was a black man?
(Matthew Chen and Tye Golden)
I do believe that Tom Robinson's skin tone and background had a big role in the jury's verdict of guilty. Many people in Maycomb are accepting to blacks but since many of the Jury members were people out of Maycomb they most likely had a heavy bias against Tom. I also believe people would think their reputation would be ruined for voting him not guilty.
I think that if he was white everyone would have been okay with it, but since he was black, and everyone hated blacks at this time, his skin color played the biggest role.
No, I believe that one of the biggest reasons that he was found guilty was just because of his skin color, especially because of the time period and racism.
No. I don't think there was another reason because everyone during this time period hated black people, so when they had to choose whether he was guilty or not, they obviously chose guilty, just because he was black.
The verdict in the case was weighted by he fact that Tom is black, but it was also affected by the fact that the sheriff was against him I feel that he is well respected and everyone believed him.
I believe the only reason Tom Robinson was found guilty was because of his race.
Each person may have their own reason other than he was black, but I believe that in the end there was no other reason why he was found guilty. I believe this because this happened at the time of segregation between blacks and whites, and at this time if he was a white he would have never even been accused or thought of as guilty.
I agree with you, but I don't think the other people had any other reason besides clearly shown racism.
I do not think there is any other reason he was found guilty other than he is black. There was no proof that he had raped the girl so it was his word against hers. "' In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's word, the white always wins,'" (Lee 252).
I do believe that the jury's decision that Tom was guilty was because of his skin color. White people in this time period were racist towards black people and had no respect for them.I also believe that the jury saw Tom innocent but didn't care that he was because he is black.
Why doesn't Atticus want the kids to watch the trial?
(Jake, Cameron, Blake, Ben)
I believe that Atticus doesn't want the kids there because he doesn't want the kids to see how racist the court system is against blacks. I also think I something bad would happen it would happen to him and he doesn't want the children to see that.
I think that Boo might appear later in the story. Boo could come up later do to compare and contrast his issues.
You should probably use textual evidence to support your thoughts.
Atticus doesn't want the kids to watch the trial because he doesn't think they should be exposed to the racism that is presented in the trial.
I don't think he wants them to see the court case because, its heavily racist against blacks and he doesn't want the kids to be exposed to this kind of racism.
These kids are exposed to racism everyday. Make sure to use textual evidence.
I think that Atticus just doesn't want the kids being exposed to that type of hate and racism at a young age. I believe he doesn't want them to be raised to judge
I don't think Atticus wants his kids to witness such an extreme topic of discussion
I think Atticus doesn't want Jem and Scout at the trial because he feels that children should not be in a courtroom hearing all about rape and it scaring them.
He didn't want the kids there because one its a court room and kids shouldn't be in one but also because they will how much racism is in the court.
He knows that the trial will be unfair and biased and he doesn't want them to be exposed to an unfair trial.
I think that Atticus doesn't want the kids to watch the case because of the racism and because the case was about rape. I think that he didn't want them to be exposed to such grown up and horrible things. I also feel like Atticus didn't want them there because he had a feeling that he was going to loose and he didn't want the kids to see that. They look up to him so much and so I think that he didn't want them to see him fail and then doubt themselves later in life.
To add on to my previous post the case was about very grown up things and I don't think Atticus wanted them to be exposed to that stuff at such a young age. "Mr. Finch know you all are here? This ain't fit for Miss Jean Louise or you boys either."(173) I remember my parents blocking some of the channels on our TV when we were little because they had violent and inappropriate things on them that she didn't want us to see. In this situation the case is the TV channel and Atticus is trying to block it to keep Jem and Scout from being exposed to inappropriate things.
I think Atticus did not want the kids to watch the trial was because he might have thought the kids were too young; or he just didn't want the kids absorb the feeling of a case that was already lost. I think this because Atticus was working in a tight situation, with the people hating him at the time for representing a black man, and he trying his best to sway the decision of the court. So with the kids being there it just adds another thought on his mind at the time. Also with his kids thinking hes the best lawyer in Maycomb, then when the case ended they were disappointed, they thought their dad could win this case and the kids knew that he should have won the case.
Atticus doesn't want the kids to watch the trial because I think he knows that they would say that Tom is guilty. Even when he started he knew that it was a long shot. Or Atticus could of thought of the trouble that come in the room.Such as when Atticus was at the jail where they watching Tom because I guess he had a feeling that trouble was going too come and that did when the men came to kill Tom(pg.151). But I don't understand why did he let the children come back if he didn't want them to come the first place?
Do you think the Tom Robinson case will be as biased as the Scottsboro case? (Jake, Blake, Ben, Cameron)
Yes, due to the small town of Maycomb in Alabama, most people (that are white) are racist. Given that Tom Robinson is black, the case will be very biased against him.
Also, Tom Robinson comes off not very intelligent with his speech. He uses words like "Yes suh" and "'cause" in the court which may cause the judge to form bias opinions towards Tom. Plus, no witness was with Tom that can testify for him.
I believe the tom robinson case will have a biased result because one can tell from whats going on in the case right now there is already bias against tom. for instance the town sides more Mr ewell becuase he is white even though they all hear all the holes in his testimony.
Yes, because it is a small town in the far south where black people are not treated as really people.
I do believe that the jury will be bias because its a small town in the south and they cant seem to get over their racism. Due to the small town no one sees what people are like outside of the town to see that black people aren't bad.
Yes because white men felt that they were superior over the black race. Also the punishments for black men back then were way worst and more ridiculous compared to what the punishment that the white men would get.
What is your opinion on who was telling the truth during the trial? Use content or quotes from the book to support your opinion.
-Savanna Bryce Dakota
I believe Tom Robinson was telling the truth. Atticus backed him up when he was asking Miss Mayella questions about the scene of the crime. Miss Mayella paused when Atticus asked if her dad beat her, and after the pause she reluctantly said no. This indicates that it could be possible that her father forced her to falsely accuse Tom Robinson.
I agree, I also believe that at points when she started crying she was put under pressure to tell the truth but was possibly scared of her father and it caused her to lie.
"Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?"
No answer. p187
The quote above proves what I said above.
I think Tom Robinson was telling the truth because there was no faults in his description of the story. Plus he had his employer speak for him that he was a honest man.
My opinion of the trial was Tom's story was true because he was saying that he passed the Ewell's house every day and Mayella wanted Tom to do some chores. The thing they accused him of is that he raped Mayella, but Atticus showed everyone that Tom had a disabled arm and Mayella said he forced her and he really can't.
How does Atticus really feel about Capurnia taking them to her church, is he ok with the influence of a different view of race.
I think Atticus supports Calpurnia taking Jem and Scout to her church because he has always promoted equality to all races to the children. Earlier in the story, he tells Scout not to be offended by being a "Negro-lover" and calls himself one. Also, he defends Tom Robinson in the trial.
I do agree with that statement but also I think Atticus wants to teach the kids what is like to be black. The constant segregation by whites, I think wants them to see what being black is like.
Atticus also supports Cal taking the children to her church when he says, "I don't see any harm in letting her go out there. Cal'd look after her there as well as she does here." This quote in the text, it proves that he supports Calpurnia taking the children -especially Scout- to her church.
Atticus is ok with Cal taking them to church because if he didn't he would've said something when aunt Alexandra said something. We also know that Atticus has no problem with blacks if he did he wouldn't defend Tom Robinson like he is. He also knows that Cal been there for him and is like a mother to them she is well loved. And Atticus was getting a little mad when Aunt Alexandra wanted to fire Cal.
I think Atticus didn't mind when Calpurnia took them to church because when they brought it up he didn't act or say anything to make him seem mad. The only person that seemed to care was Aunt Alexandra. She was the one to tell them that they couldn't take a trip down to Calpurnia's house. Atticus didn't see anything wrong with it.
I think that Atticus is okay with Calpurnia taking Scout and Jem to church because,it would be good for Scout and Jem to get an idea of what segregation is, and how much more privileged they are to be white instead of black during this time period. Another reason why Atticus is okay with Calpurnia taking Scout and Jem to church is that Atticus would want Jem and Scout to develop an idea of why he is defending a black person.
Why do you think Miss Mayella shows resentment towards Atticus during the case? Why does she think Atticus is making fun of her?
Tye Golden, Matt Chen
Mrs. Mayella resents Atticus during the trial because she realizes that he is trying to prove that her father actually beat her and she knows that he is right. She knows that he is on to her and her father and she didn't expect that. She is trying to protect her father. I believe that she is extremely scared that she will slip on her testimony and convict her father. She thinks Atticus is making fun of her because she doesn't understand what he means by his question of whether she has any friends or not. I Think that by accusing him of making fun of her shes trying to change the subject and take the attention off of the question at hand.
I agree with all of what you said. Mayella was trying to protect her father, but I don't understand why unless he threatened her.
I'd imagine that Mayella was influenced by her father's resentment toward Atticus. If Bob Ewell has a grudge against Atticus, then he'd likely try to convince Mayella that Atticus is the bad guy. Also, Mayella was probably well aware that Atticus was against her in the case.
I believe that Ms. Mayella shows resentment toward Atticus because, Atticus knows that Mayella is lying about the case and she doesn't want anybody in the courtroom to know that her father beat her so she would not be found guilty at the trial. Plus, everybody in the Jury is biased toward the Ewells so even if shes lying most likely the Jury would of found her not guilty.
More on my last post shown, Atticus knows every little fib that Mayella is telling and Mayella is mad about that and he doesn't want her father to beat her again. Also Atticus knows that Tom Robinson could of not hit her on the left side when his left hand does not even properly function. Mayella also gets frustrated by this because she knows she has been taken down by Atticus. She also showed resentment when Atticus asked if they called a doctor to help with Mayella injuries. They even said no to that question and makes her really angry. So all and all, Mayella shows resentment because, Atticus makes the Ewell family look like giant liars.
How would you feel if you were in Scout's shoes about the trial?
(Jake, Blake, Cameron, Ben)
To be honest, at Scout's age, I don't think I would understand a single thing they're saying. But if hypothetically I understood, I would probably be just like Jem. I would wonder why Tom Robinson was found guilty, just because he was a black man. By the time Miss Mayella even reported Tom Robinson, there was already a guarantee of him being found guilty.
"Who?" Jem's voice rose. "Who in this town did one thing to help Tom Robinson, just who?" p215
The quote above shows that not many people would try to have a black man be found not guilty, because as soon as a black man was accused, there was no point in a trial.
why are people so interested in the trail, and why come so far?
Because usually a case like this would come to a verdict quickly but this case is unuasual because not only does the black man have an excellent lawyer like mr. atticus but is gaining more support than usual.
This case is an unusual one because during this time the judges were quick to determine a black man guilty but this time Atticus was Tom's lawyer and the trial lasted a lot longer than any similar trial.
How will the rest of the white community look at Atticus now that he has defended a black man?
(Jake, Cameron, Blake, Ben)
I feel Like Atticus will have lost a lot of respect because many of the people in the town are racist. Also people we most likely act mean and rude to him and his family as well.
I believe many citizens of Maycomb supported Atticus and his decisions when it came to defending Tom Robinson. But the ones who didn't support may begin to show violence toward him. Scout says that she is afraid for Atticus because of people's biases.
I believe that they will look down on him and not respect him as much as the town of Maycomb did before.
I think the community will frown upon Atticus and his decision to defend Tom Robinson because the majority of the town doesn't care for African Americans.
I feel like many people wont like him as much or respect him because he supports blacks. However everyone should respect him more because he supports justice being done and everyone getting what they deserve,.
Prior to the trial, the people of Maycomb already had already given Atticus a negative reputation for being unbiased toward people of different races. Now that he has actively defended a black man in a legal situation, people are bound to despise him even more. If he had already been called names, there's no telling what might be in store for him later on.
Most of the town shows disrespect towards him and his family. The town people may look at him as a trader for choosing the side of the black man. Some agree with his decision and think it is right they stick by Atticus side.
They will probably be very upset with him for defending Tom Robinson in this time of segregation but I think that there may be a few people who will not be upset because with everything that happened and all the evidence i think that any person could see that Tom Robinson was innocent
I think that the rest of the white community will be very hateful toward Atticus now that he defended a black man. They already call him a "nigger-lover". This does not bother Atticus though, and he says that he doesn't mind being called that because he is not a racist person. Bob Ewell is very hateful toward Atticus and he even goes to the extent of spitting on Atticus. He is angry because he defended a black man against him, and he knew he had lots of evidence to have proved Tom innocent. Even when Bob Ewell spits on Atticus, he does not grow angry, and just says that he needed to get it out of his system, and it will blow over. I think the white people who are not racist, will view Atticus with more respect if anything.
In chapter 20, Mr.Raymond gives Dill a drink of Coco-Cola. After that, no one mentions Mr.Raymond later on in the story. Do you think he has any importance to the rest of the story? In what ways? (Hannah Bakke and Drew Secula)
I believe that he was a big part in showing what stereotypes or first judging can do. No one really realized that he was not drinking alcohol this whole time. They all believed he did because he was shameful of his family.
I feel like coke-a-cola is one of those things that will circle back and have a huge effect on the end of the story.
I do think he might be an importance later on. I feel this because minor things such as the coca cola can mean a lot to others im sure Dill was happy. Later there could also be something that could go on later might involve Mr. Raymond im not sure exactly what thought.
No I do not think he has anymore importance because he never comes back and he only seems to show his face a couple of times and never changes any of the characters in any way.
I agree with what first judging or stereotype can do because it could take a big toll on the entire case. I'm not sure if Mr.Raymond is shameful or not.
I think Mr. Raymond was doing this because he was shameful in some sort of way. He might have a drinking problem and doesn't want his family to know.
Why is mayella afraid to tell the truth of what really happened?
I think she might be scared to actually tell people what happened because she might think that her father would be really mad at her and he might even hit her again. Also, it's her father and no one would want to have to throw their parents under the bus like that, in front of that many people. She didn't really answer the questions that Atticus asked her, so that shows that she was scared. "No answer... No answer... No answer... No answer... No answer" (Lee 187).
Do you really think that Tom Robinson raped Mayella? If not who do you think it was?
I do not think Tom Robinson raped Mayella. In fact I don't believe anyone raped her. I think that Tom Robinson was telling the truth when he said he never did anything with Mayella and that he was just trying to help her out cause it seemed like no one else would. I believe it was Mr. Bob Ewell that beat his daughter because he found her with Tom, and that everything was just blamed on Tom.
I personally do not think that Tom Robinson raped her. I feel like if anyone were to rape her it would be Mr. Ewell. I believe Mr. Ewell did it and blamed everything on Tom Robinson because he'd be an easy target to get.
I dont think that Tom Robinson was the one that beat mayella because in the book the right side of her face was bruised and she would of have to been hit by a left handed person but Tom Robinsons left hand was messed up because of the cotton gin. I think her father beat her and thats why he didnt call a doctor right away because he might get caught.
No because there are bruises on the right side of her face which would have been from a left hand punch from Tom but his left hand has a defect from a machine at work years before.
1. Do you think that there is any way the jury would say Tom Robinson was inocent?
2. If you were in the shoes of Atticus would you fight for Tom Robinson or not?
3. Based on the evidence given in court, would you say Tom Robinson is inocent or guilty?
(Hyungsung Park, and Nathan Darr)
1. I do not think there is anyway he is found innocent. Even though there is evidence supporting Toms case I do not see that being enough. This is because of the time period and there are still many racist people in Maycomb. A white persons word at this time is not the same as a black mans word.
2.I would fight for Tom Robinson because Atticus realizes everyone is equal and wants to fight for that. Even if everyone seems to be against him, if I were in Atticus's shoes I would fight for my beliefs.
Based on the evidence given in court I think its very likely that Tom Robinson is innocent. There was actually evidence linking Mayellas father to crime. The olny evidence linking Tom Robinson to the crime was the two accusations that he was the culprit by Mayella and her father, which usually would pass as enough evidence to even arrest Tom Robinson.
3) Based on the information I believe that Tom Robinson has been framed. He was only trying to help Mayella when she made him get on her and then he was saw on top of her and was wrongly accused. I that's why he is a not guilty I the case.
2.I would want to defend Tom but if it would ruin my reputation and the trial still wouldn't be fair then I wouldn't because it would be pointless.
3. Tom is guilty because he couldn't have hit her with his left hand because of the accident that caused his defect.
What is your interpretation of why the mob gathered outside the jail? (Hannah Stoner, Lyndee Anders, Anna Mabry)
I think that the mob gathered outside the jail because they were mad at Atticus. I think that they went there to try to hurt Atticus and Tom threaten him so that he would make sure Tom lost the case. They even said "You know what we want , another man said. "Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch." in reference to the jail cell that Tom was in. Everyone was very mad at him for defending a black man. They didn't want Tom to win the case so they tried to hurt Atticus. I think the only reason that they threatened Atticus was because they knew how good of lawyer he was and that he had a chance of winning the case.
I agree, I think the mob gathered outside the jail because they were angry with Atticus, and they wanted to harm Atticus or Tom. They know that no one else is at the jail other than Tom and Atticus, because on page 151 one of the mob members says, "Heck's bunch's so deep in the woods they won't get out till mornin'." They are angry that Atticus is defending a black man, because the people in Maycomb are very racist and they don't like the blacks at all. They try to threaten Atticus because he is the lawyer for Tom's case, and they want no chance of Tom winning. They ask if Tom is in the jail because they want to get in their and do some harm to him, but Atticus makes sure none of them bother him.
I agree with you, I think the mob gathered outside of the jail because they were angry at Atticus and wanted to harm him or Tom. The mob gathered outside of the jail asking "He in there, Mr. Finch?" About Tom because they wanted to harm him. They did not want Atticus to win the case, and they were mad at him because he defended a black man.
Why do you think Jem was the most upset with the verdict of the trial? (Anna Mabry, Lyndee Anders, Hannah Stoner)
I think after the verdict was announced, Jem was upset because Atticus did everything in his power to make Tom Robinson innocent, but the court found Robinson guilty simply because he was a black man. Jem also must have thought that Atticus gave better reasons than the Ewells and therefore was upset by the verdict.
I agree with you, I think that Jem was so upset because Atticus did everything to make Tom Robinson innocent. Jem is not prejudice, and even at his young age he can clearly see that Tom is innocent. This goes to show how biased the trial is, because a young, non-biased person like Jem can even tell that he should not be guilty. Atticus teaches Jem and Scout not to be prejudice, and to treat everyone equally.
Also, Jem knows his dad put all of his effort into this case and did all he could to prove Tom innocent. I think Jem wanted so badly to prove to everyone who called Atticus rude names, that Tom could be proven innocent. He knows by hearing the evidence that there is no way that Tom should be proven guilty. On page 208 it says, "He's not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don't fret, we've won it,". I think this is why Jem is crushed so much by the verdict, because he knows how unfair the decision is.
"It ain't right," Jem muttered, all the way to the corner of thee square where we found Atticus missing. p 212
The quote above tells how Jem was sad about the trial.
I agree with you, I think Jem was so upset about the verdict because he knew that Tom Robinson was innocent. Jem is not prejudice or racist, and he believed that Tom Robinson should not be convicted for a crime he didn't commit. Also, he was upset because Atticus did everything he could to try to prove Tom Robinson innocent. "it ain't right, Atticus," said Jem. "No son, it's not right." page 212.
I agree with you but I also think that Jem was upset because he knew that Tom was innocent. He understood what the trial was about and he understood what was happening. I think he was also upset because he knew that Atticus had tried his best and he felt that he should've won. In Jem's mind there was no way that Atticus could've lost. He thought that Atticus was going to win the trial.
Why do you think Dill started crying in the middle of the trial? (Lyndee Anders, Hannah Stoner, Anna Mabry)
I think that Dill started crying in the middle of the trial because he had enough of they way they were treating Tom. I think that Dill is closely related to Jem and Scout in the way that he is not a racist person. I think this is also because he has spent a lot of time with the Finch family. Atticus raises Jem and Scout not to be racist and to treat everyone fairly, and I think Dill takes after him with these views. He knows that Tom is being treated unfairly because he is black, and he does not think it is right at all. On page 198-199 Dill says, "That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him--". "I know all that, Scout. It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick." "Well, Mr. Finch didn't act that way to Mayella and old man Ewell when he cross-examined them. The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered--". It makes Dill sick the way they are mistreating Tom.
I agree with you, I think Dill started crying in the middle of the trial because he was upset at the way they were treating Tom Robinson. Dill started crying during Mr. Gilmer's cross-examination because of the way he was "talking so hateful to him" and because he was mistreating him. Dill did not like the way Tom was being treated because he is not a racist person, so he thinks it is unfair that Tom is being treated the way he is because he is black.
I think Dill started crying in the middle of the trial because he was upset with the way that they were treating Tom. I don't think that Dill was a racist person so he was upset that they were treating Tom so horribly. I think he also knew that Tom was innocent. He started getting really upset during the cross examination of Tom because they were treating him badly.
Do you think Mayella loves Tom Robinson? (Hannah Stoner, Anna Mabry, Lyndee Anders)
I think that Mayella either loves Tom, or she has some sort of feelings for him. When Tom was testifying, he said that he always passed by the Ewell house on the way to work, and Mayella would often ask Tom to do chores for her. Tom said on the day Mayella claimed that she was raped, she invited him into the house to help her fix the door, which had nothing wrong with it. Then while he was in the house, he turned around the one time, and on page 194 it says, "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." I think that she had the whole thing set up, with the children out getting ice cream, she could have Tom alone in the house. I think that she tries to deny that it happened in court though because she is embarrassed, and she is trying to cover up for her dad, who beat her up after seeing what she was doing.
I agree, I think mayella has some sort of feelings for Tom because she would always ask him to help do her chores. I also agree with you about mayella having the whole thing set up so she could get Tom alone in the house with her, and that she denies it in court because her dad beat her after what happened so she is trying to cover that up and blame it on Tom.
I do think that Mayella has feelings for Tom Robinson. Mayella was so lonely because her family was constantly off doing something so she would always ask Tom to fix things for her. She had no one else to talk to so I think that she became really close with Tom. Mayella may not have loved him but I think that she definitely felt something for him.
I don't think she loves him I just think that she wanted someone to be with and since Tom had never said no to her before, I think she thought he would go along with what she wanted him to do, which obviously wasn't the case. Mayella was just very lonely and Tom even said that she was when he was on the stand.
Yes I think it is very possible that Mayella loves Tom Robinson because as Tom testified he noted that Mayella jumped into his arms and kissed him on the side of the face. So maybe its possible that she loves him.
What Importance does the Tom Robinson case have to Atticus? And why did he take if he knew he would not win? explain Why.
Anne Bobin, Madi Reed and David Shapiro
Atticus did not chose the case he was appointed by the judge. But even though he didn't chose the case he is putting in all his effort to defend Tom Robinson because he is not racist and observes the rights of African Americans, unlike many at the time. I think the importance to Atticus is that he wants Tom Robinson to be defended in the way a white man would.
An example of how he is not racist towards Africans is when he said "I don't see any harm in letting her go out there." in reference to Scout asking if she could visit Calpurnia more and go to church with her again.
Atticus knew he would not win because of peoples' beliefs on equality in the time period. They though white people were superior to blacks. I think the case was important to Atticus because he knew he would not win, but he wanted to try as hard as he could to set a good example to his kids and the townspeople.
Do you think we will see Boo Radley in person later in the story? In what situation? (Hannah Bakke and Drew Secula)
I do not believe that Boo Radley will appear at the end of the story, but if he does I feel like it will not be in any kind of dramatic situation.
I think that after the court comes to a final verdict and the action in the story begins to fall the children will have a face to face encounter with boo but it will just be them I do not think that boo is ready yet to confront all of maycomb.
I think we will see Boo Radley later on in the story. I think that Boo will finally come out of his house to stop the other kids from calling Scout and Jem names just because Atticus was a lawyer to defend Tom Robinson. Also Boo Radley might want to stop this debate about Tom Robinson's death because in the book a news paper article called it a "senseless killing", and Scout didn't think that this was true.
I think Boo Radley may appear again because he hasn't been in the story for the most part. Scout will be excited to see Boo Radley in person because she never seen Boo in person before.
If you were to choose between Scout, Jem, and Dill, who do you think will most likely become a lawyer? Why do you think he/she would make a good lawyer? (Hannah Bakke and Drew Secula)
Based on what we see in the book, i think that Jem would be the lawyer. This is because of the fact the Jem pays attention better than both Scout and Dill combined. When Jem saw that his father lost the case he cried, he cried because when he saw his dad lose, he knew that it was a unfair trial and verdict, Jem knew that Mr. Robinson did absolutely nothing wrong and that he was convicted of something he did not even do. And since I think that Jem would be a lawyer, I think that Jem has an easier time trying to learn things which will help in cases similar to other cases he might do which will make him an even better lawyer.
Based on the book, what evidence shows that Harper Lee was against segregation? Elena, Emily, Deanna
Do you think the characters personalities have changed since the case started? (Kell, Jocelyn, Jason)
I believe that some have and some haven't. For example I believe that all round Atticus has sustained the same morals and thinking throughout the case. But, I think that Scout has changed a lot in multiple areas for example, she has become more comfortable with the idea of boo radley.
Why is Mayella accusing Tom Robinson of rape? Do you think he did it or is she lying? (Jason, Jocelyn, kell, nate)
I think Mayella is being forced to lie. Her father Bob was racist and could've caught her and Tom together. He could have stricken her to tell the poice that it was Tom Robinson that had man handled her and gotten his way with her. Or Mayella could have just been with Tom Robinson to accuse him of rape because she as well could have been a racist person.
Do you think that Mayella's childhood effects the case, if so how? (Jocelyn,Jason,Nate,Kell)
Yes I think that Mayella's childhood affects her case. Mayella had a tough childhood which makes people believe that she could have the possibility of lying. Her childhood has a huge part in the case with the way her dad mistreated treated her. She could be lying to hide behind her shame and embarrassment.
Do you believe that Mr.Ewell beat up his daughter? What does this say about his character? explain using text evidence. Elena, Deanna and Emily
Why do you think that Mayella was confused in the beginning of the trial despite her being afraid of Atticus? (Kell, Jocelyn, Jason, Nate)
How has Scout and Jem changed from the beginning of the book to now? Elena, Emily, Deanna
What are your feelings toward your the court case? (Nick, Max, Shaun)
I feel that the court case was unfair. First off, it was a race vs. race type deal, Meaning that it was a large majority of the whites in the town where against Tom and even Atticus for supporting him.
Compare and contrast between the Scottsboro case and the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. use text evidence to support your answer. Elena, Deanna and Emily
How would you feel if you were in the jury at the court case? (Nick, Max, Shaun)
I would feel that the court case was unfair and corrupt. Mainly because nothing was even reviewed for the case its self, like what actually happened. Also, how there was only a small majority of people supporting Tom, just because the color of his skin.
Who do you think is more innocent? The Ewells or Tom Robinson?
(Shelby, Autumn, Cruz)
Tom Robinson, because I think it was her father that did it to her.
I believe that Tom Robinson is innocent, because in the story, Mayella had bruises on the left side of her face. In the story it said that whoever had done that to her was left handed because of where the bruises were. Tom Robinson was right handed, and Bob Ewell was left handed.
I think Tom Robinson is more innocent. When Tom Robinson went up to the witness stand and told his side of the story, he seemed like all he wanted to do was help Mayella because she had to do a lot of work without any help. "Well, I went inside the fence an' looked around for any kindling to work on, but I didn't see none" (193). Here, Tom Robinson explains that he came in to help.
Why do you think Mayella scared to tell the truth, but let Tom be guilty for this case? (Nick, Shaun, Max)
Its probably true about the rape. But she also either wants money, or the childhood events, or she just wants to get someone in trouble.
I believe she is scared to tell the truth because she is scared of Bob. So, maybe her intentions don't mean to let him be guilty but she has no other choice, because she doesn't want to be seen as also being a liar and the fear.
Why does Mr. Underwood protect Tom Robinson if he doesn't like him?
(Autumn, Cruz, Shelby)
If Jem and Scout would have come in the courthouse earlier (and got seats in the white section) would it change their perception on the court case?
How do you think the Scotts Burrow Case is related to this trial? (Max, Shaun, Nick)
Both of the trials are based off of a rape case. Also, the guy named Willie Robeson in the Scottsboro Case is similar to the name of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird and they both couldn't have done the crime because of them having diseases which would make it impossible to rape the girl.
Why does Bob Ewell not call the Sheriff first? and why was he excited about the rape?
(Autumn, Cruz, Shelby)
If Tom Robinsons manager , Mr.Link Deas didn't get kicked out would the court outcome be different?
Why is aunt Alexandria so protective? And why does she insist on Scout being lady like?
(Cruz, Shelby, Autumn)
I think Aunt Alexandria is protective because she wants to protect Scout from any harm that can hurt her. She wants Scout to dress lady-like because Scout always dresses like a tomboy and Alexandria wants her to not go out into the real world and dress like a tomboy.
Why did the girl want Tom Robinson to have sex with her ? What does this say about her character?
Do you think Scout is a dynamic or static character?
Dynamic because she's a main character and she has been changing throughout the book.
Scout is a dynamic charicter because she has changed alot in the book
she is also a dynamic character because she has changed so much she has she is turning into more of a girl each day where in the beginning she was a tomboy and all she wanted to do was to hang out with Jem and Dill.
How is the Scottsboro Case similar to the Tom Robinson trial?
Do you think the only reason Tom Robinson was accused of rape was because of his skin color?
In your opinion, how does the tone change when Tom Robinson was found guilty at the trial? (Joshua, Adam, Jaren)
Its goes from being oh he is gonna win and he has a chance and they were hoping he would win. When he was found guilty they didnt think he should of been found guilt. They felt sorry for him.-Jake
Do you believe that Tom Robinson slapped Mayella or her father? (use evidence from the book to answer this question) (Luis & Ana
It was her father because the bruises on her body were on the right side, and her father was left handed. It said in the story that whoever did it was left handed because of where the bruises were.
If you were Tom Robinson's wife, how would you feel or react to the trial?
(Destiny, Bri., Savanah, Lakyn)
If I was Tom Robinson's wife I would be upset. I would be upset because my husband was being accused of rape while I knew he didn't do it. Having people look at me like I'm crazy because of this act he accused of and still being on his side.
How does Harper Lee's tone affect the story?
(Destiny, Savanah, Lakyn, Bri)
Why do you think the top balcony stood up as Atticus walked by?
(Destiny, Savanah, Lakyn, Bri)
I think they all stood as a thank you to him or a solute.
I think they stood up when Atticus walked by because he was on their side. So, them standing up was like a sign of respect for Atticus. He was defending their kind because everyone that was on the top balcony was African Americans.
What are the similarities between the mob and the KKK? (jake gates, drake fleet, connor moore)
why was atticus standing in the middle of an angry mob? ( Mark Kirby)
When Atticus talked to Mayella Ewell he asked her "do you love your father, miss Mayella? She replied " He does tollable, 'cept when" and she looked at her father. What can you infer about Mayella's character, especially when she's around her father?
(Destiny, Savanah, Lakyn, Bri)
When Mayella is around her father she's very soft spoken and to her self. She don't express her self around him as if she fears his presence. He must have some control over what she talks about to people.
Why is Mayella so scared to express her feelings for Tom? - Connor, Drake, Jake
because in that time she would have become an outcast or hurt if she admitted her feelings
The reason why she was scared to show her love for him is because she would have been rejected from society for loving an African-American. She wanted nobody to be around when she confessed her love, so she gave the children money to get ice cream and waited until her father was gone.
why is toms verdict guilty despite all the great evidence proving him not guilty? (Mark Kirby)
In that time, regardless of supporting evidence, if you were black you would be convicted of being guilty. The prevalence of racism in society outweighed rational proof. Even in the court system, where justice should prevail and everyone should be tried equally, racism still triumphed over logical corroboration.
On page 191, Tom Robinson is testifying and he is quoted, "'She'd call me in, suh. Seemed like every time I passed by yonder she'd have some little somethin' for me to do--- choppin' kindlin' , tontin' water for her..." Tom Robinson is a nice guy, and he was just trying to help Mayela out, because her dad was, for lack of a better term, a jerk. Nonetheless he was convicted.
He was found guilty just because of the time. if it was now adays then he probably wouldnt of been found guilty but since he was in this time frame almost everyone was racist. " Now dont you be so confident, Mr.Jem, i aint ever see any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man"-Jake
Why do you think that Jem, Scout, & Dill wanted to know about the case so much?
Why was Dill so desperate to leave his new foster family because he was ignored? (Ashley, Leslie, Xyria, Caitlin)
Do you think Jem knows more about segregation gangs than Atticus thinks? Why or why not? (Sophia and Maggie)
If Jem, Scout, and Dill weren't at the prison could Mr. Hecktate and his gang hurt Atticus? (Ashley, Leslie, Caitlin, Xyria)
What do you think was going through Mr Cunningham's head when Scout talks to him about intailments?
Do you think that Scout looks to Calpurnia as a mother figure? Why or why not? (Sophia andMaggie)
Yes because when Atticus is at work Cal takes care of her and Jem. She does all of the cooking and cleaning and watches the kids. I think Scout sees Cal as more of a mother figure then she does Aunt Alexandria because she is accepting of the way Scout looks and acts.
Why does Atticus keep backing Aunt Alexandra up when it's obvious he doesn't agree with her? (Ashley, Leslie, Xyria, Caitlin)
How do you think Scout got her nickname? What is the meaning? (Ryan, Carter, Tyler)
Do you think the Tom Robinson case is a legitimate court case or an act of racism? Explain.
Isaac Horning, Jack Lehr, Drew Scott
I believe that the Tom Robinson is a clear act of racism. I believe this because of the author's purpose of writing this book. The author talks about the concept of racism, and here is a clear example of racism in the text.
Why do you think MayellaEwell is defending her father? (Ryan, Carter, Tyler)
I think she's too scared to stand up to him
i think because she loves him and if she dosnt she could be beatin
In addition to my first post she is also scared of her father. she was already beatin once if she were to tell the truth about what happened her father could have done much worse to her.
I think Mayella Ewell was defending her father because she most likely was afraid she would get beat again if she told the truth about how she got her wounds. Also she was probably ashamed and felt guilty about trying to make a move on Tom Robinson because he was black.
Why were the kids so scared that Atticus would see them at the trial? (Ashley, Caitlin, Xyria, Leslie)
i believe its because atticus feels that racism is wrong and he does not want his kids to be influenced by the decision and the evidence they had. He did not want his kids to jump on the bandwagon of hating black people.-Jake
What does Harper Lee's tone about segregation reflect about her feelings towards segregation? provide an example (Maggie and Lytle)
I believe that Harper Lee has a low tone about the concept of segregation. Harper Lee proves this not only with examples from the book, but it is obvious that she is against segregation because she dedicated this book to the public.
What was your opinion on the decision of the trial? Could you relate to this outcome? Has there ever been anything like this involved in your personal life? (David H., Jake M, Josh, Logan)
I anticipated the trial to be suspenseful, and I cannot say that it was not, even though I expected that the outcome was for Tom Robinson to be found guilty. I believed this from the beginning of the trial, throughout the entire process. However, I cannot relate to this outcome. I have never been involved in a court case, nevertheless involved in one involving racial discrimination.
1) Do you think that Scout fully understood the Tom Robinson case?
I do not believe that Scout fully understands the trial. Scout is too young to understand exactly everything that is going on right now, but she does have an idea, of course.
Throughout the story, Boo Radley has been mentioned. Do you consider him to be a round character or a flat character? Explain. (Jake, David H., Logan Maddox, josh u a reed)
If I were to describe the type of character that Boo Radley shows, , I would have to consider him to be a round character. I believe this because a round character is someone who has a very complex personality in a story, known to be portrayed as a conflicted character. I cannot really describe Boo, neither could Scout, Jem, Dill or anyone else in the story. So his personality would certainly be complex. Additionally, Boo is portrayed as someone who never goes outside his house, and he is known to be very violent to any one who he catches anyone who is on his property.
Do you think that Atticus is a dynamic or static character? Why? (Ryan, Carter, Tyler)
I think Atticus is a static character in the book. The whole book Atticus is a very calm character who is very opened minded. Another reason is Atticus always for race equality and I think he carries this over to his children. He doesn't change his opinion about blacks which makes him a static character.
I think Atticus is a static charicter because he is always calm and his opinions stay the same.
I think he is static character. Because he did not change his decision to help Tom Robinson.
I think Atticus is a static because he is always doing what's right in Maycomb and doesn't think about what every one says about him for defending Tom Robinson.
2) Do you think Scout understands why people call Atticus a "Negro Lover?"
I think she knows what it means but she doesn't know why its bad
Why do you think Scout was able to send the mob away from the jail? (Ryan, Carter, Tyler)
3) Why do you think "the drunk" gave Dill some of the soda in his flask?
What do you think of the book, as you prepare to finish the final chapters. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, how would you rate the book? (David H., Jake M, Logan Maddox, josh reeed).
As we close in on the final chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird, I cannot say that I am dissapointed. We are coming to the climax of the story, where the Tom Robinson case is presented to us. I believe that the case will be very suspenseful, just lime the rest of the book has been so far. If the book was interesting throughout the way right now, it must be interesting when the climax is reached.
What factors from the trial prove that Tom Robinson is innocent, what factors from the trial prove that Tom Robinson is guilty?
Isaac Horning, Jack Lehr, Drew Scott
Do you think that how Jem and Scout sat with the black people reflected on Atticus' parenting skills?
Yes I do feel as though Jem and Scout sitting with the colored section is because of aticus's parenting style. Aticus beilves all people are equal and deserve the same rights and does his best to teach his thoughts to his children. Most kis of that time would never have even considered sitting with the colored folks because their parents have made black people seem unequal.
How is Tom Robinson related to the mockingbird?
Isaac Horning, Jack Lehr, Drew Scott
He is related to the mockingbird in one big way. In the text, someone tells Scout & Jem to never hurt a mockingbird because they only bless the world with their beautiful songs. This relates to Robinson because he didn't hurt Mayella, if anything he helped her. This is how the two are alike.
I think it is an unfair trial. I think it is unfair because Tom is black. There is no way Tom could have done this because his arm is messed up.
Do you think Tom Robinson would have kept resisting Mayetta if Mr.Ewell hadn't shown up? Why or why not?
I think Tom would've kept resisting because I think he knew that this situation was very frowned upon during this time and he knew it could've been used against him either way.
Do you think Mr. Ewell beat Mayetta because she kissed Tom Robinson, or do you think he beat her cause he was drunk?
Do you think it is a good idea that Mr.Dolphus Raymond tricks people into thinking he has a drinking problem? why?
Do you think it is a good idea that Mr.Dolphus Raymond tricks people into thinking he has a drinking problem? why?
I think there is solid reasoning behind what he's trying to do, however if people think you have a drinking problem they probably are not going to take you very seriously or believe anything you say.
This prejudice and judgment based on appearance is present throughout the entire trial of the Scottsboro Boys and especially through their convictions. With the exception of one juror who thought the 12 year old boy should only get life in prison all other convictions were unanimously death penalties.
I think his idea makes sense. Mr. Raymond just prefers blacks to whites, but would be scorned and ridiculed if he didn't pretend that he was a drunk. People just wouldn't accept him for his preference of friend.
He wants to give the white people a reason for the way that he lives, and on page 200 he says, "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--- that's why he won't change his ways."
No I don't think that's a good idea because the amount he drinks is not a good influence and everyone will try and stay away from him and he may be accused of something he didn't do because everyone always thinks he drinking so he's a possible suspect of a crime.
I think the case is bias and intense. This is because the towns people are angry because Atticus is just doing his job.
What are your thoughts on the case? Explain in good detail.
(Rob Augustine, Elijah Lloyd)
I think it wasn't right how Tom and Atticus lost the case, as shown on page 212, "It ain't right,Atticus," said Jem. I think because of Tom's color they decided that he should have been guilty even though the evidence was pointing right to the fact that Tom was innocent.
How big of a difference is there between Tom's story and Mayella's story?
(Rob Augustine, Elijah Lloyd)
Why did it take so much time for the court to come up with the final verdict?
(Quinn Adams, Cooper Church)
Why doesn't Mayella tell the truth and say that her father was the one who beat her?
(Quinn Adams, Cooper Church)
I think the reason that Mayella doesn't tell the truth and say that her father beat her is because her father scares her. I think if Mayella would tell the truth in court her father would beat her more.
Do you think the characterization of the Ewells has changed since the trial. If so, why?(Adam, Josh ad Jaron)
I don't think it has because they seemed really mad still about Tom Robinson raping his daughter.
Why did the color balcony give a gesture of respect (Gave some food) to Atticus when Tom Robinson lost the trial? (Josh, Adam, Jaron)
Why do you think that the crowd disappeared when Jem, Scout, and Dill came to protect Atticus.(Adam, Josh, and Jaron)
I believe the crowd left when Jem, Scout, and Dill showed up because they didn't want the children to know about what was going on, as shown in chapter 15.
"Miss Mayella," said Atticus, in spite of himself, " a nineteen-year-old girl like you must have friends. Who are your friends?" The witness frowned as if puzzled "Friends?
"Yes, don't you know anyone near your age, or older, or younger? Boys and girls? Just ordinary friends?" Mayella's hostility, which had subsided to grudging neutrality, flared again. "you makin' fun o'me agin Mr.Finch"
Why does Mayella react the way she does to Atticus' questions? What does this tell you about her up-bringing?
(Amy C, Madie K, Natalie J)
Mayella says that she is being sassed by Atticus, why do you think she says this even though to us it is clear Atticus is being polite?
(Amy C, Madie K, Natalie J)
I think she was saying that so that the jury would lean more to her side and believe her more if she acted like she was innocent and people would pity her. If she acted like she was a stronger woman and wasn't dainty and weak, the jury might have judged her case a little easier and they might have made Tom Robinson a free man and not have charged him as guilty.
Mayella it seems is a little confused and slow to answer questions, what do you think about the trial so far? Do you believe she is telling the truth?
why were Jem, scout, and Dill on the colored balcony separated from the colored kids? Adam Logan JakeB
why does Mr. Raymond pretend to be drunk so he can converse with colored people?
To add to my original question, why is Mr Raymond not racist like the rest of Maycomb county?
I believe he is not racist like the other people in Maycomb because he doesn't see any differences between white and colored people. He demonstrates this in chapter 16.
How old was Tom, was he a slave when he crippled his arm?
What makes Jem and Scout so intrigued about the case? Logan, Jake B, Adam.
I think Jem and Scout want to see the court hearing, as they said earlier, "Aw, Atticus, let us come back ...", because there father is one of the key people in the case and they want to see him in action.
Do you think that the jury felt guilty about finding tom guilty?
No,I do not think the jury felt bad of convicting Tom Robinson because If they felt bad they wouldn't have convicted him
What do you think will happen after the trial?
I think Atticus will remain the way he is and not let this case bother him to much. But Mr. Ewell will harass Atticus along with other racists. This will cause Jem to act out and do something he is not suppose to do.
I think many people will not like Scout's family. Especially, Atticus.
Why does Dolphus Raymond act like a drunk when he really only has a coke in a brown paper bag?
What is your thoughts on Mr. Ewell? Do you think he is telling the truth? (Elijah and Rob)
My thoughts on Mr.Ewell is that he is a very bad dad and an untrustworthy person. Why I think he is a very bad dad is because he beat his daughter, Mayella, and if you beat your child you are a very bad parent. The reason I believe he is an untrustworthy person is he lied about Tom Robinson, he had told the jury that he had raped Mayella, when he beat his daughter.
Do you think that there are are any reasons other than the color of Tom Robinsons skin that made the jury come to the verdict of guilty? (Keegan Wolf and Mark Kirby)
No i don't think their are any other reasons why the jury said he was guilty because in the 1930's there was segregation and racism. i don't think their could be any other reason for this answer.
No , I can not really think of any other reasons why Tom Robinson was convicted because that is really the only reason why he is convicted
What is your opinion on why Tom was so scared after Mayalla kissed him? (keegan wolf and mark kirby)
How do you know Bob Radley Knew that scout & Jem were in trouble? (Ana & Luis)
Why does Scout think Mr.Raymond is an evil and that Atticus would disapprove of her being around him? (Cooper, Larken, Josiah, Quinn)
Do you think Mayella wants to run against Tom Robinson, or is she being forced to do so? (Cooper, Quinn, Jake, Josiah)
Why would Atticus say that Jem and Scout are allowed to go to the court hearing when Cal thinks other wise? (Jake, Cooper, Josiah, Quinn)
Why is it such a big deal that Mr.Raymond hangs out with black people over white people; even though he is his own man and he can make his own decisions? (Jake, Quinn, Cooper, Josiah)
What was Mayelas purpose of accusing Tom?(landon, sean, hector, Jason)
Why do you think tom tried to escape?(landon, sean, hector, Jason)
Tom tried to escape because he most likely did not want to go to prison, or die for a crime he did not commit. The stress of the trial was most likely too much for him to handle and he would have rather tried to run than be wrongfully convicted of a false accusation.
Why do you think the group of people in Chapter 15 attacked Jem?
I think they grabbed Jem because he was also getting in the way of the men trying to hurt Tom because Atticus was trying to help Tom.
Why do you think Atticus was showing a gesture of praise rather than yelling at Jem at the end of chapter 15
I think that Atticus was not yelling at jem because deep down Atticus appreciated Jem staying and sticking up for him and Tom.
In chapter 17 after the sheriff testified about wich eye was brusied and Atticus showed that Mr.Ewell was left handed why didnt the jury question that.
I think that the jury didnt question the conflicting evidence because the people were so prejudice and racist so they were willing to over look anything to find Tom gulity.
I felt that in my opinion Tom Robinsons trial was very unfair and the jury was really demanding of the winesses because the jury was pressuring Tom to answer the questions that he didnt feel right answering like when Judge Taylor was asking Tom all these questions about mayella ewells and their relationship with each other like if he did or didnt rape her,if he tried to get away from mayella ewells,or if he was paid for helping mayella ewells ect. The jury also was vey demanding of the witnesses because whenever Tom or anyone else seemed like they didnt want to answet the question the jury asked them. the person problably felt that the question the jury was asking were too personal about there life and stuff.
Do you think that the Tom Robinson trial was fair? Why? (Reese, Skylar, Hadley)
I don't think it was far because they pick a jury that live in the woods were all they do is hunt off the land and hat black people so that helps the people so much more than Atticus.
No I do not think that Tom Robinsons trial was fair. I feel this way because given the time period and then amount of segregation acuring many blacks were treated unfairly. If Tom were to be white he would not have been sentenced at all due to the fact that the girls atpry didn't add up.
No, I do not believe that Tom Robinson was given a fair trial. This is because he was tried by an all white jury, which would most likely mean, in that time, that he would be convicted of his crime. Tom Robinson was unfairly tried, and should have been given a fair trial of his peers.
How well do you think Harper Lee based the Tom Robinson case on the Scottsboro Case? (Reese, Skylar, Hadley)
Do you think Harper Lee did a good job describing what was happening during the trial? ( Reese, Skylar, Hadley)
Do you think Scout reacts the right way about people who say stuff about Atticus? Would you be able to act that way if people said stuff about your dad like that? (Reese, Skylar, Hadley)
From beginning to the end how do you think the characters have changed throughout the book?
what kind of character do you think Jem has been so far?
I think Jem is a dynamic character because he went from an energetic and somewhat immature kid to a more laid back and humble young man.
How is the Scottsboro case and the case in TKAM related to each other?
The Scottsboro case is related to the case in TKAM because both cases are first of all about rape. In the Scottsboro Case the two ladies accused African American men that they had sexually abused them. In TKAM mayella accuses Tom Robinson, an African American, of sexually abusing her also. Another similarity between the cases is that no one knows if the victims are lying or not based on if they are racist.
Why do you think Aunt Alexandria is so protective over Scout? And why she wants her to be more lady like and not the tom boy she is?
I think Aunt Alexandria is over protective because she is more concerned about scout hanging out with "negative" influences like the negroes. I also think she wants scout to be more lady like because Aunt Alexandria is very old fashioned and doesn't want Scout to ruin her women hood.
I think this is because she wants scout to be more of a lady, as well as because she most likely does not have kids of her own. She most likely thinks of scout as her daughter, and therefore would be very protective of her.