Personal Response:
The ending was particularly surprising. I did not think that Tom Robinson would have died in jail. I believed Tom had a chance to appeal and find the way out of his situation. Tom should not have attempted to run out of jail. If I was the author, I might have chosen to end the story differently by saying Tom Robinson managed to appeal and had a fairer trial. The way the story ended, shows how serious the white people who were prejudiced against the Negroes. I would prefer a happier ending where the ending shows that the people of Maycomb realise their mistakes and acquits Tom.
Recall & Interpret
1)The children are worried for Atticus but Atticus is not afraid to Bob Ewell's threats. He believes that Bob Ewell just threatens and will not take any physical action against him.
2)On the way back home from the school pageant, Bob Ewell stalks Scout and Jem and attacks them. At this point of time, Jem tells Scout to run and tried to stall time while Scout runs. Jem injures himself while struggling with Bob and Scout turns back to help him. Bob grabs and squeezed Scout and then, all of a sudden, Bob was pulled away by Boo Radley. Boo Radley took care of Bob Ewell and killed him and brought Jem back to the Finch's house. This incident revealed that Boo Radley was not a monster that they have thought and actually has a sense of justice.
3)Scout tries to treat Boo kindly and walks him back home to the Radley's place. She no longer think that Boo is a ghost or some horrible monster.Scout's image of Boo changed from a monster to normal human being and Scout tries to be friendly to Boo.
4)I believe they made the right decision on how to report Bob Ewell's death. Bob Ewell was the one who attacked and was actually the person who caused all the trouble. Boo was trying to save the children and did no wrong. He did not need any more trouble from killing Bob.
5)I agree that the cause of justice should be advanced through such 'baby steps'. If Atticus takes hasty steps and the community cannot fully condone what he is doing, he might get himself implicated and might die in result. It takes time for the community in Maycomb to slowly realise that their racist feelings towards the Negroes are actually bad.
I do not agree with your personal response. I believe that even if he stays in the jail and managed to get another trial. It was near impossible for him to win as he had lost since the moment he was born black. The jury can never change their mindcept in such a short time and they will never for a long time as they had been like this for generations. Besides the author will not show or give a happy ending to satisfy the readers but will show us the cruel truth about what and how things happened in his time.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, Tom will die anyway, because of lynching, or killed by Bob Ewell. Thus he can no longer be acquitted. His dead soul does not need any acquitting.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, this is a real story, so Blacks in the past were so terrorised that they'd rather have a go at saving their own lives than leave it in the hands of white people.
Thirdly, maybe I'm cynical and pessimistic, but there are no happy endings in real life. There are only compromises, and no matter how you look at it, it is never totally happily ever after like in a fairytale. Besides, this is not even a children's book; it is for teens and thus should expose teens to the evil and cynical real world.