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How Prejudice Affects the Way Scout Sees Things in To Kill a Mockingbird

Things Are Not Always What They Seem. . . .

•Main Plot:
•Atticus defends Tom Robinson.
•Subplot:
•Attempts to get Boo Radley to come out of his house
•Mrs. Dubose’s sickness and death
•The burning of Miss Maudie’s house

Central Conflicts:

•Atticus’s decision to defend Tom Robinson goes against the conventions of the community.
•Scout must come to terms with her father’s decision and the community’s opinions.
•Scout must learn to understand other people and accept their differences.

What Scout Learns:

•People are not always what they appear to be.
•Boo Radley is not the murderous character the town makes him out to be.
•Mrs. Dubose’s nastiness was the result of her addiction to morphine more than anything else.
•Mr. Raymond is not the town drunk, but letting people think so makes it easier for them to accept his eccentricities.

Jem becomes upset when the jury finds Tom Robinson guilty of rape.

The children learn quickly that prejudices often lead to miscarriages of justice.

They learn just how heroic their father is, too, because Atticus knew when he took the case that he would lose.

Several characters are sacrificed in the name of prejudice—Boo Radley doesn’t physically die, but he does come out of his house.

If Scout had made his part in her rescue public, she would have sacrificed her new-found friend. Tom Robinson is the most obvious example of the innocent who is sacrificed because of prejudice.

Although many characters in the novel share Atticus’s belief in Tom’s innocence, Scout learns that prejudice kills him anyway.

Harper Lee introduces the symbolism of the mockingbird in Chapter Ten of the novel. When Atticus gives Jem and Scout air rifles for Christmas, he warns them not to shoot the mockingbird.

He knows that they will be tempted to shoot birds, but he reminds them that songbirds are off limits to them. Miss Maudie reinforces Atticus’s orders by explaining the innocence of the mockingbird. According to Miss Maudie, mockingbirds are innocent creatures put on this earth to harm no one. They bring pleasure instead.

Harper Lee creates several mockingbirds in her novel. The most obvious mockingbird is Tom Robinson. He did not cause harm to anyone, but the jury condemned him guilty. Trying to escape from the work camp, Tom was shot and killed. An innocent man died because of the prejudice that existed in the community.

Boo Radley is the second mockingbird in the novel. However, Scout has learned her lesson by the end of the novel. She wants to introduce her new-found friend, Arthur Radley, to the world, but she realizes that such exposure was just like killing a mockingbird. It would be the deliberate destruction of an innocent being.

Empathy is the ability to feel another person’s emotional experiences. The phrase “I feel your pain” best expresses the concept of empathy. Prejudices often exist because there is the lack of empathy.

Atticus begins to teach Scout this lesson on the first day of Scout’s schooling. After a particularly difficult time with the new teacher, Atticus reminds her that the way to get along with people is to understand them by walking “around in” someone else’s skin.

Early in the novel when Scout is ready to quit school after a particularly difficult first day, Atticus tells her that if she could learn to empathize with other people, she would get along much better in the world. Calpurnia also helps her learn this lesson when Scout wants to know why Calpurnia seems to have two lives—one in the world of white people and another, foreign world to Scout, in the black community.

Calpurnia tells her that it is necessary to live these double lives in order not to hurt the people with whom she lives. It is only when Scout learns to put herself in someone else’s skin and walk around in it, does she really understand what Atticus has been trying to teach her all along.

Although Jem and Scout began the novel with preconceived notions of what courage is, they end with a completely different definition.

Atticus shows them through example that it takes courage to stand of up for one’s convictions even though that person is standing alone in the midst of his or her society. After Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reminds them that she is the true example of bravery by trying to defeat an addition even though she was dying. He does not want them to think of Atticus killing the rabid dog as true courage.

Even Boo Radley serves as an example of courage for Scout. He had to leave the shelter and safety of his house in order to save Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell.
These examples of courage also help Scout to overcome her prejudices and become more open-minded. And this is what the novel is about—the courage to face prejudices and leave them behind.

*FINAL EXAM NEXT CLASS IN ROOM N-204*

Symbolism of Innocence

The Snowman:

•One of the most profound pure symbols of race relations in the novel revolves around Jem and Scout's snowman.

•Since Alabama winters don’t produce enough snow to allow them to build a snowman entirely out of snow, Jem makes a foundation out of mud, covering it with the snow the children could scrape together.

•More likely, this act is symbolic of a blending of the “clean” snow and the “dirty” mud, both of which are natural substances, showing how similar humans are.

•The substance created by the mixing is different than, although not necessarily better or worse than, either mud or snow.

•Atticus approves of his son’s ingenuity as he says, “I didn't know how you were going to do it, but from now on I'll never worry about what'll become of you, son, you'll always have an idea."

•It is the idea, after all, the act of thinking, that separates intelligence from prejudice.

The snowman changes yet again as Miss Maudie Atkinson's house burns to the ground, melting the snow and leaving nothing but a clump of mud.

•At least the snowman had a short life as a mixed “creature,” enjoying the best of both worlds.

•In a sense, the snowman is like a mixed race child who inherits the good qualities of his white and black parent, but who is scorned by a society that blames him for his parents’ choices.

Explaining of Symbolism

•Atticus said that Jem could shoot all the cans he wanted to, but not to ever shoot a Mockingbird. It is connected to Tom because all Tom does is help people the best way he knows how.

•Another thing was that the bird and Tom didn’t hurt anyone, so there was and or is no reason that they should be shot.

•Atticus most likely also wanted to explain to Jem the importance of not shooting that bird because he didn’t want him to turn out like one of the people from the jury.

•In the symbolism that Miss Maudie uses she was just saying that they sang their hearts out for us and we shouldn't’t kill them.

•This is connected to Tom because all he does is work his heart out, and what does he get in return? Nothing! At least nothing but trouble and grief.

Chapter 31

We talked about Chapters 29-31.
The slideshow you saw was about
Symbolism of Innocence in To
Kill a Mockingbird.

HOMEWORK:
-Finish the Scottsboro Trials
reading and Questions for next
class.

Chapter 31
Summary:
Scout asks Boo if he'd like to say good night to Jem. Boo doesn't say a word; he just nods. Scout sees that Boo would like to reach out and touch Jem, and tells him he can. She shows him how to gently stroke Jem's hair. After Boo does this, she perceives that he wants to leave, and she leads him to the porch, where he asks her in a near-whisper, "Will you take me home?" She accepts, and allows him to escort her down the block, just like a lady should. She leads him home and he goes inside his house and shuts the door. The narrator, speaking as an older Scout, says she never saw him again.

Standing on Boo’s porch, Scout look out over the neighborhood imagining how Boo must have seen it, and how, for all these years, he watched over "his" children. Back home, Scout sits with Atticus, who begins to read her one of the scary children's stories he has picked up, which ironically mirrors the story of Boo Radley. Scout says she wasn't scared by the night’s events, saying just as Jem had on their fateful walk home, that "nothing's really scary ‘cept in books." She falls asleep while Atticus reads to her, and wakes up while he carries her to bed. She tells him she was listening all the time, and that the book is about a character who was chased and caught and then found to be innocent and "real nice." Atticus tells her, "most people are, when you finally see them." Atticus then spends the rest of the night by Jem’s side.

Analysis:
Scout finally acts the part of the hospitable Southern lady in assisting Boo around the house and seeing him home. She interacts with him in a serious and grown-up fashion. Though she runs to tell Jem when she first discovers Boo is in their house, she reacts against this childish reflex and tactfully gives Boo his privacy. Scout has learned how to be a guide for others, as shown by her symbolic act of leading Boo to safety. She can visualize things from his perspective now, as Atticus once advised her to do, and from his front porch, she imagines how he has seen the years pass, and watched herself, Jem and Dill grow up. In this reflective moment, Scout also neatly summarizes the events of the book, reminding the reader of all that passed for her and her family to reach this point.

Scout shows that even though she has discovered that people (Mr. Ewell) can be evil in unfathomable ways, she still upholds her faith in humankind and can face anything with courage. Unlike Dill, she finds that the real world does follow patterns, and once one knows them, the world of fantasy and books is the only place where real fear can exist. Despite her growth and maturation, Scout is still a child at only eight years old, and we last see her as she falls asleep in her father’s arms. The author very carefully avoids giving the reader any information about Scout’s future. Instead, we are left with an image of Scout when she is discovering fundamental truths about the world. She understands that the world carries both good and evil, and has an unshakable faith in the inherent goodness of “folks”.

Chapter 30

Chapter 30
Summary:
The doctor returns and everyone moves to the back porch. Trying to be as friendly as possible, Scout leads Boo to the porch and assists him into a rocking chair placed in a darker corner, where she thinks he will feel most comfortable. As she helps Boo along, she feels the odd sensation of her fantasy about finding him sitting on the porch one day coming true. Meanwhile, the others are discussing who killed Mr. Ewell. Atticus thinks that Jem must have done it since Scout named Jem as her protector in her story. However, the sheriff insists continually that Mr. Ewell fell onto his knife and killed himself, which irritates Atticus, who wants Jem to be treated as fairly as anyone else and not have exceptions made. After much arguing, finally the sheriff yells out that he's not trying to protect Jem (he is trying to protect Boo). The sheriff urges Atticus, this once, to accept the situation even if it's not perfect according to law: Mr. Ewell was responsible for Tom's death, and the sheriff urges Atticus to "let the dead bury the dead." He says that it would be a sin to drag shy Boo Radley out into the limelight, and declares officially that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife. Atticus, deeply moved by this revelation, asks Scout if she understands. Scout assures him that she does, explaining that having it another way would be like shooting a mockingbird. Atticus looks at Scout with a sense of wonder, and thanks Boo for the lives of his children.

Analysis:
Atticus is trying to uphold the law by demanding that Jem be brought to trial for the crime of murdering Mr. Ewell, not realizing that the sheriff is trying to protect Boo. As seen before in the case of the Ewell's, who are allowed to hunt in season, the law must be bent in order to protect certain people; in this case Boo needs protection. When Atticus understands the sheriff’s motivation, he relents, realizing that it is in everyone's best interests to allow Boo to unofficially punish the Ewell's for the crime of trying to send Tom to his death. By this point, the "mockingbird" theme has already been made clear, but this chapter rehashes the idea that the innocent should not suffer in the hands of the powerful. When Scout compares putting Boo on trial to shooting a mockingbird, she again demonstrates her newfound maturity and adult understanding. Scout understands it is necessary to prevent Boo from receiving excessive public attention, and that Boo should be allowed to live the quiet life he has always known. She knows that at heart, Boo is a good

Chapter 29

Chapter 29
Summary:
Scout tells the story of what happened outside to Atticus, the sheriff, and everyone else assembled. Mr. Tate notes the mark that Mr. Ewell's knife made in Scout's costume, and points out that Mr. Ewell meant to seriously harm or kill the children. When Scout points out the man who carried Jem, she finally takes a good look at him. He is very, very pale, with thin cheeks and feathery hair, and seems somewhat tense and nervous. She suddenly recognizes him as Boo Radley and, moved to tears, says “Hey, Boo.”

Analysis:
With the description of his hair as "feathery," Boo is immediately identified with the "mockingbird", especially with his slight appearance and fluttery hand movements. He has finally become a real person, completing the progression from monster to human; meanwhile, Mr. Ewell's evilness has turned him into a human monster, whose bristling facial stubble felt by Scout suggests an animal-like appearance. When Scout addresses Boo directly, she makes her final step into the beginnings of maturity, leaving her childhood imaginary tales behind. As a mature young girl, she recognizes Boo as a real person, and treats him as such.

Scottsboro Trials

In class we watched a slide show about
the "SCOTTSBORO TRIALS."

HOMEWORK:
-Chapter 28 Questions
-Complete the BOOK

Parallels Between the Scottsboro
and Tom Robinson Trials

•The Scottsboro Trials

•Took place in the 1930s

•Took place in northern Alabama

•Began with a charge of rape made by white women against African American men

•The poor white status of the accusers was a critical issue.

•A central figure was a heroic judge, a member of the Alabama Bar who overturned a guilty jury verdict against African American men.

•This judge went against public sentiment in trying to protect the rights of the African American defendants.

•The first juries failed to include any African Americans, a situation which caused the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the guilty verdict.

•The jury ignored evidence, for example, that the women suffered no injuries.

•Attitudes about Southern women and poor whites complicated the trial.

•Tom Robinson's Trial

•Occurs in the 1930s

•Takes place in southern Alabama

•Begins with a charge of rape made by a white woman against an African American man

•The poor white status of Mayella is a critical issue.

•A central figure is Atticus, lawyer, legislator and member of the Alabama Bar, who defends an African American man.

•Atticus arouses anger in the community in trying to defend Tom Robinson.

•The verdict is rendered by a jury of poor white residents of Old Sarum.

•The jury ignores evidence, for example, that Tom has a useless left arm.

•Attitudes about Southern women and poor whites complicate the trial of Tom Robinson.

Chronology of events
•March 25, 1931 Arrest of nine Scottsboro "boys.“

•April 6-9, 1931 First trials in Scottsboro, Alabama. Appeals begin and continue for a year and a half.

•November 7, 1932 United States Supreme Court orders new trials.

•March 27, 1933 Second trials begin.

•April 9, 1933 Patterson found guilty and sentenced to death in June.

•June 22, 1933 Judge Horton overturns guilty verdict.

•Nov./Dec.1933 Clarence Norris is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Appeals continue for two years while he remains on death row.

•April 1, 1935 U.S. Supreme Court reverses the convictions of Patterson and Norris.

•May 1, 1935 Another round of trials begins and Patterson is given a 75-year sentence.

•July 26, 1937 Charges against four men are dropped.

•1940s All but one escape or are paroled.

•June 9, 1950 The last Scottsboro defendant is released from prison.

•October 25, 1976 Clarence Norris is pardoned.

Chapter 28

Summary:

Jem and Scout walk past the Radley house on the way to the school, where the pageant and country fair will be held. It's very dark, and they can barely see a few feet ahead of themselves. Cecil Jacobs, a classmate of Scout’s runs out to scare them, and definitely succeeds. Cecil and Scout entertain themselves at the fair until the pageant begins, visiting different booths and taking part in the fair. When the pageant begins, Scout goes backstage to prepare for her entrance. The section before her entrance, a history of Maycomb, is very long, and she decides to squat down inside her costume to rest. Lulled by Miss Merriweather’s speech, Scout falls asleep. During the last song, she wakes up and realizes she has missed her cue. She rushes out to the stage, and makes a very amusing entrance that pleases the entire crowd. Scout is embarrassed about her performance and stays backstage with Jem until everyone leaves. She decides to keep her costume on for the walk home, and Jem escorts her.

The walk back is even darker than before, and near the school, Scout remembers that she left her shoes backstage. She is thinking of returning to get them, when Jem stops her because he hears a strange noise. Scout hears it too, but thinks maybe it's just Cecil again. They call out taunts to Cecil in order to get a response, but there is only silence. Jem thinks maybe Scout should take off her costume, but she doesn't have any clothes underneath, and can't get her dress on in the dark. They are almost home, near the dark shadow of the tree by the Radleys' house, and are trying to walk faster. It sounds like the person behind them is wearing thick cotton pants. The next time they stop walking, the footsteps behind them suddenly quicken into a run. Jem yells to Scout to run, but her costume throws her off balance. Something is crushed against her and she hears metal ripping. Jem's hand tries to pull her, but she is tangled up in her costume. There is a crunching sound and Jem screams. The man whom they are struggling with grabs Scout and begins to strangle her, when suddenly he is jerked backwards and thrown to the ground. Scout thinks Jem must have saved her, but she still can't see anything. She hears the sound of someone breathing heavily and, walking toward the tree to lean on, reaches out with her toes to find a person on the ground with stubble and the smell of stale whiskey. She makes her way in the direction of the road, and in the streetlight she sees a man carrying Jem, whose arm is hanging down at an odd angle.

Scout arrives home. Aunt Alexandra calls Dr. Reynolds and Atticus calls Heck Tate, the sheriff. Alexandra removes Scout’s costume and hands her Scout’s infamous, un-ladylike overalls to put on. Scout says she will never forget that gesture. Jem is unconscious and has a broken arm. Scout checks on him, noting the man who carried him sitting quietly in the corner. She assumes he is a countryman she doesn't recognize who happened to hear the fight and come running. The sheriff investigates outside and comes back to report that Mr. Ewell is lying outside dead with a kitchen knife in his ribs.

Analysis:

The night of the pageant is filled with foreshadowing of the violent events to occur. Before the children leave, Aunt Alexandra has a feeling that something is going wrong and Scout notices a strange look pass over her face. Alexandra blames it on “someone walking over her grave”. The intense darkness of the night also creates a sense of foreboding, as does Scout’s inability to see things around her, trapped inside the large, bulky costume. Then, Scout misses her cue, and ends the night upset and embarrassed. When she and Jem turn around to go back for her shoes, the school lights go out, leaving the children alone in the darkness.

The attack occurs all around Scout and the sense of her helplessness makes the account of the violence more intense. Though the book began with a fear for the monstrous, phantom-like figure of Boo Radley, this chapter solidifies a reversal: Boo becomes the children's savior against the real evil, a human man. One reason that Dill dwells in fantasy rather real life is that nothing can be as frightening in fantasy as it can be in reality. Now that the children have grown older, they come to know vividly that the real source of evil to be concerned about comes from their fellowman, not from imaginary ghosts.

Chapters 26-27

We had two classes today. In the first class we

finished watching the movie version of "TO KILL
A MOCKINGBIRD."

In the second class we did two listening exercises

about two men who spoke about their childhood

during the JIM CROW LAW days.

We later talked about chapters 26 & 27 in groups.

HOMEWORK:

-Read chapter 28

-Do questions for chapter 26-27

*FINAL EXAM THURSDAY JUNE 28th*

Chapter 26
Summary:
School is in session again, and Scout has lost her fear of the Radley place. Every now and then she daydreams about seeing Boo sitting on the porch, and greeting him as if they spoke to each other every day. School is hard for the Finch children: their peers are generally somewhat cold toward them due to Atticus defending Tom Robinson, as if their parents had instructed them to be civil but not outwardly friendly.

One day during Current Events, Scout's class gets into a discussion about Hitler and the persecution of the Jews. Her teacher, Miss Gates, speaks at length about how the German dictatorship allows for the Jews to be persecuted by a prejudiced leader, but she claims that in America, "we don't believe in persecuting anybody." Scout finds Miss Gates hypocritical because she remembers that on the day of Tom’s trial, she overheard Miss Gates say that she thought it was, "time somebody taught them a lesson, they thought they was getting' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us." “Them” meant black people. In Scout’s mind, this doesn’t make sense and she goes to talk to Jem about it. Jem responds very angrily, and tells her he never wants to talk about anything having to do with that trial again. Scout is taken aback and goes to Atticus, who assures her that Jem just needs some time to think about things, and then he'll be himself again.

Analysis:
The coldness of the schoolchildren demonstrates that children who grow up in racist households tend to develop racist attitudes quite early in life. Just as Jem and Scout grow up in a household valuing fairness and equality, and therefore adhere to such morals. This dichotomy once again shows how people’s identities and values are shaped by the society and family life in which they are raised.

In this chapter, Boo has made the full transition from monster to sad recluse and potential friend. The events of the trial have made the children consider that maybe Boo needs a good home to run to (Dill's theory) or maybe he prefers to stay out of contact with people (Jem's theory). Scout dreams of finally getting to talk to Boo, showing her desire to make him feel at home, and to show him that people might not be so bad.

Miss Gates's statement that the persecuted Jews have contributed to every society they've been a part of implies that blacks are not contributing in any way to American society. She hypocritically believes that the Jews deserve sympathy because they are white, whereas the persecuted group of the blacks still deserves second-class citizenship. She also insinuates that because the United States is a democracy, fairness is available for all, when blacks are suffering from the same kinds of discrimination and segregation that Jews experience in Hitler's dictatorial regime. The "democracy" she speaks of is not an all-inclusive one that offers the same rights to all. Scout’s awareness of her teacher’s hypocrisy once again demonstrates her powerful understanding of the true meaning of fairness and equality. Jem is clearly still distraught by the trial, and needs time to allow his still adolescent mind to understand the events in a more adult way.

Chapter 27
Summary:
Scout relates a few events that have recently occurred in Maycomb. Mr. Ewell holds down a job for a few days, but then is fired from the WPA (Work Projects Administration) for laziness. One night, alone in his study, Judge Taylor finds the strange shadow of a prowler in his house and proceeds with his reading, but with a gun across his lap.Helen Robinson has been working on the property of Mr. Link Deas, but walks nearly a mile out of her way in order to avoid walking past the Ewell's house, because they "chunk" at her when she passes by. When Mr. Link Deas finds out, he approaches the Ewell house and yells to them, warning them not to bother Helen, or else he'll have them put in jail. The next day, Mr. Ewell follows Helen to work, "crooning foul words" the entire way, but Mr. Link Deas again threatens him with jail and he stops this behavior. Aunt Alexandra thinks that these events bode poorly for Atticus, as she is convinced that Ewell’s threat after the trial carries more weight than Atticus is willing to believe.

It is nearly Halloween, and Mrs. Grace Merriweather writes a pageant for Maycomb people to perform about the history of the county. She wants children to play the parts of Maycomb's agricultural products, and Scout is assigned to play the part of the pork. She will wear a large costume made of chicken wire and wrapped around with brown cloth, which comes to just above her knees. She can't put it on or take it off without someone else's help because it pins her arms down, and she can't see well through the eyeholes. Jem escorts her to the pageant, because Atticus is too tired to go, and Aunt Alexandra opts to stay home with him.

Analysis:
Mr. Link Deas is revealed as another member of the forces working for fairness in Maycomb by his defense of Helen against the menace of Mr. Ewell. (During Tom’s trial, Mr. Deas stood up and shouted that he had never had a problem with Tom Robinson, and that he was a good worker and a good man. The judge immediately quieted him and instructed the jury to ignore his statements in order to avoid a mistrial.) Meanwhile, Mr. Ewell is again shown to be cowardly and evil, threatening those who can defend themselves least. This chapter continues to provide a building tale of suspense, as the book is clearly coming to a close, and we will soon learn how Jem broke his arm, and the final events the novel has been leading up to. The ordinary and harmless event Halloween pageant develops into an evening fraught with horror.

Chapters 24-25

We discussed chapters 24-25 in class today.

HOMEWORK:

-Read chapters 26-27

-Finish questions for chapters 24-25

Chapter 24
Summary:
Jem and Dill have gone swimming, and wouldn't let Scout come along because they were planning to skinny dip. Aunt Alexandra has ladies over for a meeting of the Missionary Society of Maycomb, and keeps Scout in attendance in order for her to learn to be a lady. The women discuss the plight of the Mruna people, a non-Christian group in Africa who are said to live in squalor and are being converted thanks to the efforts of a missionary named J. Grimes Everett. Scout doesn't enjoy being around women but does her best to take part. The discussion moves toward the topic of Tom's wife, Helen. Apparently the black cooks and field hands in town were discontented during the week after the trial. One of the ladies comments on how much she dislikes a, "sulky darky," and says that when her black female servant was slow to perform her duties following the trial, she reminded her that Jesus never complained. Another lady says that no amount of education will ever make "Christians" out of black people, and that, "there's no lady safe in her bed these nights." Miss Maudie tersely shows her differing opinion on this topic. Aunt Alexandra magically smoothes everything over. Another lady says that Northerners are hypocrites who claim to give blacks equal standing but actually don't mix socially with them, whereas in the South people are very up-front about their lack of desire to share the same lifestyle.

Scout remembers that Calpurnia told Atticus that the day Tom went to prison, he lost hope. Atticus couldn't promise Tom an acquittal so he didn't try to reassure Tom by giving him potentially false hope. Suddenly Atticus enters the house and requests Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia’s presence in the kitchen. He reveals that Tom tried to escape from prison and was shot to death by the prison guards. Apparently the guards tried to tell him to stop and fired warning shots, but Tom kept running. Atticus needs Calpurnia to go with him to Tom's wife to give her the news. The two of them go, leaving Aunt Alexandra to tell Miss Maudie in the kitchen that she's concerned about Atticus. The trial has taken a lot out of him and it seems to be unending. Miss Maudie thinks that the town has paid Atticus a high tribute by trusting him to do right and uphold justice. These people are the small handful who know that blacks should be given justice, and who have "background." The two women are quite shaken, but then join the other women effortlessly. Scout feels proud of her Aunt and of Miss Maudie, and for the first time feels inclined to be ladylike, thinking that, "if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I."

Analysis:
Just as Chapter 12 gives insight into black society in Maycomb, this chapter gives insight into women's society. Scout's experience with the Missionary Society women is somewhat mixed. She observes the hypocrisy with which the women try to do good for a remote culture like the Mrunas, but neglect the needs and sufferings of the black community in their own town. Particularly disconcerting is the way the women discriminate freely against the blacks, complaining about "sulky darkies" and making ridiculous insinuations that black men, spurred on by the trial, will start coming into their beds. The women's provincialism comes out when they speak of the Mruna people - it is evident that they have no understanding of how another way of worship could be just as spiritually meaningful as the religion they have always known. They also refuse to believe that the blacks of Maycomb are Christians, although as shown in Chapter 12, they are clearly worshipping the same God. Miss Maudie is the only woman who seems to show any appreciation for conscience, but when she speaks up, Aunt Alexandra is required by civil code to move the conversation pleasant again. Thus, the ladies never seem to discuss anything meaningful.

Throughout the book, women are often described in relation to sweet things: for instance in Chapter 1 they are described as, "soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum," Miss Caroline is described as looking like a peppermint drop, and the ladies gathered at the Finch household are said to smell heavenly and make many remarks about Aunt Alexandra's dainty tarts. Even Miss Maudie is best known, outside of her gardening, for her cake, and Aunt Alexandra is famous for her Christmas dinner. Women seem, in these descriptions, somewhat superficial and transient. The delicate desserts they seem to epitomize are hardly fortifying or necessary - they mainly look pretty and behave pleasantly - but lack real substance. Scout, who has a very strong sense of character, does not fit this comparison, and fights against becoming a part of this community.

When meaningful news does arrive, the women are spared from hearing it, as Atticus takes Aunt Alexandra into the kitchen. The news of Tom's attempt at escape, and his loss of hope after his sentence, occurs in the middle of the women's meeting about doing good in the world, which points to their hypocrisy and wasted "moral" zeal, and gives context to Tom's feelings of hopelessness. However, Scout does note that there is an element of challenge involved in being a lady. She understands this when watching Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie put themselves together after hearing the tragic news and rejoining the group. The ability to maintain an appearance of tact and civility above all other events strikes Scout as an appealing skill.

Chapter 25
Summary:
It is now September and Jem and Scout are about to go to sleep on their cots on the back porch. Scout sees a roly-poly bug and goes to kill it. Jem stops her, saying the bug never did anything to harm her. Scout heeds his request and carefully takes the bug outside, noting internally that if anything, Jem is becoming more like a lady than she is. As she returns to her cot, she thinks of Dill and remembers his story of the day Tom Robinson died in late August.
Atticus and Calpurnia were driving out to see Tom’s wife when they spotted Jem and Dill on their way back from swimming. Jem and Dill ask for a ride, and although hesitant at first, Atticus finally agrees to let them come along. Apparently, when Tom's wife saw Atticus and Calpurnia, she seemed to faint, falling to the ground in a heap. Tom's death was only news in Maycomb for two days, and was regarded as "typical," since prevailing opinion was that black men tend to run away without any plan.

Scout reflects that "in the secret courts of men's hearts," nothing Atticus could have said could have freed Tom. Upon hearing the news, Mr. Ewell is rumored to have said, "one down and about two more to go," and Scout is afraid for Atticus. Jem confidently tells Scout that Mr. Ewell won't really take any action on his threats.

Analysis
Maycomb's reaction to the news of Tom's death demonstrates how willingly the citizens interpret the actions of one black person negatively in order to maintain their social construct of subjugating the black population. Scout realizes that the decision to see the world fairly can only occur within each individual's heart, and that there is no way to reach a person who has not become personally convinced of the equality of all races and the virtue of following a moral course of action.

However, for the black community, the news of Tom's death is devastating, as exemplified by Helen's collapse. Atticus could not promise Tom that he would eventually go free, because he did not want to promise anything he couldn't be sure of. Unable to live an indefinite existence, Tom lost his courage and determination, and chose to run for freedom. Possibly, like Jem, Tom lost hope that people would listen to the voice of reason. Given all the injustices he had experienced in his life, Tom did not think it possible that his case would be appealed or that the outcome would be favorable.

The roly-poly incident is yet another example of Jem’s increasing maturity. Having witnessed Tom’s trial and his family’s reaction of his death, Jem has an even greater sense of the need to protect the innocent. Therefore, the roly-poly bug is a symbol of the weak and oppressed who are often “stomped on” by society. Jem believes in the equality of all people, and his choice to protect the roly-poly demonstrates how deeply ingrained this value is. Jem is becoming a young man of honor and moral virtue, just like his father.

Quiz Chapters 16-21

The test results were much better!

Way to go everyone!!!

A few people got scores of 21 and 22 out of 25!

I don't think anyone failed this time!

That is great news for us!!!

HOMEWORK:

-Read chapters 24-25 for Monday

-Finish the responding questions(both sides)

Chapter 23

We covered chapters 21-23 in class.

Please study for your chapters 16-21 quiz on Thursday.

HOMEWORK:

-Chapter 22-23 questions

-Slang sheet

- Study for the quiz

NO READING!

Chapter 23
Summary:
Atticus is unconcerned about Mr. Ewell's threat, and tells his worried children that Mr. Ewell, who has been publicly discredited by the trial, just needs to feel like he is retaliating against someone, and better it be Atticus than the Ewell children.

Tom is being held on a prison farm, and his wife and children are not permitted to visit him. Atticus thinks there's a good chance he'll be spared execution by having his sentence commuted by the governor. Atticus comments that too many people are sent to death based upon purely circumstantial evidence. Jem thinks that juries should be done away with, because they can't make reasonable decisions. Atticus responds that men don't behave rationally in some situations, and will always take a white man's word over a black man's. Atticus tells Jem that any white man who cheats a black man is trash.

Jem and Atticus talk about what keeps people off of juries. Women can't serve on juries in Alabama (which Scout takes exception to), and many people don't want to get involved in court cases because their livelihood depends in some way upon maintaining good favor with both parties involved in a case. Jem thinks that the jury decided quickly, but Atticus reminds him that it took a few hours, which is much longer than usual. Typically, a case like Tom's would be settled in a matter of minutes. Atticus sees this as a sign of the beginnings of change for the better. Also, Atticus reveals that he learned that the one jury member who kept everyone out so long was a Cunningham who defended Tom’s innocence. Atticus thinks that all Cunninghams will stand solidly behind anyone who wins their respect, without fail - and the incident at the jailhouse won the Finch family great respect.

Upon learning that his father believed Tom to be innocent, Scout wants to inviteWalter Cunningham over for lunch more often, but Aunt Alexandra puts her foot down, saying that the Cunninghams aren't the right sort of people for Scout to spend time with. Scout can be gracious to Walter and polite, but can't invite him over because "he is trash."

Scout is upset about this and goes to Jem to talk about it. Jem tries to cheer her up and proudly shows her the beginnings of chest hair, which Scout pretends to see and congratulates him on. Jem explains he wants to go out for football next year. Next, Jem tries to comfort Scout by explaining that Aunt Alexandra is just trying to make her into "a lady." He says that there are four different kinds of people in Maycomb county: "ordinary" people like themselves, people like the Cunninghams in the woods, people like the Ewells by the dump, and black people. Each class looks down upon and despises the class below it. The two try to resolve exactly what separates and distinguishes the categories of white people. Background doesn't seem to matter, because all the families are equally old. Jem thinks these class definitions have to do with how long the family has been literate. Scout disagrees and thinks, "there's just one kind of folks. Folks." Jem says he used to think so as well, but he doesn't understand why they despise one another if that's the case. Jem seems very frustrated with society, and adds that maybeBoo Radley stays inside because he wants to.

Analysis:
Again Atticus is overly hopeful: his opinion of Mr. Ewell shows a lack of understanding for the ultimate possibility for evil inherent in some people.

Jem is unsure whether people can be trusted to serve on juries, based on the jury that served in Tom's case, and Atticus points out some of the factors that make juries less than ideal. Some people are not willing to do right by serving on a jury because they fear public opinion. For instance, a shop owner would not want to lose business by sitting on a jury in a dispute between two customers. Fear seems to be the main motivating factor that makes individuals shirk the task of upholding what they know to be right. Also, as Atticus points out, the state itself is unfair by not allowing women (or for that matter blacks) to serve on juries.

Even after all the events of the trial, Scout continues to believe that all people are the same. She believes all people are "folks," and that they are neither all good nor all bad, and sometimes they act out of weakness. She can't determine what makes her family "better" than the Cunninghams. Jem seems to still want a reason to explain why some people act the way they do; he feels that he has outgrown Scout's viewpoint and needs a new one that is calibrated to his more mature mind. His comment about Boo shows that on the whole, he is feeling mistrustful toward humanity.

Chapter 22

Chapter 22
Summary:
Jem is crying and angry - he thought that the case was clearly in Tom's favor. Atticus is exhausted and when Jem asks him how the jury could have done it he responds, "I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it - seems like only children weep." However, the next morning, he explains that there's a good possibility for the case to be appealed in a higher court. Calpurnia reveals that the black community has left Atticus all sorts of appreciative gifts including chickens, bread and produce that have filled the house. Upon seeing this generosity, Atticus's eyes fill with tears. He says he's very grateful but tells Calpurnia that they shouldn't give him such things when times are so hard.

Dill comes by for breakfast and tells everyone that Miss Rachel thinks that, "if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it's his head." The children go outside and Miss Maudie saves them from Miss Stephanie's nosy gossip by inviting them over for cake. Miss Maudie says that Atticus is someone who does other people's unpleasant jobs for them. Jem is discouraged and disappointed with the people of Maycomb, who he formerly thought were "the best people in the world." He thinks that no one but Atticus worked on Tom's behalf, but Miss Maudie points out that many people helped, including Mr. Tate the sheriff, the black community, and especially Mr. Taylor the judge, who offered Atticus the case in the first place.

Mr. Tate assigned Atticus to the case because he knew Atticus would truly dedicate himself to the cause. Miss Maudie says that even though she knew Atticus couldn't win, he did manage to keep the jury out in discussion for longer than anyone else could, which is an achievement in and of itself. She says, "we're making a step - it's just a baby step, but it's a step."

As they leave, Dill says he wants to be a clown when he grows up, because, "there's ain't one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh, so I'm gonna join the circus and laugh my head off." The children see Mr. Avery, Miss Stephanie, and Miss Rachel discussing something with animation in the street. Apparently Mr. Ewell saw Atticus by the post office, spat in his face, and told him that, "he'd get him if it took the rest of his life."

Analysis:
Atticus reaches a point of frustration immediately after the trial, but his usual optimism returns the next day when he begins talking about the chance for an appeal.
Though he acknowledges that, "they'll do it again," and understands the reality that evil will always persist in some form, he seems to need to believe that there is hope for the future and the inherent goodness of mankind in order to keep himself going. Exhausted and pessimistic the night after the trial, he seems restored the next morning, as if his ability to exist and his hope are closely intertwined.
Miss Maudie makes Jem aware of an entire network of people who were quietly working in Tom's favor. Her use of the word "we" to represent them not only creates the sense that there is a cohesive group with a communal vision, but also makes the children feel like they are now included as a part of it. The trial has affected their lives in many ways, and now they are aware that they are by default going to part of the ongoing aim of taking "steps" toward fairness and equality.

Dill's comment about being a clown follows his tendency for escapism. He finds reality so difficult to manage, that he defines himself in another, separate reality where he can be safe from the trauma that Jem feels and the confusion that Scout feels as a result of being so closely intertwined with the town’s events. Dill also seems to typify a certain idea of the work of the artist in his efforts to create a separate reality for himself that serves as a vantage point from which to see the events going on in the world. He perceives things well, but will not become caught up in them, and will treat everything as a performance that is ultimately meaningful only in that it is a reaction against the real.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21
Summary:
Calpurnia arrives with a note for Atticus from Aunt Alexandra, who is concerned that the children have been gone all day. The court witnesses this exchange, and then the children are pointed out to Atticus. He sends the children home, but allows them to return to hear the jury's verdict after they eat their dinner. The children return home, where Aunt Alexandra is saddened to hear that the three of them, particularly Scout, were at the courthouse. Everyone eats, and then walks back to court. The jury is still deliberating, but the courthouse is still packed. Usually, people leave to go eat or walk around the square, but due to the weightiness of this case, everyone has stayed inside the courthouse, eagerly awaiting the decision. Everyone is silent and still, and Scout feels the sensation of chilliness in the room.

Finally, the jury returns. Scout notices that not a single member of the jury looks at Tom, and she takes this as a bad sign. Meanwhile, she and Jem can’t believe that anyone could convict Tom because he is so clearly innocent. Judge Taylor polls the jury, and every man declares Tom guilty. Atticus whispers something to Tom, then exits the courtroom. All the black people in the balcony rise to their feet to honor Atticus as he passes them.

Analysis:
Jem was sure that the trial would go in Tom's favor after all the evidence was revealed. Therefore, the pronouncement of guilt comes as a complete surprise to his naïve mind, and he feels physical pain upon hearing each jury-member's "guilty". Jem is psychologically wounded by the results of the trial, feeling that his previously good opinion of the people of Maycomb (and people in general) has been seriously marred. Jem’s trust in the rationality of the people has been beset by the knowledge that people can act in irrationally evil ways. He finds himself struggling to conceive of how otherwise good people can behave terribly throughout the remainder of the book.

Despite the unfavorable verdict, the black community pays tribute to Atticus for the respect he has shown their community and the human race. Atticus dedicated himself to the trial, which everyone knew was a lost cause. He tried as best he could to allow Tom to go free, and worked to teach the townspeople a lesson by exposing the unfairness of their collective opinions. Just as he fathers Jem and Scout in good moral virtues, he tries to teach the town a lesson and infuse them with more virtuous ideas.

Chapter 20

In class we worked on "To kill a mockingbird" Slang.

We later discussed about chapter 20.

HOMEWORK:

- Complete chapter 19 & 20 questions

-Finish reading chapter 21 it is just 6 pages!

-Read chapters 22-23 by next class.

-Slang sheet due Thursday

WHAT WAS MAYELLA THINKING...(Maybe something like this)

Before her testimony:
I can’t decide. What should I tell them? What if I lie and then they don’t believe me? But if I tell the truth I might still get hurt. I didn’t mean to make this big of deal but I couldn’t stop it. I wish that this whole thing never happened. I know that Tom never hurt me but I have to say that he did. If I don’t… well…. Maybe I should just tell them, what’s the worst that could happen to me? I know the worst that can happen to me and I guess that I can’t tell them the truth or else the worst will happen to me. What will my dad say if I tell the truth, and worse what will he do? Oh what should I do? I’ll be put to shame if I tell the truth but if I lie I’ll put myself to shame and I’ll always have that guilty feeling the rest of my life and I don’t want that burden on my shoulders. Uh oh they’re calling me up to the stand… what should I say? Well here I go. I guess I have to lie. Maybe it won’t be so bad. I guess I’ll find out.

Chapter 20
Summary:
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is known as the town drunk, because he always carries his drink in a brown paper bag, and tends to sway a bit in his walk. Mr. Raymond is also married to a black woman and has mixed children. When running from the courthouse, Dill and Scout run into Mr. Raymond and he offers Dill a sip of his drink. Scout is wary, but Mr. Raymond promises Dill it will make him feel better. Dill takes a sip and discovers Mr. Raymond is hiding a bottle of Coca-Cola in his infamous paper bag. Scout asks why he does such a thing, and Mr. Raymond explains he feels he has to give the population some reason for his odd behavior (being friendly toward black people). Mr. Raymond believes it's easier for people to handle strangeness when they have a reason to explain it. Thus, he pretends to be a drunkard. He says he thinks that children like Dill, who is so upset over the trial, haven't lost the instinct that tells them that it's wrong for white people to "give hell" to black people without consideration for their basic humanity.

Scout and Dill return to the courtroom, where Atticus is beginning his speech to the jury. Atticus explains that the case is very simple, because there is no medical evidence and very questionable testimony to prove Tom's guilt. Atticus explains that Mayella has, "broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society" by attempting to seduce a black man. He acknowledges her poverty and ignorance, but says, "I cannot pity her: she is white." He explains that Mayella followed her desires even though she was aware of the social taboos against her actions. Having broken one of society's strictest codes, she chose to, "put the evidence of her offense," namely Tom Robinson, away from her by testifying against him. Atticus accuses Mayella of trying to rid herself of the source of her own guilt.

Atticus suggests that Mr. Ewell beat his own daughter, as shown by Mayella's bruising on her right side. Mr. Ewell leads predominately with his left, while Tom can't punch with his left hand at all. Atticus points out that the case comes down to the word of a black man against the word of the white people, and that the Ewells' case depends upon the jury's assumption that "all black men lie." Uncharacteristically, Atticus loosens his tie and removes his jacket, which Scout and Jem are astounded to see, because he never walks about so casually. In his final remarks, Atticus speaks directly to the jury, earnestly reminding them that there are honest and dishonest black people just as there are honest and dishonest white people. He tells the jury that in a court of law, "all men are created equal." A court is, however, no better than the members of its jury, and he urges the jury to do their duty. As his speech comes to a close, Scout and Jem see Calpurnia moving toward the front of the court.

Analysis:
Atticus appeals to the jury's sense of dignity, and in putting together the facts of the case, he stresses the simplicity of the evidence and shows that the facts point toward Tom's innocence. As later becomes apparent, Atticus doesn't really believe that the jury will set Tom free, even though he hopes they will, as evidenced by his final statement, under his breath, "In the name of God, believe him." All Atticus can hope for is to leave an impression upon the town by exposing the truth for all to see.

Atticus's treatment of Mayella reveals that though a victim of many cruelties, she has chosen to bring cruelty upon Tom, and must not be excused for this. As he points out, Mayella wants to protect herself by placing her guilt on Tom, knowing that her actions will bring about his death because the jury will believe her, a white woman, and not him, a black man. Thus, she manipulates the unfairness of her society toward her own ends.

Mr. Raymond, as Scout notes elsewhere, is a person of high enough social standing that he can act in very unorthodox ways and have his behavior accepted not only because, as he says, he gives the people a "reason" with which to interpret his behavior, but also through the usual expression, "it's just his way." The ability to be pardoned for certain eccentricities isn't allowed to people of all levels of society. Mr. Raymond owns a great deal of land and is a successful businessman. However, if an Ewell displayed similar behavior, he or she would not be excused so easily.

Chapter 19

We had a chapters 13-15 quiz today.

In the last part of the class we talked about chapter 19.

HOMEWORK:

-Read chapter 20

-Do chapter 19 questions

Chapter 19
Summary:
Tom Robinson is called to the witness stand. He tries to put his left hand upon the Bible, but it is a futile effort, as his left arm is entirely non-functional. The arm simply slips off the Bible again and again. Finally, the judge tells him his effort is sufficient and he can take the stand. Atticus questions Tom, first asking whether he has ever been convicted of a crime. Tom explains that he was once convicted for fighting because he could not pay the fine that would have released him. In an aside, the narrator explains that Atticus is showing how honest Tom is and that he has nothing to hide from the jury. Next, Tom gives his account of the Ewell incident.

In Tom’s version, he says he passed by the Ewell house every day on his way to work at Mr. Link Deas's farm, where Tom picks cotton and does other farm work. Tom confirms that one day last spring, Mayella asked him to chop up an old chiffarobe with a hatchet, but that was long before the November day in question. After Tom performed that favor for her, Mayella often asked him to help her with odd jobs around the house as he passed by. She offered him a nickel the first time, but he refused payment, knowing that the family had no money. He said he helped her out because she didn't seem to have anyone else to help her, and that he never went onto the Ewell property without being invited. Scout thinks about how lonely Mayella is - she's so poor that white people won't befriend her, but black people will avoid her because she's white.
Atticus asks about the events on November 21 of that year. Tom says that he passed the Ewell house as usual, and everything seemed very quiet. Mayella asked him to come inside and fix a broken door, but when he got inside the house, the door didn't look broken. Then, Mayella shut the door behind him and said she had sent the children to town to get ice cream, having saved for a very long time to be able to give each child a nickel. Tom starts to leave, but she asks him to take a box down from on top of another chiffarobe. As Tom reached for the box, Mayella grabbed him around his legs. He was so startled that he overturned a chair. Next, she hugged him round the waist and kissed his cheek, and as Tom explains, said that, "she never kissed a grown man before an' she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her pap do to her don't count." Mayella asks him to kiss her back, and Tom asks her to let him out of the house. However, her back is to the door, and he doesn't want to force her to move. He knows that as a black man, if he lays a hand on her he could later be killed. Then Mr. Ewell arrives, happens upon the scene, calls his daughter a "goddamn whore," and tells her he will kill Tom. Tom runs away in fear.

Mr. Gilmer questions Tom next, and he does so fairly aggressively, addressing him only as "boy". Mr. Gilmer tries to get at Tom's motivations for helping Mayella, insinuating that he must have had ulterior motives for helping her. Tom finally says he just tried to help because he felt sorry for her, which stirs up the audience considerably, as it is unacceptable for a black man to feel sorry for a white woman. Mr. Gilmer asks whether Tom thinks Mayella was lying about asking him to chop up the chiffarobe in November. Tom avoids a potential trap by saying he thinks Mayella must be, "mistaken in her mind" about this and everything else. Mr. Gilmer asks why Tom ran if he had a clear conscience, and Tom said he was afraid of being tried in court, not for what he did, but for what he didn't do.

At this point, Dill starts to cry, and Scout takes him outside the courthouse. He says he can't bear to watch Mr. Gilmer behaving so disrespectfully toward Tom. Scout says that all lawyers do that and Mr. Gilmer didn't even seem to be trying as usual today. Dill points out that Atticus isn't like that. A sympathetic voice behind them agrees that it makes him sick too - they turn to see Mr. Dolphus Raymond.

Analysis
Tom's crippled state is more than just a plot device. It also serves as an emblem for his disadvantage in life as a black man. His arm was injured in a cotton gin, a machine used primarily by slaves, and later, poor black workers in the cotton fields. The legacy of slavery cripples Tom in court and in his everyday life, just as his actual injury is a constant burden for him.

Mayella's sad situation comes out more fully in Tom's testimony. Her short comment about, "what her pap do to her don't count" hints that her father probably abuses her, possibly sexually. Mayella is as lonely as the "mixed" children Jem spoke of earlier, as she belongs to neither black nor white circles.

The idea that a black person could feel sorry for a white person refutes all of Maycomb's social assumptions, making Tom's courthouse comment extremely provocative. By nature, black life is thought to be inferior to white life, making Tom’s feelings towards Mayella subvert everything that the town's social fabric is based upon. As Jem explains in chapter 23, every class looks down upon the class below it - so black people, as the lowest class, should not feel pity for anyone.

Dill's feeling of illness during Mr. Gilmer's cross-examination shows his extreme sensitivity, as a young child, to the ugliness of society's prejudices and evil. Scout tries to see Mr. Gilmer's actions as part of the method of the job he is trying to do, following Atticus's advice to try to "get into a person's mind" in order to understand them better. However, it is indisputable that Mr. Gilmer does not behave as honorably as Atticus. Atticus speaks to all the witnesses with respect, while Mr. Gilmer demeans Tom in court, calling him “boy” and sneering at him. Dill’s classic method of managing uncomfortable situations is to run away, and he does so here, fleeing the courtroom with Scout at his side.

Chapter 18

Today we had two periods. In our first period we watched a CNN report about Vidor, Texas.

We then worked on Chapters 13-15 Vocabulary.

In our second class we talked about the top 3 events for chapter 18, and then we played a "Question & Answer" game.

Homework:

-Study for the book quiz on chapters 13-15

-Study for vocabulary quiz for chapters 13-15

-Chapter 18 questions

-Read chapter 19

ABOUT VIDOR:

Vidor is a small city of about 11,000 people near the Texas Gulf Coast, not too far from the Louisiana border. Despite the fact that Beaumont, a much bigger city just 10 minutes away, is quite integrated, Vidor is not. There are very few blacks there; it's mostly white. That is in large part because of a history of racism in Vidor, a past that continues to haunt the present.
"We've been trying to live down something for 40 to 50 years," said Orange County Commissioner Beamon Minton. "Once convicted, you're a convicted felon. You can't ever put that aside."

Vidor was one of hundreds of communities in America known as "sundown towns," places where blacks were not welcome after dark. In some of these towns, signs -- handwritten or printed -- were posted, saying things like "Whites Only After Dark." But in general, sundown towns existed by reputation. Blacks knew they were places to avoid after dark.

Charles Jones is a 62-year-old African-American man who lives in Beaumont. He told us when he was 19, he and three of his black friends were changing a flat tire on their broken down car in Vidor one night. A white policeman stopped.

"He said, 'Well, let me tell ya -- you boys better wrap and get out of here, because I'm going to go to that next exit and come back around. You better be gone!' " Jones recalled.
Vidor also had a reputation as a haven for the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, Jones recalls seeing a Klan rally in Vidor when he was a child. Vidor city officials point that that doesn't mean the rally was filled with Vidor residents. They say the Klan brought members from all over and targeted Vidor for rallies.

Chapter 18
Summary:
It's now Mayella's turn to be a witness. She is very distraught and cries in the witness stand, saying that she is afraid of Atticus. She finally tells Mr. Gilmer that her father asked her to chop up an old chiffarobe (chest of drawers) for kindling, but she didn't feel strong enough. When Tom Robinson walked by, she asked him to do it for a nickel. She claims that she went inside for the money, and Tom followed her, pushed her to the floor, and took advantage of her while she screamed and tried to fight back. Then, her father arrived and Tom ran away. After Mr. Gilmer has allowed Mayella to tell her story, it is Atticus's turn.

Atticus questions Mayella, but first asks her some background questions to show the jury what kind of family she comes from. At first, Mayella takes exception to Atticus calling her “Miss Mayella,” and the judge has to explain that Atticus is imply being polite. He treats everyone on the stand with the same respect, no matter who they are or where they come from. In her cross-examination, we learn Mayella is nineteen and her family receives relief checks, but there isn't enough food to go around; her father seems to be a drunkard. Mayella went to school for a few years but none of her eight siblings go, and their mother is dead. Mayella doesn't seem to have any friends. Atticus asks if Mr. Ewell is a loving father, and with hesitation, Mayella says that he is "tolerable" except when he has been drinking. However, she insists that he never lays a hand on her or beats her. Atticus asks if this was the first time Tom Robinson has been invited into her house, and she jumps a little before she says that it was the first time. He asks Mayella if she remembers being beaten in the face, and Mayella first says no, but then yes. Atticus asks her to identify the man who raped her, and Mayella points to Tom, who Atticus asks to stand. Everyone in the courtroom notices that Tom's left arm is twelve inches shorter than his right, due to an accident in his youth when the arm got stuck a cotton gin. Atticus asks for more details about the struggle, then he asks many questions which Mayella doesn't answer: Why didn't the other children hear her screaming? Where were they? Why didn't they come running? Did she start screaming when she saw her father in the window? Did she get beaten up by her father, not Tom Robinson?

Mayella just says that she was taken advantage of, and if the upper class gentlemen won't prosecute Tom, they are cowards. Atticus appears to have found his exchange with the young woman distasteful. The court rests for ten minutes, but no one leaves the courthouse

Analysis:
In this chapter, we learn that Mayella's life is one of miserable poverty and deprivation. She shows she is accustomed to being treated without respect when she thinks Atticus is deliberately mocking her by calling her "Miss." She seems hopelessly immature for nineteen years old and her whiney or tearful attitude suggests a subtle sly manipulation of her audience, as if on some level she wants to capitalize off of whatever pity she can invoke for her social state and extend it toward her fictionalized state as a supposed rape victim. She also appears quite afraid of Atticus. There is good in Mayella, her flowers are the only beautiful thing at the Ewell residence, and Scout thinks that Mayella seems to make an effort to keep herself clean, but her actions seem motivated by cowardice. She is initially reluctant to say Tom's name when asked to name her rapist, but she does surrender to fear and accuse him, thus putting her fear of public humiliation over the value of his life.

Scout and Jem listen intently to everything that is said in the courtroom. Here, Scout and Jem watch their father in action. He shows himself to be a highly respectful man, and he carefully and deliberately outlines each piece of evidence. Atticus never shows disapproval of either Mr. Ewell or Mayella, and is kind and courteous, despite insults he receives. This chapter builds the trial's suspense quite significantly, as the reader begins to understand Atticus's situation. He knows that Tom Robinson is innocent and it seems that Mr. Ewell is most likely to blame for Mayella's injuries. Clearly, more will soon be revealed.