Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Does the news about Tom surprise you? Why or why not?
After being prosecuted and sentenced to death, it was no surprise that while waiting for the appeal verdict, Tom Robinson would either manage to run away or take his own life. Moments before Tom is being taken to the prisoner's camp, he slips in a few words to Atticus that show that Tom had given up all remaining faith in his ability to be set free from prison. "'Good-bye, Mr. Find, there ain't nothin' you can do now, so there ain't no use tryin'. Calpurnia said Atticus told her that the day they took Tom to prison he just gave up hope." (234) Tom has clearly just realized that in a land dominated by the whites, a man that allegedly raped a young white woman, has no chance of victory in an unwelcoming society. For crying out loud! Even Atticus himself acknowledges this as well when he says, "I guess Tom was tired of white men's chances and preferred to take his own." (235-236) Nothing anyone could do could save Tom from the iron hand of unjust law.
Tom Robinson was like a terminally ill patient in a hospital, just about clinging to the life support that Atticus provided with the appeal. As the overly-quoted Wayne Gretzky once said, "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take." Tom took the shot! He knew that if he didn't at least try, nothing would have happened. It was a pretty good shot too, "They got him just as he went over the fence. They said if he'd had two good arms he'd have made it, he was moving that fast."(235) Tom's escape was like the perfect shot that missed the net by a centimeter. "...just as he went over the fence," is definitely the most powerful section of the quote. Tom had the will and did his best to get to a better life. When in grasp of certain death, there is not a single person that would not take their one shot at freedom.
How do you think that Bob Ewell will react to this? Will he sneer and make fun of Atticus? How will Atticus treat himself now that Tom is dead? Do you think that he will blame himself?
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When I pressed publish it was 7:28. It wouldn't move from "saving..." until 7:31.
ReplyDeleteThat's to bad. But now on with my comment.
ReplyDeleteBob Ewell must be pretty pleased with hearing this. Maybe this isn't exactly what he had imagined, but he still got the glory he wanted by TRob being falsely accused, and then killed. Bob Ewell might try and act all high and might with Atticus, but I think he will generate the same casual attitude.
Atticus really must be hurting from the trial. Initially, any human being should feel that he is to blame. We get the feeling that Atticus feels this way, but he quickly realizes the reality of the situation. His words didn't get through to TRob, and TRob decided to die on his own terms. He understands that TRob wanted to end this with his choice, not some stupid jury's.
What do you think the black community's reaction to this is? The white? What about Scout and Jem's feelings?
In response to Gautam's third and fourth questions, I think Atticus will definitely act differently at least for a couple of days. When it comes to guilt, I imagine Atticus feeling somewhat responsible for Tom Robinson's sudden death. Although Atticus knew Tom Robinson was for the most part doomed, he still held a small bit of hope, and kept trying for an appeal. The way Atticus reacted to Tom Robinson's death was very strange and surprising for Atticus' character: "He stopped in the doorway. His hat was in his hand, and his face was white...He didn't go through the diningroom, but went down the back hallway and entered the kitchen from the rear door." (314) All along I think Atticus knew Tom was destined to die because of the trial, Atticus never expected it to be so soon. This being one of the few times in the book where we see Atticus caught of guard and flustered, it is a defining moment to further characterize Atticus. I feel that also this is a defining moment for Aunt Alexandra. After Atticus and Calpurnia leave, Aunt Alexandra acts even more upset than Atticus had: ";Didn't they try to sop him? Didn't they give him any warning?' Aunt Alexandra's voice shook...Aunt Alexandra sat down in Calpurnia's chair and put her hands to her face. She sat quite still; she was so quiet I wondered if she would faint." (315) When Alexandra's voice starts shaking and she asks if the guards gave Tom Robinson any warning before they shot him, it shows that she felt empathy for him. Even when she sat with her face in her hands, a position usually showing disappointment, it showed that she could've felt guilt and disappointment not in Atticus, but in herself for not realizing all this sooner. At the end of their discussion, Aunt Alexandra asks Miss Maudie: "Does it show?" (317), meaning her sadness. Throughout these two chapters I feel that the reader got to see the pleasant side of Aunt Alexandra, the more gentle motherly side.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of Aunt Alexandra's relationship with Scout at this point in the book? Aunt Alexandra's relationship with Calpurnia? Do you think that now that Tomb Robinson is dead that Atticus will give up hope on ending racism, just as Tom gave up hope on his life?
The news about Tom Robinson does not surprise me. This is because of Tom Robinson's ethnicity. He is a black man living in Maycomb Alabama in the 1930's. A man living in this place in this time would be scared about what is going to happen to him especially after a trial of which he was accused of rape. After a trial of any kind, a person is wondering how people are going to judge them. In this case Tom Robinson thought that they might want to kill him. So he ran away and was shot.
ReplyDeleteDo you agree?
In response to James, I do agree with everything you said. I also don't find it surprising that Tom Robinson was shot because Harper Lee has so many ideas to wrap up; such as the Tom Robinson case, the Boo Radley idea, Jem breaking his arm, and so on. So, in order for this book end without confusion, something had to be done with Tom Robinson. I didn't know exactly what was going to be done, but what I did know was that Harper Lee was going to include something that would leave an impact on you, the reader. In my opinion, I thought that Harper Lee was smart by making Tom Robinson die, because although this is a very interesting book, sometimes you want something really exciting to happen, and with this twist in the novel, it keeps the reader intrigued, and leaves them wanting to read more.
DeleteDo you think this is the end of talking about Tom Robinson for the rest of the book?
I am not surprised by Tom Robinson deciding to run. After the experiences of his life he had no reason to trust White men, even if some people decided to stand up for him. Atticus stood up for him but he was a pebble on a mountain. Mr. Link Deas declared for him in front of the whole town but he was a mere ripple in a pond. His whole life T. Rob. has been slighted by white women and men. He had no reason to trust them with his life and so he relied on the one thing he could trust completely, his body. He ran, he was shoot, and he died an innocent man victim of fate and the spite of others.
ReplyDeleteDo you think T. Rob. should have ran, or should he have trusted Atticus in this matter?
There is a lot of talk about Atticus feeling guilty about Tom Robinson's untimely death, feeling responsible for it, going aloof for the next couple of days, etc. I disagree with these statements. There is no doubt in my mind that Atticus feels remorse, even bitter disappointment, concerning this inevitable verdict and wrongly accused man. Atticus is a just man, the death of an innocent man driven to such extremes must pain him so, but I do not believe him to be unreasonable as feel guilty or responsible for this. Atticus gave his whole -and he knows it. Atticus fought his hardest to stall the inevitable, but after all, it is still inevitable. He may have looked back thinking he could have done more, but really he couldn't, and he knew the verdict anyway. Both Tom Robinson and Atticus recognize this, and as many of the mixed feelings that are being exchanged, guilt is not in there.
ReplyDeleteIt is mentioned several times that Tom Robinson fled to "die by his own terms." I don't believe he fled for that reason, rather that he did it so as to have a chance. Knowing what must happen next, Tom Robinson decided to take a chance and run away -a last opportunity to be free. He bore in mind the reality that he would most likely be shot, gunned down by the white men who believed him to be guilty trash; a life not worth thinking twice about. As soon a Tom Robinson made this conscious decision, he must have know this full well but been was okay with it, but I don't think he ever simply wanted to die though his own decision. The fact that he ran was proof to Tom Robinson not giving in.
Should Tom Robinson have been shot? I do not think so. Many would argue that since "he fled, he deserved to be shot". I believe it to be the guards duties to shoot at all escapees, but I certainly don't think Tom Robinson "deserved" this. 17 shots is an indicator of racism. No white man's body would have been mutilated like so, or even shot at once after death was made certain of. 17 shots is cruelty. Unnecessarily so.
So I ask you; What do you think the concept behind 17 shots for Tom Robinson is? Did he deserve to be shot for running away? Is he to be blamed? How do you think Atticus felt when he heard the news? Do you really think Tom Robinson was being inconsiderate of Atticus's hard work in court? I certainly don't. Atticus would not think that way.