The irony of the lesson Miss Gates teaches the kids is that she claims Adolf Hitler is a horrible man because of the way he persecuted Jews in Germany. During the weekly "Current Event Period," (279) Cecil Jacobs brings up the dictatorship of Hitler. Miss Gates responds with "The Jews have been persecuted since the beginning of history, even driven out of their own country. It's one of the most terrible stories in history." (281) This line is symbolic to the novel because it shows how people in Maycomb disapprove of the oppression that the Jews are experiencing in Germany, but don't see the oppression of blacks right under their noses. Miss Gates is oblivious to the fact that what Hitler is doing to the Jews is strikingly similar to what whites are doing to blacks in Maycomb and the South in general. Harper Lee chose to include this part of the novel because she is attempting to show the negligence of the people of Maycomb and what they are doing to the black community is wrong. Miss Gates claims that the oppression of the Jews is "one of the most terrible stories in history," yet when she left the courthouse after Tom Robinson's case, she said, "it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson." (283) In this instance she was being extremely hypocritical. Harper Lee's decision to include the irony in Miss Gates's character is one that opens not only the reader's eyes but Scout's as well. Scout is being introduced further into a world where people mistreat blacks without even thinking about it. Harper Lee is educating Scout and the reader that during that time, nearly everybody discriminated or was racist against blacks. In some cases it was ironic, and it some cases, it was just plain cruel.
How will Miss Gates continue to affect how Scout views Maycomb? How she views the black community? How would you explain Jem's reaction to Scout's statement? Will his attitude change? Will hers?
To answer your question about attitudes, I do not believe that Jem's reaction will change either of theirs. Jem was simply scarred by the injustice that was done on that day, and is trying to do all that is within his power to forget it. It even says in the book that Jem returns to "normal" and that everyday life continues as usual. Scout on the other hand, I believe is just shaken by that small moment. The text says that she was "too shaken to cry". It is something that both of them will get over, and won's drastically change any personality for any period of time.
ReplyDeleteJem was very defensive when Scout mentioned Hitler to him, this is just because he is still trying to figure out the racist ways of Maycomb. I found it a bit weird though when everything does return to "normal". The trial had seem to have such an affect on Jem and he had gotten so worked up over it and he seems to have just let it go. Miss Gates is affecting Scout by making her think its okay to "hate someone" which, goes directly against what Atticus is trying to teach his children. It seems the more Scout learns at school, the more curious she becomes but the less answers she gets.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Jem had just "let the issue go" and returned to "normal"? Do you agree with Jem when he says Miss Gates is a "nice lady"?