She’s upset because Jem has been acting moody
now that he’s twelve. He even tells her to start
acting like a girl. Atticus tells her to try and not
disturb him. Cal tells her to come visit her whenever
Scout feels lonesome.
Jem is being moody, but even worse, Dill is not
coming to Maycomb this summer (he’s with his new
dad).
Additionally, Atticus gets called away to a
special session of the state legislature, so he’s gone
for two weeks.
At first, Lula asks Cal why she brought white
children to the Black church. But the rest of the
crowd welcomes them, and the preacher
welcomes them by name.
Tom Robinson is the man that Atticus is
defending this summer. This shows that the
African American community bands together
to support one of their own.
Bob Ewell accused Tom Robinson of
raping his daughter.
Scout lies when she tells Atticus that she would
like it very much if Aunt Alexandra would
come to live with them.
Aunt Alexandra seemed as if she has always lived
with the Finches (and in Maycomb). She gossips
about the townspeople and praises the Finches
above the other families of Maycomb.
Aunt Alexandra thinks Calpurnia is a poor
influence on the children. Atticus defends
her, saying that she’s been an important
part of the children’s lives. She’s been
hard on them and helped raise them after
their mother died.
After telling a tall tale about being locked in the
basement and joining a traveling animal show, he
explains that he stole some money, took a train
from Meridian, and traveled to Maycomb.
Dill might feel a connection to Boo because
of his own poor home life. Dill has Jem and
Scout to escape to, but Boo doesn’t have
anyone.
Atticus, Mr. Link Deas, Sheriff Tate, and some
other men are discussing the Tom Robinson trial.
They’re questioning why Atticus took on the case
and are worried about his and Tom’s safety.
They find Atticus sitting outside the jail
reading. A group of men arrive, wanting to
enter and take Tom. When Atticus is
threatened, Scout runs to him, and he tells Jem
to take the others home. One of the men grabs
Jem, and Scout kicks him. Finally, the men
leave after Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham
and tells him to say hi to Walter.
Mr. Dolphus is the town drunk. The children notice
that he sits with the Black townsfolk and drinks
whiskey out of a bottle in a paper bag. He had a
Black woman for a mistress and had children.
Scout is upset to find out that Atticus has to defend Tom.
She could have used that as a defense against Cecil and
Francis. This might make Atticus less brave, because he
didn't accept the case just because it was the right thing to
do. Instead, he is defending Tom because he HAS TO do so.
Jem, Scout, and Dill sit up in the balcony with the
Black townspeople when Reverend Sykes welcomes
them to join him. This is similar to the church scene
because he welcomes them into the Black community
as well.
He says that Bob Ewell brought him to the Ewell
house, where Mayella said that Tom Robinson
raped her. He has her identify him and arrests
Tom. He also says that no doctor checked her
out.
She had a black eye on her right side and
finger marks on her throat. Atticus asks him
to repeat himself to make certain that
people remember the detail clearly.
Atticus has Bob Ewell sign his name to show
to the jury that he is left-handed.
He’s calling her “ma’am” and “Miss
Mayella,” which she thinks is him giving her
sass.
Mayella is the oldest of seven, she only went to school
two or three years (but can read and write), the family
is on welfare relief, and Mr. Ewell probably drinks it
away. Atticus wants the jury to see the poor home life
that Mayella is coming from.
Tom’s left arm is 12 inches shorter than his
right, it hangs dead at his side, and his hand
is shriveled (from a cotton gin accident).
Atticus confronts her because he knows that
Bob probably beat her up and he’s catching
her in a lie. She’s accustomed to having
men abuse her (as her father does) but not
in public.
As a Ewell, no one wants anything to do with
her. Whites don’t accept her because she “lived
among pigs” and Blacks don’t accept her
because she is white. Scout compares her to
Dolphus Raymond’s mixed children.
Mayella asks him to fix a door. He notices that none of
the children are around (she saved up to send them to
buy ice cream). She asks him to get something down
from the top of a wardrobe, so he stands on a chair to
get it. She grabs his legs and he jumps, knocking the
chair over. He turns around and Mayella hugs and kisses
him. Tom says that he tried to get away without touching
Mayella, when Mr. Ewell shouted through the window,
calling Mayella a “whore” and threatening her. Tom
then runs away as fast as he could.
Tom is very polite, going out of his way to help
others. He is careful and thoughtful when he speaks,
not wanting to say offensive things.
Tom didn’t really have any other option – if he hadn’t
run, Bob might have hurt him. And white people
would think him guilty no matter what.
He finds it ridiculous and unbelievable that
a Black man could feel pity for a White
woman.
Dill is crying after Mr. Gilmer interviews Tom. He tells
Scout that it made him sick to hear how Gilmer talked
to Tom. Mr. Gilmer was speaking down to Tom, but
Atticus didn’t do that to Mayella.
Guilty – the jury is poor, white farmers who let their
racism get in the way of justice. They suspect Tom lied.
Not Guilty – Tom’s story shows the truth of the
situation, and Atticus’s evidence shows that Tom
couldn’t have done it.
Dolphus fakes being drunk because it gives people a
reason to excuse his other behaviors (living among
Black people, having mixed children).
He might live with Black people because he prefers
their company to the racist white people that make
up most of Maycomb.
Atticus isn’t ordinary like most of Maycomb’s
residents. He is different – educated, not prejudiced or
racist, and able to look past people’s faults/flaws.
Scout “hasn’t seen this town” because she’s still
young and innocent, so she hasn’t seen how awful
the people of Maycomb can be.
1. There’s no physical evidence against Tom
2. Bob & Mayella’s testimony contradicts what Tom said
3. Mayella lied to cover up her shame of kissing Tom
4. Bob may have beaten Mayella
5. All men lie/are immoral/desire women, not just Blacks
6. The courts exist to make all men equal
The children have been missing from home
and she is worried about them.
The jury finds Tom guilty. Jem flinches every
time a juror says, “Guilty,” as though it’s a knife
in his back. Scout shuts her eyes tightly while
they read then watches Atticus as he packs up
and exits the courtroom.
It’s a sign of respect to Atticus. They know
that he tried his best to defend one of their
own.
adfsasdfasdfasdf
The kitchen table is loaded with food sent by
various members of the African-American
community as a sign of thanks. Atticus’s eyes fill
with tears and he says he’s grateful, but to not
do it again because times are too hard.
Judge Taylor usually would give this type of case to an
inexperienced lawyer. The judge appointed Atticus
purposely. Miss Maudie also explains that only Atticus
could have made the men of the jury think so long on
the case (normally, they’d have decided very quickly).
“…this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the
post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d
get him if it took the rest of his life” (290)
Bob threatens Atticus because he made him look like
a fool during the trial and accused him of beating
Mayella.