Extract #41 nd the setting of Maycomb_, cese**°" Ve fp ersnifTCaHiN Maycomb was an old tfwis but it was a tired old town when I first knew it, In ainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, thé-c«=™"" courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering _ shade of the live oaks/on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the ‘"*°° morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum: Pages cegetter Nstwilt People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything, A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. ‘There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to sce outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. Butit was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. Uxege ~ Exposition yo We lived on the main residential street in town-Atticus, Jem and I, plus Calpurnia our cook. Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment. eg ge NO se Ov ae’ Calpurnia was something else again, She was all angles(and bones; she was, nearsighted; she squinted; her hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard. She was always ordering me out of the kitchen, asking me why I couldn't behave as well as Jem when she knew he was older, and calling me home when I wasn't ready to come. Our battles were epic and one-sided. Calpurnia always won, mainly because Atticus always took her side. She had been with us ever since Jem was born, and I had felt her tyrannical presence as long as I could remember. pods pOrByor Lao mn annotate shotes. anvierse Cmata taco) AN 4 Prejudte! S GS vy caidren Son Sos S im wes eS) woke Yumouts Pe ena So. Hes Ain GIO Extract #2 Je ecasy s horrible SO The Radleys and prejudice towards outsiders XS “we \ases\ og’ ‘The Radley Place jutted into a sharp curve beyond our house. Walking south, one faced its porch; the sidewalk turned and ran beside the lot, The house was low, was once white with a deep front porch and green shutters, but had long ago darkened to the color of the slate-gray yard around it. Rain-rotted shingles drooped over the eaves of the veranda; oak trees kept the sun away. ‘The remains of a picket - drunkenly guarded the front yard--a "swept" yard that was never swept-where e Sony go Johnson grass and rabbit-tobacco grew in abundance. ms*aPror (Comparing as vodley Ao c)acch>in woes: Inside the house lived a‘malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem promtom) and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When people's azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them, Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work. Once the town was terrorized by a series of morbid nocturnal events: people's chickens and household pets were found mutilated; although the culprit was - Crazy Addie, who eventually drowned himself in Barker's Eddy,{people still looked at the Radley Place, unwilling to discard their initial suspicions.A Negro would not pass the Radley Place at night, he would cut across to the sidewalk oj Sets teas the Radley chickenyard tall pecan trees shook their fruit into the schoolyard, but the nuts lay untouched by the children: Radley pecans would kill you. A baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions asked, \» Cwi\ren> Scared of Boo ROMY The misery of that house began many years before Jem and I were born. The Radleys, welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgivable _ in Maycomb. They did not go to church, Maycomb's principal recreation, but. “)*4* worshiped at home; Mrs. Radley seldom if ever crossed the street for a mid-morning OS" coffee break with her neighbors, and certainly never joined a missionary circle. Mr. Radley walked to town at eleven-thirty every morning and came back promptly at twelve, sometimes carrying a brown paper bag that the neighborhood assumed contained the family groceries. I never knew how old Mr. Radley made his living—Jem said he "bought cotton," a polite term for doing nothing—-but Mr. Radley and his wife had lived there with their two sons as long as anybody could remember. / ‘The shutters and doors of the Radley house were closed on Sundays, another thing alien to Maycomb’s ways: closed doors meant illness and cold weather only. ot V all days Sunday was the day for formal afternoon visiting: ladies wore corsets, men \S2\*€4 ‘wore coats, children wore shoes. But to climb the Radley front steps and call, "He-y," seople ofa Sunday afternoon was something their neighbors never did, ‘The Radley house wont \ey had sereen doors. Tonce asked Atticus ifit ever had any; Atticus said yes, but before Iwas born. live aif ferent v yor Vivi > MOST Wrpsrtont event peacefilly QAY amouls! reasons Uae ppTn4 to wedding ext) ~Nows wh yy f - isplore xhemselt o Whe ap, Lhe leave - dont ae te chuseh 10 4 prejudice ! Quotes,Extract #3 Atticus, Robinson and Racial Discrimination "You can just take that back, boy!” This order, given by me to Cecil Jacobs, was the beginning of a rather thin = PON HN time for Jem and me, My fists were clenched and I was ready to let fly.‘Atticus had promised me he would wear me out ifhe ever heard of me fighting any more; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be. I soon forgot Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers. I denied it, but told Jem. "What'd he mean sayin’ that?" I asked. "Nothing," Jem said. "Ask Atti "Do you defend niggers, Atticus?" I asked him that evening. he'll tell you." IS, “Of course I do. Don't say nigger, Scout. That's common." 's what everybody at school says." "From now on it'll be everybody less one~ "Well if you don't want me to grow up talkin’ that way, why do you send me to school?" My father looked at me mildly, amusement in his eyes. Despite our compromise, my campaign to avoid school had continued in one form or another since my first day's dose of it: the beginning of last September had brought on sinking spells, dizziness, and mild gastric complaints. I went so far as to pay a nickel for the privilege of rubbing my head against the head of Miss Rachel's cook's son, who was afflicted with a tremendous ringworm. It didn't take. But I was worrying another bone. "Do all lawyers defend n-Negroes, Atticus?” "Of course they do, Scout.” "Then why did Cecil say you defended niggers? He made it sound like you were runnin'a still!” _\é\0m ~7 committing iNeep\ oct 1is name's Tom Robinson. He Atticus sighed. "I'm simply defending a Negro dives in that little settlement beyond the town dump. He's a member of Calpurnia's church, and Cal knows his family well. She says they're clean-living folks. Scout, you aren't old enough to understand some things yet, but there's been some high talk defending th around town to the effect that I. 7ion. John Taylor mnan. I's a peculiar case—it won't come to trial until summer se was kind cnough to give us a postponement...” "Ifyou shouldn't be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it?” The main one is, if] didn't couldn't hold "For a number of reasons," said Atti upmy head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” Ccreoxe \ow "You mean if you didn't defend that man, Jem and me wouldn't have to mind you any more?" "That's about right." "Why?" "Because I could never ask you to mind me again, Scout, simply by the nature: of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down, No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let ‘em get your goat. Try anger learning.” fighting with your head for a change... it's a good one, even if it does re 18xcial obout he 7 ae _ proverty x ES — prejudice oe Extract #4 ~ jack of education Prejudice: African Americans and the poor, uneducated White Americans. - class Fee against sewer preind’ Judge Taylor said, "Just tell us what happened. You can do that, can't you?” Mayella stared at him and burst into tear e covered her mouth with her hands and sobbed. Judge Taylor et her cry fora while, then he said, "That's enough Row. Don't be 'fraid of anybody here, as long as you tell the truth. All this is strange toyou, I know, but you've nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear. What are you scared of?" Mayella said something behind her hands, "What was that?" asked the judge. "Him," she sobbed, pointing at Atticus. "Mr, Finch?" She nodded vigorously, saying, "Don't want him doin’ me like he done Papa; layin’ to make him out lefthanded..." Judge Taylor scratched his thick white hair, It was plain that he had never been confronted with a problem of this kind. "How old are you?" he asked. "Nineteen-and-a-half,” Mayella said. ay Judge Taylor cleared his throat and tried unsuccessfully to speak in soothing Y= 33s, "Mr. Finch has no idea of scaring you," he growled, "and ifhe did, I'm hereto. “Vacs stop him. That's one thing I'm sitting up here for. Now you're a big girl, so you just sit 4 up straight and tell the--tell us what happened to you. You can do that, can't you?” apes) I whispered to Jem, "Has she got good sense?"> soca \oglc 7 comes FMI Colyer SF Jem was squinting down at the witness stand. "Can't tell yet," he said. "She's Noa got enough sense to get the judge sorry for her, but she might be just--oh, I don't get arietio know." Aart We > fatter St seu food \o lack of education > Fria © be x Mollified; Mayella gave Atticus a final terrified glance and said to Mr. Gilmer, "Well sir, I was on the porch and~and he came along and, you see, there was this old chiffarobe in the yard Papa'd brought in to chop up for kindlin'--Papa told me to do it while he was off in the woods but I wadn't feelin’ strong enough then, so he came by—" tone sympathy N Hh PMO SUF wes q “Who is ‘he'?" ee MaAGt relly 0D FateF> no €ANceTion Mayella pointed to Tom Robinson. "I'll have to ask you to be more specific, please," said Mr. Gilmer. "The reporter can't put down gestures very well.” "That'n yonder," she said. "Robinson." "Then what happened?" "T said come here, nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickel for you. He couldadone it easy enough, he could. So he come in the yard an’ Pwentin the OM... house to get/himthe nickel and I turned around an ‘fore I knew ithe was on me. Just ¥.5 run up behind me, he did. He got me round the neck, enssin’ me an’ sayin’ dirt=I Robinson fought'n'hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me agin an’ agin—-" al A Sy \ Kerr ETEd a nan Nes So ge | Capea fase > wang, He geet ! ea : we NF Caugnt We sd et ‘cone of Bob Evel Cy OS Sy RL = tered OF fear - wr os : ale = auchora\ chore #Mr, Gilmer waited for Mayella to collect herself: she had twisted her handkerchief into a sweaty rope; when she opened it to wipe her face it was a mass of creases from herhot hands. She waited for Mr. Gilmer to ask another question, butwhen he... -cegle didn't, she said, "-he chunked me on the floor an! choked me'n took advantage of me.” (outhomal chat "Did you scream?" asked Mr. Gilmer. "Did you scream and fight back?" "Reckon I did, hollered for all I was worth, kicked and hollered loud as I could.” 26Extract #5 Prejudice: African Americans and the poor, uneducated White Americans. Ac "Why did you go inside the fence lots of tim Tom Robinson's forehead relaxed. "She'd call me in, suh. Seemed like every tle somethin’ for me to do~choppin’ d them red flowers every day--” you paid for your service: "No sth, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Il didn't seem to help her none, and neither did the@hillun, and I knowed she im didn'thave nomickelstospare.” Ry lace ot cout Vhere were the other children?" Cave way he speaks? "They was always around, all over the place. They'd watch me work, some of ‘em, some of ‘em'd set in the window." “Would Miss Mayella talk to you?” "Yes sir, she talked to me." ‘As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fur of her: She was as sad, I thought, as what Jem called a mixed child: white people wouldn't have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes wouldn't have anything to do with her because she was white. She couldn't live like Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who preferred the company of Negroes, because she didn't own a riverbank and she wasn't from a fine old family. Nobody said, "That's just their way," about the Ewells. Maycomb gave them Christmas baskets, welfare money, and the back of its hand. Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to her. But she said he took advantage of her, and when she stood up she looked at him as if he were dirt beneath her feet. Atticus sometimes said that one way to tell whether a witness was lying or telling the truth was to listen rather than watch: I applied his test-—Tom denied it three times in one breath, but quietly, with no hint of whining in his voice, and I found myself believing him in spite of his protesting too much. He seemed to bea respectable Negro, and a respectable Negro would never go up into somebody's yard ofhis own volition. "Tom, what happened to you on the evening of November twenty-first of last year?” Below us, the spectators drew a collective breath and leaned forward. Behind us, the Negroes did the same. 30Tom was a bl velvet Negro, not shiny, but soft black vel his eyes shone in his face, and when he spoke we saw flashes of hi been whole, he would have been a fine specimen of a man. “Mr. Finch," hi id, "I was goin’ home as usual that evenin’, an’ when I passed the Ewell place Miss Mayella were on the porch, like she said she were. It seemed real quiet like, an’ I didn't quite know why. I was studyin' why, just pass by, when she says for me to come there and help her a minute, Well, I went inside the fence an' looked around for some kindlin' to work ‘on, but I didn’t see none, and she says, 'Naw, I got somethin’ for you to do in the house. Th’ old door's off its hinges an’ fall's comin’ on pretty fast.' I said you got a screwdriver, Miss Mayella? She said she sho' had. Well, I went up the steps an’ she motioned me to come inside, and I went in the front room an’ looked at the door. I said Miss Mayella, this door look all right. 1 pulled it back'n forth and those hinges was all right. Then she shet the door in my face. Mr. Finch, I was wonderin’ why it was so quiet like, an’ it come to me that there weren't a chile on the place, not a one of ‘em, and I said Miss Mayella, where the chillun?" ‘Tom's black velvet skin had begun to shine, and he ran his hand over his face. rhe whites of is teeth. If he had Skip ahead Pg 263... "Robinson, you're pretty good at busting up chiffarobes and kindling with one hand, aren't you?” "Yes, suh, I reckon so." "Strong enough to choke the breath out of a woman and sling her to the floor?" "Inever done that, su." "But you are strong enough to?” "Lreckon so, sub.” "Had your eye on her a long time, hadn't you, boy?” "No sub, I never looked at her. ‘ "Then you were mighty polite to do all that chopping and hauling for her, ‘weren't you, boy?” , Twas just tryin' to help her out, suh." "That was mighty generous of you, you had chores at home after your regular work, didn't you?” "Yes suh, E ots "Why didn't you do them instead of Miss Ewell's? "{ done 'em both, suh.” , "You must have been pretty busy. Why? "Why what, suh?" ene “Why were you so anxious to do that woman's chores : 8 ‘Tom Robinson hesitated, searching for an answer. "Looked like she didn't have nobody to help her, like I says-" 5 "With Mr. Ewell and seven children on the place, boy? 31"Well, [says it looked like they never help her none "You did all this chopping and work from sheer goodness, boy?” “Dried to help her, I says. Mr. Gilmer smiled grimly at the jury. "You're a mighty good fellow, -did all this for not one penny?" "Yes, suh. 1 felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of ‘em~ "You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?” Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling. The witness realized his mistake and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. But the damage was done. Below us, nobody liked ‘Tom Robinson's answer. Mr. Gilmer paused a long time to let it sink in 32