Finally, after eleven that night, the jury enters. Scout remembers that a jury never looks at a man it has convicted, and she notices that the twelve men do not look at Tom Robinson as they file in and deliver a guilty verdict. The courtroom begins to empty, and as Atticus goes out, everyone in the "colored" balcony rises in a gesture of respect. That night, Jem cries, railing against the injustice of the verdict.
Outside, Miss Stephanie Crawford is gossiping with Mr. Avery and Miss Maudie, and she tries to question Jem and Scout about the trial. Miss Maudie rescues the children by inviting them in for some cake. Miss Maudie points out that there were people who tried to help, like Judge Taylor, who appointed Atticus to the case instead of the regular public defender. It is easy to criticize Mr. Dolphus Raymond as an unreal, saccharinely nonracist character.
Indeed, in a temporal and geographical setting in which the white community as a whole has so little sympathy for blacks, Raymond is not only anomalous but also somewhat preposterous—it seems that even the righteous and morally upstanding Atticus might view Raymond as having breached accepted notions of social propriety.
Raymond never explains precisely why he prefers blacks—he just does; similarly, the white community never explains why it hates blacks—it just does. The difference between these two ingrained attitudes, however, is that whereas the white community imposes its preferences unapologetically on the whole of Maycomb, Raymond acts on his preferences solely because he wants to live that way, not because he wants to dictate how others should live.
In a way, Mr. Raymond is another illustration of an innocent destroyed by hatred and prejudice: a moral and conscientious man, he is also an unhappy figure, a good man who has turned cynical and lost hope after witnessing too much evil in the world.
Whereas Mr. Why is Dill an important character? What does Mrs. Dubose teach Scout and Jem? Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a brown paper bag? Why does Mayella Ewell lie on the witness stand? What qualities make Atticus a good father? Through Miss Maudie, we get a glimpse of what I've always taken as the most important lesson of many in the novel: That you should always do what's right and just, even if the chances of success are slim.
Jem is still distraught about the lack of justice and the fact that his father lost the case, but Miss Maudie assures him. She says "there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.
Your father's one of them. Atticus was appointed to represent Tom Robinson for a reason, she said, and that was a sign of progress. Other men who might not have been able to defend themselves would have been given a less-experienced defender, but Judge Taylor knew Tom needed a chance. And I thought to myself, well, we're making a step -- it's just a baby step, but it's a step. They walk out of Miss Maudie's house and something's wrong. Dill's Aunt Rachel tells him to get in the back yard and stay there.
Then Miss Stephanie informs them of what happened earlier in the day: Bob Ewell had confronted Atticus at the post office, spat in his face and threatened his life. How did you respond when you learned of Tom Robinson's conviction? Did you think the jury, deliberating for so long, would find him innocent? Let us know in the comments.
Calpurnia brings a note telling Atticus that Scout and Jem are missing, which causes him great concern until Mr. Underwood tells him that the children are in the courtroom — in the Colored balcony.
Calpurnia scolds the children all the way home, but Atticus says that they can return to hear the jury's verdict. Jem is convinced that the jury will acquit Tom Robinson after the evidence Atticus presented.
After the verdict, Jem leaves the courtroom stunned, angry, and crying. The African American community loads the Finch family with food for defending Tom so valiantly, which surprises the children because Atticus didn't win.
Atticus tells Jem not to be disheartened because he will appeal Tom's case, and they stand a much better chance of winning on appeal. The neighborhood is abuzz with talk of the trial, and Miss Stephanie questions the children relentlessly until Miss Maudie sides with Atticus and puts an end to the discussion.
In the days following the trial, Bob Ewell publicly threatens Atticus, which frightens the children. However, Atticus uses the opportunity to further educate his children on the ways of the world. As they look forward to the appeal, Scout asks if Walter Cunningham can come over to play, which Aunt Alexandra firmly refuses to allow. In the process, Aunt Alexandra hurts Scout's feelings horribly, prompting Jem to guess why Boo Radley chooses to stay inside.
In these chapters, Scout and Jem continue to mature as they begin to understand the importance of respect and integrity.
From the moment Atticus was assigned to defend Tom, he's been telling the children that he couldn't face them or God if he didn't try to free this man. But as the trial ends, the children gain new insight into their father.
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