In my opinion this was the turning point of the book, it captured the most of my attention. I guess you could say i’ve been waiting for the climax of the book. There were so many qoutes i want to show you but i only wanted to show you the ones that struck me that hardest. when i read i usually clear my head and “become” part of the book. So when i reached the trail it really meant a lot to hear all the “evidence” if you will and the testimonies.
page 204:
“– all negros lie, all negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their calibur. Which, gentlemen, we know in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie i do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some negroes lie, some negros are immortal, some negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immortal thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.” -Atticus Finch
He’s pretty much telling everyone in the whole courtroom to step up to their acts of prejudice. He is also showing the audience that everyone is created equal and in a way he’s restating the declaration of independence. People in this book don’t understand that they treating the black people like they have been doing isn’t right. Now days trails wouldn’t stand up based on the “evidence” they have in this book. If the trail was durring our time period Tom could actually counter sue mr. ewell for being discrimanatory.
page 205
“We know all men all men are not created equall in a sence some people are smarter than others, some people have more oppertunity because they are born with it, some men make more money than others…There is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a rockerfeller, the stupid man equal of an einstien, and the ignorant mane the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”
Just one question…With this amazing speech why doesn’t this win the jury over? It’s the truest thing the courtroom has heard this whole trial. How many minds would this speech change nowdays? probably many but back then, sadly, probably zero.
page 220:
“That’s what i thought too, he said at last, when i was your age. If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? if they’re all alike , why do they go out of their way to despise one each other? Scout, i think i am beginning to understand something. i think i’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time…it’s because he wants to stay inside.”
I’m not the only one to get just come across that new idea. When i read this i knew why the book had to be so boring in the beginning because Harper Lee had to show you the jist of the people, the town, and their beliefs. It makes a lot more sence now. But really when it comes down to it i would do what Boo Radley did and stay inside to escape the prejudice. Is it really worth going our of their ways to despise each other. Everybody is the same just with different colors.
