Thursday 21 November 2013

What points-of-view do the three children hold of the trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

Literally and
figuratively, the children view the tria of Tom Robinsonl from the balcony.  In fact,acts much
like a "color commentator" at a sports event as she reports the occurrences, but at
the same time, she gives her explanations of what her father says and does.  In , for instance,
she remarks at the beginning of the trial,

So far, things
were utterly dull:  nobody had thundered, there were no arguments between opposing counsel,
there was no drama; a grave disappointment to all present, it seemed. was proceeding amiably, as
if he were involved in a title dispute....With his infinite capacity for calming turbulent seas,
he could make a rape case as dry as a sermon....Our nightmare had gone with daylight, everything
would come out all right.

Scout reacts to what happens. 
When Mr. Gilmer's back stiffens as he questions Bob Ewell, she "felt sorry for him." 
But, she explains that she anddo not feel any of the trauma that other lawyers' children feel as
their fathers are engaged in debate.  She observes, "Mr. Gilmer was doing his job, as
Atticus was doing his."  And, when the language becomes inappropriate and Reverend Sykes
tells Jem to take Scout home, Scout counters that she can understand anything that Jem does.  Of
course, she really does not know exactly what rape is, so Jem informs the minister that Scout
will be all right there.

An experienced viewer of trials, Scout observes how
Judge Taylor gains control of his court as well as how Atticus employs his various techniques
for questioning witnesses. She reports how Atticus's calm disarms Bob Ewell and he incriminates
himself without realizing it. However, at times, Scout worries that Atticus has "gone
frogsticking without a light"  by asking in his cross-examination of Ewell something about
which he may not know the answer. Nevertheless, because she does not have as deep an
understanding of the proceedings as her brother Jem, Scout is a keen, objective observer who has
fewer reactions to the court proceedings. As such, she is, perhaps, the best to be the novel's
reporte.  After his questioning of Bob Ewell, for example, Scout explains to the
reader,

Slowly but surely I began to see the pattern
Atticus's questions...Atticus was quietly building up before the jury a picture of the Ewells'
home life.

In contrast to his sister, Jem's reactions to
the proceedings of the trial are stronger. He is appalled at the injustice of the outcome; his
analytical mind can make no sense of it, and his heart is hurt, as well.  In , after the
trial,

It was Jem's turn to cry.  His face was streaked
with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. "It ain't right," he
muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting....


"It ain't right, Atticus," said Jem.....

"How could
they do it, how could they?"

Of course, Dill is the
most emotional.  When Mr. Gilmer verbally attacks Tom Robinson on the stand, the sensitive Dill
begins to cry and has to be led out. Outside, Dill tells Scout,


"That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him--


..."I know all that, Scout.  It was the way he said it made me sick, plain
sick."

Interestingly,utilizes the points of view of
the three children to capture both the documentation of the proceedings, an explanation of the
techniques of the lawyers, and her sentiment of the rank injustice and cruelty of
bias. 

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