Mr. Gilmer
comes upon the scene inof . refers to him as the "solicitor." In
the context of Scout's narrative, this term may suggest that Mr. Gilmer is a specialist in
certain areas of the law and is very qualified.
Scout further describes Mr.
Gilmer as having an odd eye that seems to be watching the jury at all times. Because the jury
has the impression that they are
...under close scrutiny,
[they] paid attention; so did the witnesses, thinking likewise.
Nevertheless, despite his expertise, Mr. Gilmer has trouble with Bob Ewell when this
man is put on the witness stand. Ewell's disrespectful language and flippant attitude thwart Mr.
Gilmer's intent when he instructs Ewell to answer "just in your own words."
Later, when Tom Robinson is on the witness stand and he speaks "just in [his] own
words," Mr. Gilmer repeats Tom's words for the purpose of the prosecution, knowing that in
the Jim Crow South no juror (they are all white men) would like this black man's choice of
words: "Mr. Gilmer paused a long time to let it [Tom's phrase] sink in."
As the prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer continues to question Tom about Mayella's version of
events, and the now-cautious Tom Robinson can only safely say that Mayella "was mistaken in
her mind."
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