In chapter sixteen Atticus tries to explain to scout what a mob is, why they left , and how she broke it up. He tells Scout that she broke it up by making "Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute."(Lee ,210). Atticus tells Scout that coming out and speaking to Mr. Cunningham appeals to his human side and he becomes less like a bloodthirsty animal. He says " A mob is always made up of people, no matter what" (Lee,210). This means that although they are looking to lynch someone they still have feelings that can snap them out of mob mode. This is the key to how scout is able to stop the mob from hurting Atticus and Tom Robinson. When she begins to talk to Mr. Cunningham it makes them aware of what she wood have to go through if they hurt her dad. This brings them back because they are then aware that there would be consequences for there actions and that there is no reason to hurt Atticus.
I agree with Atticus in this chapter. Scouts innocence did change Mr. Cunninghams appeals to his human side instead of a blood thirsty animal. The symbol of a small ignorant child, Scout in this case at the end of chapter 15,"I tackled one ditch effort to make him feel at home." (Lee 205)
ReplyDeleteThis image is enough to make anyone show the light of good in them. Do you think Scout bringing up Mr. Cunningham's son made him think twice about what he is doing?
Atticus is explaining to Scout and Jem that even though Mr. Cunningham is in a mob, he is not necessarily a bad person. Both Jem and Scout don’t understand why Atticus thinks this. Jem tells Atticus that, “ He’ da killed you last night when he first went there.” (Lee 210) Atticus tells him that, “So it took an eight-year-old child to bring ‘em to their senses, didn’t it? That proves something-that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they are still human.”(Lee 210) He is saying that even if people make bad decisions, they can always be put in their senses, “they are still human.” (Lee 210) Scout doesn’t understand it and she tells Atticus that, “First day Walter comes back to school’ll be his last.” (Lee 210) She is explaining to Atticus that on the first day of school, when she sees Walter, she is going to beat him up for what his father was going to do to Atticus. Atticus continues to explain that he doesn’t want what happened that night to be held on the Cunninghams. After their conversation Jem nor Scout understand Atticus’ thinking on how he doesn’t look down on Mr. Cunningham, who is in a mob that wants to hurt him.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Atticus in this chapter about being in a mob. Atticus is explaining to Scout how Mr. Cunningham is not a blood-thirsty animal in a "gang" but that he is a real genuine person deep down. It seems like Mr. Cunningham shows this when Scout tells him about his son, "Don't you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I'm Jeane Louise Finch. You brought us some hickory nuts... I go to school with Walter.. Mr. Cunningham was moved to a faint nod. He did know me after all" (Lee, 205). I definitely do think that Mr. Cunningham was trying to be a blood-thirsty animal in this "mob" but when Scout mentioned his son, Mr. Cunningham forgot all about being a blood-thirsty monster and remembered that he has a son and he is a real human being. People like Mr. Cunningham can definitely hide behind big names and characteristics, but deep down everyone is a person and not everyone is a blood-thirsty monster in a gang.
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