Blog Prompt: As you followed the action in the courtroom, which character did you empathise with most? Least? Explain.
The character I empathise with most is none other than Tom Robinson - the innocent one who was found guilty due to his skin colour and no concrete evidence.
This is mostly because of the fact that he, as a Negro, was not allowed to touch Mayella (a white) to push her away and neither could he run away. Therefore, it was this dilemma which caused him to not know what to do when Mayella made advances to him.
During the cross-examination, the prosecutor Mr Gilmer was not able to counter Atticus's concrete points but just reached some conclusions like he had a previous conviction, was strong enough to have beaten Mayella and that he could not directly accuse a white woman of lying. He made a mistake by saying that he felt sorry for her. His courtesy during the trial and background totally point in the opposite direction, suggesting that he was incapable of committing the crime.
All these so-called "evidence" were just fluff - and would have been insufficient to prove his guilt in the present-day scenario. However, because of his identity as a Negro, he was found guilty.
On the other hand, the character whom I do not empathise with at all is Bob Ewell. Being a "white trash", he was totally the opposite of Tom - rude and arrogant amongst others.
After making the false accusation that Tom raped his daughter, he even had the mood to crack a joke during the court trial, saying that he could not deny the fact that he was Mayella's father as her mother was already dead. This was all done to put himself in the limelight, something which he especially loved to be in.
Therefore, I conclude that I empathise greatly with Tom Robinson because of the injustice that was done unto him, but totally not with Bob Ewell - the liar.
Best Regards,
Nathan :)
Hi Shiyao,
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed! However, it is not true about the total eradication of racism. This is because there are still some instances in which racism exists. This mostly happens in the United States, but even in Singapore - despite the multiracial society we have here.
Racism is not simply exhibited through action, but also though verbal language. In this way, there is still racism in Singapore. Examples would be mere remarks that Indians are dirty, et cetera. However, of course, it is way less severe!
Thank you very much for your comment! =D
Best Regards,
Nathan :)
Dear Nicholas,
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely! I did not really include that point because I thought the question referred to the happenings which made me feel least empathetic towards Bob Ewell.
However, since you say so, definitely his expenditures on whiskey is another major reason for my hate towards him. In addition, he beats Mayella up when he is drunk!
Therefore, I agree with your point wholeheartedly! =D
Best Regards,
Nathan :)