Question

In Chapter 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is at a jailhouse protecting his client, Tom Robinson, an African American man accused of attacking a white woman in their Alabama town, from a lynch mob. In at least 300 words, explain how Scout’s actions dispel the tension of the situation. How do the events that unfold in this scene relate to the theme of compassion developed in other sections of the excerpted novel? Cite textual evidence to support your inferences and analysis.

Answer 1

Scout addresses Walter Cunningham by greeting him and starting a conversation then asking him to say hi to his son for her. By doing so, she relieves the tension in the situation by adding humility and compassion to the situation. Scout's innocence in the situation incites compassion from Mr Cunningham who is moved by her courteous behavior and the care she shows in connecting with him and acknowledging his family. Scout sees Mr Cunningham as a person while the racism of the mob members shrouds their humanity and essential goodness. Scout's polite address to Mr Cunningham allows him to recognize her essential goodness and he therefore responds in a civil and compassionate manner. Atticus later reflects on the situation by stating that "a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.".