Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Is the mob dispersal believable?
Some critics find Scout's performance and the dispersal of the mob in Chapter 15 of TKaM to be unconvincing and too pat (easy). What do you think? Did Harper Lee make this situation believable, or does it seem contrived (made-up)? Answer in a well-written paragraph of at least five sentences, and then respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.
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4.
ReplyDeleteI do find this very convincing. Usually in movies, mobs do not let people go that easy. Mobs will usually kill someone. Not only did Atticus walk out of the confrontation alive, so did Jem and Scout. In the old school mob stories, the leaders weren't that lenient. They normally wouldn't just let someone go because their kid showed up.
6. I don't think convincing was the right word if you didn't think that the scene was believable, but I agree with you that it was too simple and mobs would not let something slip like that.
Delete12
DeleteI agree with you, but I also think that mob leaders still have sympathy for others and even more for children. Scout guilt tricked Mr. Cunningham into forgetting what they came for.
LatioSkyShaymin+SuperMarioGalaxy64
DeleteI am somewhat confused by this. first off, you seem to give one vibe in the beginning but completely contradict it right afterward. This is either a poor choice of wording to get a message across, or an attempt to deliberately confuse. Also, these men were: one, drunk, and two, ordinary people. The mob also did not want to hurt anyone but their intended target, and they thought the only setback was Atticus. Atticus attempted to bring these men to their senses with conversation, because he knew this. However, the extra factor of a kid showing up out of seemingly nowhere was enough to make these men realize what they were doing.
~25~
DeleteWhen Harper said "mob," I'm almost certain she didn't mean "mob" as in "mafia." I think she meant it like an "angry mob."
16-I think that Lee contrived it. It was not believable to me that three kids run in to the mob. I think she should have told it differently. Just by Scout talking about Walter Cunningham's son the mob went away. That is not how a mob would have handled the situation. I think that Lee could have made it a little more believable.
ReplyDelete26. I think the kids going into the mobs is believable because they didn't realize that these were men they didn't know. I think they are brave kids that just wanted to help out there father.
Delete19) I agree with you but I beileive Harper Lee did this on purpose with the means of making a great book, which she did.
Delete5.
DeleteRemember the fact that it stated that these are men from the backwoods and they're aren't exactly the highest educated people. They weren't the Russian mafia. And the kids ran in because they were worried about their dad. If you were worried for someone's safety, would you help?
12
DeleteWhen I think back to it, I agree with you quite a lot. You brought up some good points about how Harper Lee wrote it. I think you have a good opinion in this situation.
this is true a kid in the first place would not be able to break up a mob of older men
Delete~25~
DeleteYou have a fact mixed up from the story, 16. The mob didn't disperse when Scout talked to Walter about his son. The mob dispersed when Scout mentioned his entailment with Atticus.
10
DeleteI disagree with your standpoint. The 'mob' was an ordinary group of men with family, wives, and children of their own. Scout, Dill, and Jem intervened rashly, just as a child might do if their father seems tense and is surrounded by large, scary men. A child, especially a child as lighthearted as Scout, can be a tie breaker for almost anything. TV shows, books, and movies make 'mobs' seem much more merciless and blood thirsty when, in reality, most are ordinary men who find themselves in upsetting situations (such as the 'jail scene' described). A child has the ability to warm the heart of most ordinary man and make him realize his wrong doings.
26.
ReplyDeleteI think some parts of the dispersal in the prison are believable, but other parts aren't realistic in my opinion. It hinted in the beginning of chapter 15 that the men that were going to come the prison were going to be drunk or "shined" I think is the term used in the book. With this said, I don't think Scout's words would have meant anything to some of the liquored up brains. I do believe, however, that her reminder to Mr.Cunningham about how much the Finches have done for his family could dissuade him from his quest to lynch Tom. She also reminds the men that they have to go through this hard time together, not against each other. Her words could have convinced some of the men to turn around and go home, but I think some of the more wasted men wouldn't have perceived the meaning of her words. I think they would have retaliated and attempted to hurt Tom and anyone who got in their way. The dispersal in the prison has believable parts, but isn't wholly realistic.
16. I like how you put what you thought in to words.
Delete6. I completely agree with you about this. There were some believable parts, but overall it just seemed too simple. I also agree with you on how Mr. Cunningham was affected by Scout's words.
Delete23. I think your explanation is very good but since Mr. Cunningham is the one leading the mob that the mob would leave with him don't you think?
Delete10
DeleteI do not completely agree with your statement. Most of the men were sober enough to drive, because they drove up in four cars. Also, most men, even when under the influence of alcohol (unless they are completely smashed) know the line and are coherent enough to not cross it.
5
DeleteI agree with 10 and 23
22.I think that Harper Lee made this situation believable. Scout remembered something that Atticus told her in the past. She used her memory to try and break up the mob. Scout tried to engage Mr.Cunningham with things that he was interested in like his entailment and his son, Walter. At first she didn't really know what she was doing, but then she just recognized Mr. Cunningham and went with the flow. Lee made this situation believable.
ReplyDelete16. I like that you backed up your claim.
DeleteA little girl, however, may be to fearful to talk in front of a group of drinking guys.
Delete13. I think that is a very good point that she used her memory from the past made it more believable because it kinda explains why she said what she did.
Delete5. I totally agree with you on the fact that it helped that she brought Mr. Cunningham's personal life up. The mob definitely wasn't something he usually did I think so bringing up his personal life made him think about what he was actually doing.
Delete23. Agreed. Nicely put 22.
DeleteLatioSkyShaymin+SuperMarioGalaxy64
DeleteI agree wholeheartedly. Additionally, these men were drunk, and most wee doing it off a crazy whim. A kid appearing makes a sane man reconsider, and a drunk man realize it is the alcohol at work. These men did not want to harm anyone but their intended target, and could not harm a child who appeared so suddenly, as they were too shocked and it would also be cruel. The one man who actually tried anything of the sort was kicked in a certain area by Scout.
25. I agree
Delete5
Delete22 is right
22 to 16. Scout didn't know what she was getting into. As a young child you have worse impulse control than you do when you're an adult.
ReplyDelete9.
ReplyDeleteI think the jail scene believable. She uses a lot of description which makes it seem very real. She described Tom Robbinson's feelings like he was really in jail. I think the part where the mob tried to beat Tom up made it very realistic. The part where Scout comes in however, I don't find very believable, because a bunch of prisoners aren't just gonna listen to one little girl.
To 9
DeleteFrom 27
I agree with you because an eight-year-old would describe everything clearly. However, I think some men in the mob would have a heart and would be kind enough to stop a murder for someone who still has their innocence.
10.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, I find that Scout's performance and the dispersal of the mob in Chapter 15 of TKaM is not believable. It seems like Harper Lee put forward no effort toward making this scene believable. How could Scout simply scare off a mob of full grown men with just words? It doesn't seem like it would happen that way. Harper Lee must have run out of ideas for the chapter or something because this chapter does not completely convince me. Although most of the chapter does not seem too credible, some parts are pretty realistic or convincing.
a young girl at the age of seven or eight would not be able to break up a mob this scene should have not been added in the book
Delete6. I think that this scene has it's parts where it's a little too simple and unbelievable. Harper Lee has this 8 year old girl running up to her dad who's about to get beat up by this mob, and all she has to do is talk to one of the members of the mob and everything is solved? It doesn't seem real. Yes, in some circumstances it can seem reasonable. For example, when she starts talking to Mr. Cunningham, and he softens up for her. She's a little 8 year old, almost clueless to what's going on talking to him about his son, almost anybody would soften up if that'd happen. The fact that she would even run up to this mob, and that they barely even put up a fight, and that they let her get to them instead of brushing her off was too simple though. Harper Lee should've made it a little more believable.
ReplyDelete19) The way Scout acted was definetly real and childish. She acted her age. The way the mob reacted at first was beileivable but then they just walked away. I deem Harper Lee made this dramatic and unreal on purpose and with a point.
ReplyDelete13. I agree that her innocence made it more believable because it shows why the mob left it at what it was and left.
Delete20. I completely agree!
Delete6- I think that the dispersing of the mob was quite convincing. I feel as if Harper Lee did a good job at making this believable for the readers. I think that this is believable because of the fact that Scout is a kid. Also Mr. Cunningham might have been dissuaded by the words of Scout of the action from the Finches. However I feel like the liquored up men couldn't have been impacted greatly by the words spoken but could've been easily persuaded under the influence.
ReplyDelete22 to 26. I agree with you about the point of what Scout said to be meaningful to the drunk men.
ReplyDelete5.
ReplyDeleteI think that the dispersing of the mob was completely believeable. I think that the men realized there was a child there so they realized they couldn't get in a fight (or worse) with Atticus. Especially since it was Atticus Finch's daughter and that she is a young lady. I think that it also helped that she brought up Walter Cunningham's son and how they were nice to him and gave him dinner that one day. That reinforced in the mens minds that the Finches are nice people including Atticus and that he really didn't deserve a mob in his office just for defending a black man.
28.But, if you think of it that way, sympathy would go for the father of a victim or the son of a victim.
Delete(12)(JD)
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 15, of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee takes a chance writing the scene of the mob at the jail. The mob pulls up to the jail, and demands Atticus to move and he refused. I think when Scout comes up and disperses the mob is believable. I think it's believable because nearly everybody has sympathy for children, and especially for young girls. Like they always say, "leave the woman and the children." When Scout sees Mr. Cunningham, the father of Walter Cunningham, her classmate, she tells Mr. Cunningham that she wants him to say "hey" to Walter for her. I think this is believable because Scout makes Mr. Cunningham forget about his anger and remember his son. He wouldn't want his son to see what he's doing. That is why I believe it is believable that Scout was able to disperse the lynch gang.
28.In the mob scene, Scout starts talking to a single person in the mob. I find this very unlikely unless she was like 16. First of all, a 7-8 year old girl probably doesn't have enough courage to talk to a group of men. Second of all, she not talk to people about their legal problems. A lawyer may not even be allowed to discuss someones debt. In conclusion, this performance was unbelievable.
ReplyDelete20. I choose to disagree with you, for a 7-8 year old (especially one like Scout) is usually bolder than an older girl. That is what makes it believable.
DeleteLatioSkyShaymin+SuperMarioGalaxy64:
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if this is not possibly true, as it is just too easy to break it up. However, as Atticus explains, they're all just men. Most of the men were everyday people and they were only attempting to lynch Tom because they didn't like him and also happened to be drunk. It is when a thing enters the scene to draw a man back to his senses that he realizes what he is doing is wrong. The almost unbelievable cheeriness of Scout and the firmness of Jem were doing that just nicely.
~25~
DeleteI don't entirely think the mob was drunk. A person in the mob might have been slightly intoxicated, but that at the most. If they were drunk, the scene would more than likely have ended on an entirely different note than it did.
23. In my personal experience I have found that simple responses, like Scout's " entailment is bad", can make people change their minds very quickly. I feel that the situation Harper Lee made was quite believable. Scout simply addressed and issue that the mob had and made it seem better. This tiny statement and Scout's explanation for it made everyone united in an aspect of life and saying they should work together.
ReplyDeleteWhen did it describe Tom Robbinson's feelings in the chapter? Also why isn't it believable that Scout could break up the mob? Hitler convinced a whole country that one religion wasn't pure with charisma, so why couldn't Scout help out her father with a little charisma?
ReplyDelete13. I think that the mob scene was believable but at the same time not. I believe that it was believable in the sense of they style of it. I believe that she didn't really understand what was happening and who the men were. I think that she thought it was the same thing as what happened in the yard the other night. Also, I think that that the style the men appeared would be similar to the mob style then. With them a little drunk and their discussion. However, I think that it was also unconvincing because it's hard to believe that she wouldn't catch onto what was happening. Also, that she could embarrassed Mr. Cunningham. I don't think identifying him or bringing up his son would make him and the others leave.
ReplyDelete2.
ReplyDeleteWhen Scout disperses the mob, I find it is believable. She is a child who everyone there knows as the kid of Atticus. As such, they don’t want to hurt a father, especially whilst his children are there. Plus, she even tries to talk to the men and make peaceful conversation. They don’t really want to hurt Atticus in the first place, so why would they do when Scout was there? I believe the circumstance shows that Scout could have interrupted the would be mob fight scene by simply reaching out to the mobs softer side, which she did. That's why I believe the mob scene’s ending is believable.
16- I never looked at it that way!
DeleteI think that the mob scene was unbelievable. this is because a small girl that i only around seven would not have enough courage to break up a mob of older men. also she would not even leave the house in the first place all alone even if it was to follow her father. she could have enough curiosity to follow her father and do it but in the end would not have enough courage to do it. so in conclusion i think that this is a very unbelievable scene that Harper Lee wrote.
ReplyDelete21
ReplyDeleteI do think that the scene was very believable.She was very good at describing the whole situation.She was very good at making everyone in the scene have their own element.She did very good with making scout the one to break up the mob.
15. The jail scene was fairly believable. The way Scout described the situation was the main reason it was believable. I loved the way she described the way Tom felt. However there are some parts that aren't very believable. The face that 2 kids were in a mob doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDelete25. No I don't think this situation is believable because in real life things like this don't happen. When Scout started talking about Ms. Cunningham's son, all the men were quite and they didn't say anything to her or about what she was saying. Those men seemed a little bit drunk which is another reason it's seems reasonable they left. In real life they wouldn't have left, they would stay there until they get what they want.
ReplyDelete9
DeleteI agree with you because things like that really don't happen in real life.
20.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that Harper Lee was very effective in making the mob dispersal believable. For example, Scout began talking to the only familiar face she recognized, Mr.Cunningham. She delved into his family and legal affairs. In an attempt to get him to recognize her, she continued gabbing until she realized everyone was paying attention to her. Like any normal kid, she became awkward; this is just one of the elements that made it believable. Another element is the way the mob reacted to Scout's innocence. Often, in real life scenarios, almost anything can be diffused by a young child. Clearly, Lee's take on this scene was believable.
17.
Deleteyou did a really good job of explaining why its beleivable. I like how you used innocence has one of the things that defused the mob.
To 20 from 27
DeleteI agree with your statements because the mob or Mr. Cunningham wouldn't kill in front of a child. Mostly everything can almost be solved with a child being involved.
X-1. In my opinion, Harper Lee writes this section of her book in a very poor and unconvincing manner. The odds of one girl being able to disperse an angry mob during the Great Depression are slim. If anything, the interference would cause more problems for those the mob intends to attack.
ReplyDelete~25~
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, this scene seems a little bit far-fetched, but I think it could be believable. The one reason why I think it's believable is because Scout mentioned Mr. Cunningham's debt with Atticus. Walter was there to kill Tom Robinson, but Scout brought up his debt to the Finch family. I believe he had the mob disperse after remembering that he still owed Atticus. If it wasn't for that, I'd think that the dispersing of the mob is a bit contrived.
10
ReplyDeleteI think Harper Lee's 'jail scene' is believable. The group of men, disoriented, drunk, and upset due to the friction with Mr. Finch's black client, were not on a blood lust. They were ordinary men, with families and children of their own, that were only disgruntled by the situation. When Scout steps in and brings the tensity of the affair down ten notches, the upset men realize the weight and foolishness of their actions. Scout helps them realize that they should be back in their own homes with their own families, not out in the dead of night preparing to gang up against a friend and fellow neighbor in order to kill a black man.
24. I do not believe this would have happened in real life. I feel that if the men were determined enough they would do it anyways. The men might feel terrible afterwards, it would be unbearable guilt. I just think the idea of a little girl stopping all of these racist men in kind of ridiculous. In reality she probably would not have stopped them but the men may feel guilty for what they did knowing the little girl told them not too.
ReplyDelete9
DeleteI agree with this because this really wouldn't happen in real life.
17.
ReplyDeleteI think Harper Lee did a good job at making this scene believable. I can belive this because of many reasons. I would get that the kids were worried about there dad and wanted to go find him. I also think that it was beliavble that scout would defend her brother, and then being embarassed, look for someone to talk to. When she finds the only man she knows what she says makes the mob disperse. I think she some what guilted them into leaving. She talked about his son, and money he owed to atticus. Not fully knowing what she was doing, she may have saved a mans life.
19 Honestly, I believe that there is a possibility that Scout could change the Mob's mind. They probably did not want this good little girl see what they were about to do to her farther. Just because they are bad people they probably would not do that. Mr. Cunningham's son knows Scout and I think that he could put himself into the farther's shoes.In conclusion, I truly agree with the Chapter, and that it is plausibly.
ReplyDelete17.
DeleteI think its true that they probably didnt want to do it with kids around, and they could not get them to leave
16. I think that this is very believable. Most of this would probably happen in real life. I would talk to people that I reconized and say hi to them. Many kids are wierd infront of people they dont know because they dont know them. This is why i think that that this seems believable.
ReplyDelete24.(different period) to 20.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Harper Lee did a great job of making the crowd dispersal believable. I think the way she explained it made a lot of sense, I just don't think it is realistic.
9
ReplyDeleteNo, the mob dispersal isn't believable because the little girl can't break up the mob. Things like that don't happen in real life. Mobs are way to extreme for a young girl to break up because mobs get really intense. People don't usually listen to little girls in mobs either. This didn't seem believable to me.
20.
DeleteI disagree because Scout brought up Walter's kid, and he realized that exposing his son to murder and death would destroy his life. I think that the jail scene is very believable.
12.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this scene is very believable. I don't think that a little 8 year old girl could go and break up a mob just by talking about someones son. If the mob was really there to get Tom Robinson they wouldn't have just gave up so easily. No one would care what Scout was saying. Before Scout got there no one was listening to Atticus. So if no one cared what Atticus said why would they care what Scout had to say. This situation is not believable because there is no way this would happen in real life.
6.21.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very believable that Scout was able to disperse the mob so easily. She continuously tried to talk to him. After a few minutes, she brought up his son, an innocent kid, in front of all those men who were there to lynch Tom. He is just a child, Scout's age, and his father was there to kill a man. This topic would have hit home. The moment he realized what he was doing and what his son could be exposed to, he decided to leave. This is a very believable scenario because it got into the soul of the man and made him see rationally. What appears to be a simple one sided conversation on the outside hit home on the inside. He could not expose his son to his father being a murderer or his father being hurt. A kid needs his father, and he knew it. He knew that he couldn't go kill people who didn't have a reason to die. He left because he knew that his son would never forgive him for killing a innocent man.
6.27
ReplyDeleteScout, Jem, and Dill went to the prison when they were not suppose to. The Mob was telling something to Atticus which made Scout scared. Scout ran to her father.
Then Scout noticed and asked Mr. Cunningham to tell Walter Cunningham, "Hi." I believe by how young Scout was, Mr. Cunningham had a sympathy sort-of-thing towards her. Scout was innocent and Mr. Cunningham didn't want her to see him kill someone.
By that, the Mob dispersed and didn't end up killing anyone.
I think it's a very believable and reasonable way to stop the Mob mostly because Scout went to school with Walter. Mr. Cunningham didn't want Scout to know he was a killer. It's effective because who would kill in front of a child that the town knew so well?
20.
DeleteI agree. This is a very good reason for the mob to disperse. Also, Mr. Cunningham probably didn't want Scout to tell his son that he was a killer.
19 To 20
ReplyDeleteI agree with you for the first part. I just do not believe that it is not realistic. I could truly happen.
13.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are parts that are believable and others are not. First, if the leader of the mob (Mr. Cunningham) was confronted by someone and they started to talk about his kid and his problems. This would make anyone think twice about doing something bad. Another part that is believable is how Scout reacted to being surrounded by strangers. On the other hand, there are some unbelievable parts. One is that a kids were able to walk around the town alone. Finally, overall the scene was fairly believable.
2. I think Harper Lee made this situation completely contrived. First, it doesn't make any sense why the men would disperse. You would think that they would just sit and wait. Second, why was the man scout was talking to just staring at her stupidly and not responding. Third, why would the man walk over and grab Jem just because they would not leave within a few seconds. In conclusion, Harper Lee made this situation completely contrived.
ReplyDelete3.
ReplyDeleteHarper Lee made Scout's performance very unreal. It seemed very phony because in real life a kid would not argue to save his/her dad. In addition it is very fake because parents don't tell their children that they are about to die. It was also non realistic because most adults have the tendency to ignore little kids and a big group of people couldn't have listened to a little girl. Because a seven year old couldn't have argued for her dad and be heard, Scout's performance is unreal.
11. I think that the mob scene was believable but at the same time it wasn't. I think that the scene was believable in the fact of how it occurred. It seems very realistic. What I do not understand is how a little girl barely in the second grade is able to break u p a mob of grown men sent there for a purpose of lynching a suspected rapist. If they were truly there to lynch Tom, then 3 little kids wouldn't be able to stop them. The men would just have removed the kids and continued on their mission. Nothing would have been able to stop them. So it is and it is not believable.
ReplyDelete5
ReplyDeleteI personally did not think that Harper lee made the part where Scout convinced the mob to disperse from Tom Robinson believable. She was a little girl up against a large group of thugs just talking to them. It just wasn't very realistic if this were to actually take place in real life. I felt the author could have done something else to make it seem more probable.
18-16
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Good job :)
12 to 13: I am going to talk about random stuff like floating monkeys when the winter is fluffy and a donkey is in my pants.
ReplyDelete16. I agreee with you good job :)
ReplyDelete2. I agree with you 3 this chapter made no sense for many reasons.
ReplyDelete6. I feel that the mob dispersing could be either be realistic or non-realistic, it just depends on the manner of the mob. Some people would stop for nothing to get what the want in a mob but others would stop doing what they are doing once they realize that their goal is immoral. I can believe that this mob would disperse after Scout arrives simply because this specific mob doesn't seem like a group that would stop at nothing. Although Scout doesn't seem to convince them to leave, her pure presence seems to make people realize that what they are doing is wrong.
ReplyDelete7.
ReplyDeleteHarper Lee did a good job of saying how scout made the mob disperse.I was convinced and thought it seemed realistic. I think by having Scout say something that probably embarrassed Mr.Cunningham made it mor4e realistic because that probably made him want to leave. The only thing that didn't seem real was how Atticus didn't get mad at Jem or Scout for following him.
7.to 11. agree with you it doesn't seem like a second grader would be able to break up a mob
ReplyDelete7. to 13.I agree with you that some parts didn't seem as real as others
ReplyDelete