It couldn’t be worse, Jack. The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’ which are white
2006-12-08 02:32:32 · 8 answers · asked by missguthriej 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
In the South at that time, courts with all White juries would take the word of any White man--no matter how disreputable--over the word of any Black man-- no matter how respectable.
2006-12-08 10:53:20 · answer #1 · answered by Ace Librarian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The other answers here only touched on HALF the quote. Yes it had to do with the racial aspect, but the Ewells where also NOT a very respectible family. So it wasn't just a clean cut Black/White typical racial charge, Atticus knew that BOTH sides where going to have to work to get this past a jury.
2006-12-08 02:43:25 · answer #2 · answered by elyrmoore 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Symbolism and Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird -- Essay at LiteratureClassics.com
I will deal mostly with the notion of symbolism and prejudice in to kill a mockingbird ... Atticus asked Scout if she understood the meaning of this decision. ...www.literatureclassics.com/essays/681 - 36k - Cached - More from this site
To Kill A Mockingbird
These quotes, more simply, state that mockingbirds 1) Do good 2) Do no harm and ... This meaning is then applied to several characters throughout the novel, whose ...thecaverns.8m.com/essays/tokillamockingbird.htm -
2006-12-08 02:37:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It just explains racism at the time. Atticus Finch is defending a black man accused of raping a white girl, and he's saying it's going to be hard to defend him because they have no proof or witnesses, just a white girl saying he did it against a black man saying he didn't. And in that time, no one would believe a black over a white.
2006-12-08 02:35:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well it basically means that it's gonna be very hard to make the probably all white judge and jury (back in that time) believe the words of the black man over the white family.
2006-12-08 02:36:35 · answer #5 · answered by Sexy_Bunny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Racial Prejudice: the quote is a sad commentary on the racist nature of man in Alabama during the 1930s whereby the honesty of a man's word is erroneously attributed to the color of his skin.
Racist culture was one of several subplots in To Kill a Mockingbird along with portrayal of childhood innocence, moral tolerance and courage.
2006-12-08 02:40:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atticus Finch
2006-12-10 13:56:33 · answer #7 · answered by Josh D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aunt Alexandra says that the children shouldn't watch Tom Robinson's trial, but Atticus, who's realistic and genuine with his kids, says that they might as well go because trial like these are as common in Maycomb as missionary teas, which I assume are like tea parties for older women.
2016-03-28 23:11:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋