To Kill a Mockingbird

Compare and contrast the way Dill and Jem respond to the verdict in Tom Robinson's trial. Why do you think each responds in the way that they do? Be sure to bring in elements of what you have learned about both characters throughout your reading of To Kill a Mockingbird.

120 comments:

Jems reaction to the guilty verdict was emotional and he started crying and it was sad. On chapter 21 and 22, jem was acting very quiet and correspondent to what would happen next. When the guilty verdict dropped, jem was very distraught about it. it says on the first page of 22, it was jem turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. This tells me the way he felt about the verdict and how upset it made him. Dill's reaction was to the verdict was the same so you can say that's the comparison. The difference to the verdicts was that Jems was more emotional because that was his dad's case that he lost. Dill was upset about it but not like Jem because Jem I think was just more in to it than dill. Reply Delete

@Jeffrey, I don't really understand your thinking and I think you should have put page numbers instead of the chapters so that people can go back to the text and get a better understanding of your point of the response of Jem and Dill. Delete

Good but why was Jem so sad about the verdict and you needed to talk about a little more on why dill was so sad also. Delete

I dont quite agree with you when you say their reactions were the same because i believe that Jems reaction was deeper than DIll's Delete

@Kalvon I Agree With Your a Comment & @Jeffrey What Does Having A Old Book Or A New Book Have To Do a With Anything? Delete

Jim reaction was that it was wrong he feels that it was not right, Jim wanted to cry so bad because he felt that Tom should be free. Dill reaction was that he did not have much to say or show how he felt about what happens to Tom.This is just like when Jim and Scout first got to know Dill he did not show much about how he felt about coming to Maycomb every summer to live with his Aunt.The way that Jim and Dill are alike is because they are both from the same racist. They both are to boys that are growing up in the town of Maycomb. They are different because dill actually live in the town of Maycomb but Dill just come and live with his Aunt for the summer until school start. Another way that Jim and Dill are different is because Jim goes home and feel like he is welcomed but when Dill go back home he feels like he is not welcomed there like no one is this there for him how people care for him in the Finch's household. Reply Delete

@Taniya , I agree with your thinking but you didn't stick to the topic and when you said the thing about Dill coming to Maycomb for the summer I feel that that didn't have anything to do with the verdict / how Jem and Dill respond to the verdict. Delete

Taniya i agree with you on the part when you bring up the Summer thing. I believe Dill sometimes will get emotional because he is not at home and he may sometimes get sad thinking about things back home. Delete

At first I didn't understand the first sentence but after finish reading I totally understand because you is basically saying that since Tom lost it's like Atticus lost so Jem is sad about that. Delete

@TANIYA I agree with your post but you really did not provide enough about dills past but focus on Jem's past and i only brought this up because i don't understand how you are comparing them or are you comparing them at all. Delete

Jem's reaction to the verdict was that it wasn't fair. He cried angry tears because he felt like Tom shouldn't had been guilty. Dill's reaction wasn't resulted in crying because he had tears before the verdict. When Dill had tears he was crying because of the way Mr.Gilmer was talking to Tom, he said that Mr.Gilmer was talking hateful to him. This made me think he was crying because he was reminded of the ways the people he lived with treated him- in a hateful way. Dill felt that nobody deserved to be talked to like that, and he kept pointing out the fact that Atticus didn't talk to anybody like that. So when the verdict was said he just basically accepted the fact that Tom lost. I think the reason Dill had a different reaction is because Dill has never experienced anything good in his life. He was abused and sent from home to home. But Jem was never abused by Atticus. Atticus was always considerate of the way Jem felt and viewed things. But in Dill's case typically when your not used to being treated with care and love then when you are treated with it you take it for granted. He doesn't understand what love or being cared for is because no one has ever showed him this. Also since all the people Dill has been with either was always drunk or abused him he doesn't think that anyone can be nice and treat him like he is somebody. Jem would never be put through what Dill was put through because Atticus loves him. But when you have different lifestyles your reaction to certain events are way different, due to the way you have been treated in your life. Reply Delete

Brande I agree with every thing that you said about Jem and Dill I do feel that they are different in Many ways, but do you feel that Jem and Dill have something similar. Delete

@Bran'de, I concur your statement and I strongly thought the same thing about Dill's response. I agree with your compare and contrast also. Delete

Um I don't think that Dill and Jem have anything similar. I don't agree with similarities being based of their skin tone, Dill has come from a worse situation than Jem and I don't think he will ever overcome what he was put through. I find it hard to find similar things with those two when Jem has had a better life than Dill. He had had a negative life so its hard to find positive things in that. Delete

Brande reading over your comment remember the conservation we just had with Mr.C and the other students we all stated that they had a few things that were similar. Jem and Dill they were both boys, they spend a lot of time together, and they were relativity the same age. Delete

I strongly agree with your statement about Jem and Dill's reaction towards the verdict. You digged deep into your response and you made a strong statement about both of their feelings. Delete

Well Nedra I feel like those things are not important similarities. How does them both being boys and hanging out with each other have any importance towards their reaction furthermore them both being white males is not having a deeper understanding its a right there fact, what other similarities can you find other than whats know that isn't a right there answer? Delete

Brande I Agree Because I Don't Really Think You can Point Out Any Other Things That Can Really Be Similar Between The Two Boys. Delete

Right thats why I said I feel like there aren't any similarities that are important or that can be deeper understood. Delete

Jem's reaction to the verdict is completely blank and void of emotion at first. Then when it all settles in, Jem is furious and sad at the same time. He believes that it isn't fair that Tom is being convicted so he is indignant. He says "It ain't right, Atticus," on page 284 because Atticus has trained him not to be racist. Jem sees the world as people that are equal so by Tom being convicted for something he didn't do stirs him up because he know it's not right. On the other hand, Dill's reaction to the verdict is that he doesn't really care about it. He doesn't think that the life of a negro matters because he is influenced by his mother on pages 286 and 287. Aunt Rachael says to Dill, ''if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it's his head. Jem has a stable home to come to every day in contrast to Dil who is abused mentally and physically by his parents. Jem is mature and older than Dill so while Jem has a better understanding of the verdict he can grasp the full depth of what is happening around him, Dill doesn't. Jem is always pitied and looked down upon while Jem is looked at as someone normal so Dill doesn't feel sorry for a negro. Reply Delete

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Jem's reaction to the verdict is completely blank and void of emotion at first. Then when it all settles in, Jem is furious and sad at the same time. He believes that it isn't fair that Tom is being convicted so he is indignant. He says "It ain't right, Atticus," on page 284 because Atticus has trained him not to be racist. Jem sees the world as people that are equal so by Tom being convicted for something he didn't do, it stirs him up. He knows it's not right. On the other hand, Dill's reaction to the verdict is that he doesn't really care about it. He doesn't think that the life of a negro matters because he is influenced by his mother on pages 286 and 287. Aunt Rachael says to Dill, ''if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it's his head." Jem has a stable home to come to every day in contrast to Dil who is abused mentally and physically by his parents. Jem is mature and older than Dill so while Jem has a better understanding of the verdict he can grasp the full depth of what is happening around him, Dill doesn't. Jem is always pitied and looked down upon while Jem is looked at as someone normal so Dill doesn't feel sorry for a negro.
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Jessica I actually I agree with your Blog Post because Dill he doesn't really care if Atticus hit his head on the table he really don't care because it's not his head. I think that Dil have mixed emotions inside the Verdict. Delete

Jessica and Divia Sorry but I actually didn't read over my comment but Dill he really don't girl if he butt his head into a stone wall because it's not his head. Back to what I said Dill have mixed emotions Delete

In the end of Chapter 21 of "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson is found guilty in his case with Mayella Ewell. Dill and Jem react to the verdict in different ways but Jem's reaction was actually deeper than Dill's. After seeing his father loose his case and Tom Robinson being found guilty, Jem was shocked at the results of the case. He was shocked because he had thought that his father had won his case. In chapter 22 when Jem said "It aint right, Atticus." I think he is saying that Tom Robinson was innocent and is trying to say that the city is racist. Whereas Jem was actually talking about whats wrong with him, Dill was showing his anger and not talking about it. He ran away from home, Talked bad about his auntie and was just mad throughout pages 286-287. I didnt expect Jem to be sad by the way he was acting in the beginning of the story because he was a rough character and wasnt really emotional but i expected Dill to kind of be mad because he is one of the characters in the story who is kind of a righteous person and stands up for what he believes. Reply Delete

Kalvon, I don't think that you was really getting to the point of the reason why the boys reacted the way they did, you really didn't give enough background information, so it was like your basically just listing how they felt but their were no meaning to it. Delete

@Kalvon I Agree With What Trinity Said I feel that you aren't explaining the way they feel or their actions I think your just saying how you think they felt but not really digging in context of the text to explain your thinking Delete

I did when i said Jem was a rough character and that i wouldnt expect him to act like that, But i said i know why dill may have been mad because he is a righteous person. Both are reasons i think they would act like that. Also when i said He thought Atticus was going to win the case thats another reason why he would act the way he did. Delete

Kalvon , I don't really get the point that is in your response. In my opinion you are saying that Jem was mad at Atticus instead of the trial. I think that you are also concluding that Dill has already been mad because of his home life but I think that there is more to that Delete

I agree with what Trinity said because Kalvon you made it feel like they didn't feel any type of way like they did't put any meaning into how they really felt about the verdict. You didn't really put the part that they both cried about what had happen during the verdict. How Jem cried after the verdict. Delete

"After seeing his father loose his case and Tom Robinson being found guilty, Jem was shocked at the results of the case. He was shocked because he had thought that his father had won his case. In chapter 22 when Jem said "It aint right, Atticus." I think he is saying that Tom Robinson was innocent and is trying to say that the city is racist" Delete

Kalvon, you say that you gave deeper meaning for Jem, now I see what your talking about but what about Dill? Delete

I feel that the verdict of the Tom Robinson trail Dill and Jem response is somewhat similar and different because Jem responds in a solicitude way knowing that Atticus put up an argument of Tom Robinson innocents of not being guilty. Jem begins to cry because he knows the trail is wrong.In the text it says" i peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each "guilty"was a separate stab between them"( pg.282). Dill was sleep during the time of the trail when the verdict is was told. I think Dill was sleep because the trail bored him and he lost interest. Reply Delete

@Taniya, Yes I do feel that if Dill was awake he wouldn't had the same interest in the verdict Delete

Divia I agree with your compare and contrast. And do u think that if dill was awoke during the verdict was going on would he be more interested in what was going on and do you think that his perspective towards the verdict would have changed. Delete

Thanks to all . And @Taylore well I feel that if he was awake he would be interested in the verdict Delete

In chapter 21, Jem's response to the verdict was devastating and not what he expected. In the text it states "It was Jem's turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. It ain't right, he muttered all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting." Dill's response or action is cynical. Dill really didn't have a response to the verdict, but you could hear the disappointment in his voice when he told Scout & Jem what Miss Rachel was saying. In the text it states "Dill told us of Miss Rachel's reaction last night, which was: if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it's his head." Another statement was "She's just seeing too many snakes in the closet. Bet that women drinks a pint for breakfast every morning know she drinks two glasses full. Seen her."

Jem & Dill have different ways to respond because Jem is living a life that being respectful and not racist is a duty for him. Even though living in a town that's majority racist he is mature enough to know what's right and what's not. Jem has a father that doesn't allow negativity to blacks nor whites because we're all human beings at the end of the day. I think Dill response is that way because he doesn't really have a family that will teach him the goods or the bad. He lives with people who show him no attention, Drinks all day, beats on him and etc. So I doubt if he can control what he says or does to people in a disrespectful manner because he grew up of hearing ignorance. Reply Delete

I agree with you on your thoughts Dill. He was raised in a different way than Jem and Scout so his feelings and opinions about things may be different due to the way he was raised. Jem and Scout may be more soft because of whats going on in their life, Like their mother dying. Delete

Jem was asking Atticus how could this happen to Tom to be plead guilty, he is innocent and Jem was crying with angry tears. Jem didn't understand how did Tom was found guilty and he was quiet and it wasn't fair. Dill's reaction happened already before the verdict in tears and when he found out he was found guilty he really didn't have an reaction at that time. Jem doesn't get beaten or in trouble from his dead but differ from dill he get abused by his parents. Dill doesn't feel anything for a negro because he really doesn't understand the verdict as to Jem he does. Reply Delete

The way Jem and dill responds to the verdict in tom Robinson's trial are both different from each other. The way jem responded towards the verdict was that he got angry and had began to cry about how it wasn't fair that tom robinson had to go to jail and how he shouldn't have been guilty. when he knew and how he knew that the judge had the other people all knew that they were lying about what really had happened. The way dill responded about the verdict was not much he didn't cry and he didn't get mad because he had cried about it before the trial even began. How they are both the same is because they both felt that Tom Robinson shouldn't have been guilty and shouldn't have been put in jail. I think that the reason why the both of them responds in the way they do is because they are both children and really don't understand about what really is going on and why they really had him jail Reply Delete

Because their father didn't really want his kids to know about what racism is and didn't want them to learn about it either. Delete

Why do you feel that they don't understand what's happening ? I feel that you should explain your thinking in use evidence to support your answer Delete

I agree with your last sentence about how they were children and wouldnt really understand. I think if they would have been raised to be racist they wouldnt have even reacted to the trial. Delete

I totally disagree with what you just said because Atticus never said he didn't want his kids to know about racism. If he didn't want them to know about racism he wouldn't have exposed them to different races and further more letting them stay at the trail. Delete

I didnt just say atticus didnt want them to know about racism. I said that they were young and did not know a lot about whats going on in the city yet. If they would have known about racism and been educated about that then they would have reacted differently. Delete

I meant that he didn't want his children to become racist towards black people because he wasn't racist. And he thinks that it isn't right to be racist. Delete

Actually Kalvon i see that you didn't say that. the question was going to Taylore because she said it. So ii would like to get a answer from her with her thinking because she is the one that stated it. Delete

I feel that your statement is reasonable but you need to get your thoughts together and form a better argument to support your saying Delete

I was very shocked when I read how Dill reacted to the verdict decision on whether or not Tom Robinson was guilty or not which is in contrast to Jem´s reaction. In the text it says ¨It was Jems turn to cry. It ain´t right Atticus" (pg.284). This quote tells me that Jem felt shocked to see that Tom was guilty because he knows that he isn´t guilty. In the text Dill says ¨. if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it´s his head.¨ (pg.286). Dill´s attitude is very cynical towards the verdicts decision, he seems to be very careless of the hearing and he feels as if because Tom is a black man that, him being guilty is his problem, not Dills. Im shocked with Dill and Jem feeling two totally different ways. Jem and Dill spend most their time together, their around the same age and they seem to be very connected in a brotherly way so you would expect for them to have the same opinion on the verdicts decision. Reply Delete

I agree very strongly on your opinion I also feel that it was shocking when dill reacted to the verdict. Delete

Jem's reaction toward the verdict was unusual because throughout the trial he listened to everything quietly and patiently whereas, Dill couldn't take some of the trial because he wasn't ready. After the verdict was given Jem broke out crying and later on Jem asks Atticus why they would do that, this shows the knowledge and ignorance of Jem, but I feel Dill doesn't completely understand what happened in the trial. Also I feel that he agrees on what his aunt says which was "if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it's his head." Reply Delete

Jshunnie I disagree when you make your point about Jem being ignorant, he feels strongly about the verdict but how does that make him ignorant.? Furthermore I don't think you went deep enough into their reactions because they are deeper than you made them appear to be. Delete

Good statement but lack use of why dill didn't understand the trial. The reason is because he was sleep most of the trial. Good job though. Delete

Jshunnie I agree and disagree with you at the same time because Dill he do understand what is going on because he start to cry earlier on while they was doing the verdict. Then that's when you stated the quote about what Aunt Rachel said about Atticus Dill he was only being cynical because he didn't really care about the trial or Atticus. Delete

I don't think Dill "wasn't ready" for the trial. I agree with you about Dill not being old enough to understand the trial but I think you should think about Dill's beliefs or religions. His Aunt Rachael apparently doesn't care about Tom's verdict and so Dill repeats it. Why do you think Dill wasn't ready? Delete

Jshunnie I agree with you at some point but when you said Dill didn't completely understand what was happening it made me disagree because if he didn't he wouldn't have came to the trail and he wouldn't have felt sorry or cried when he was interrogating Tom. & Brande I Agree with you because I don't understand how he was ignorant either. Delete

@Brande ignorance is not knowing something Jem doesn't know why the guilty verdict was given , to not know is ignorance, understand? @Nedra the reason he was crying was because he had no idea of the racial discrimination that exists therefore being the reason he was he felt sorry for the way Mr.Gilmer treated Tom Robinson and making him cry. Delete

Jessica i disagree with you saying that Dill didn't understand the trail. He started crying because it was like a flashback of how he was treated wrong. Delete

Cash and Brande, I think Jshunnie is saying that Dill is ignorant because he doesn't know any better. Dill feels the way he wants to feel. Remember, he had to steal his freedom to get there because on page 286, Aunt Rachael complains about Dill running away to the trial without her permission and him running away from home. Dill is ignorant to what is happening to Tom Robinson and he feels that it is unimportant so he falls asleep. He let Aunt Rachael influence him into thinking cynically. Delete

Jem did understand why the verdict was given, he didn't agree with the verdict because he knew that the evidence that was present proved that Tom didn't rape Mayella Delete

I disagree with you Jshunnie and I agree with Cashmere, Brande, Nedra and Jessica because I do feel that Dill does understand what is happening it's just that he thinks it's unfair and it's some what about what Jessica is saying. Delete

@Jessica I agree with you when you stated that Jshunnie should think about his religion. @Brande I agree with you because Dill did have a reason to cry and it was because of the things he goes through with his parents abusing him, always drunk, and give him negative attention. Delete

Brande, you're thinking about when Tom was being cross examined by Mr. Gilmer. That's when Dill started to get upset. He feel asleep during Tom's verdict and afterwards he didn't care. Delete

Jshunnie I disagree with your statement, and I agree with Brande and Nedra. I feel as if Dill understands the trial because he knew how Mr. Gilmer was treating Tom and thats why he cried because Mr. Gilmer was treating him badly and flashed back to when his step farther was treating him wrong and then he started to cry not because he didn't understand. Also, I feel as if Jem wasn't ignorant he was just upset at the fact that his Tom was found guilty, because his dad had taught him not to be racist, and Atticus had a lot of evidence to help Tom be found not guilty so Jem felt as if the verdict was wrong. Delete

@Brande I agree and understand where you are coming from but at the same time Dill has yet to learn about the racism that existed while Mr.Gilmer was talking to Tom, that's why I said he doesn't really know. Delete

Trinity I agree with what you are saying about Jem but I'm not getting if you agree with Jshunnie what she is saying about Dill Delete

Trinity, Dill does not understand the trial. The reason why he understood the trial is because he could relate to it. Dill is innocent and so is Tom so he can relate. If Dill understood the trial he would understand how important Tom's life is. Dill fell asleep. He did not care. Delete

I agree with Jshunnie. If they would be educated like we are today about racism they would have reacted different Delete

In Contrast to reading through the trial Dill and Jem respond to the verdict Jem he started to cry. As they walk to the crowd his face was filled with all sort of angry tears. He felt that it wasn't right how the way they did the verdict. In the text it states"His faced was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd." On the other hand Dill he didn't feel any type of way. In the text it states" Between rabbit-bites Dill told us of Miss Rachel's reaction to last night, which was: if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall it's his head." Aunt Alexandra said that she felt that Dill was being cynical because of the way he was saying things. Dill was caring about his self at a moment like this because he felt If Atticus hit his head he wouldn't really care what would happen to him. From Dill point of view he feel that it's not really being cynical because he feel that he is telling the truth. Reply Delete

Cashmere I think they do have something that is alike after having that conservation with Mr.Coppola and the class because they normally spend a lot of time together. Jem and Dill they are relativity the same age. The both of them are boys. Delete

this doesn't make any sense you put angry tears twice and you said all sort of angry tears.what. overall the statement was good. Keep it up. Delete

Jem's reaction is that the case was unfair depending on the verdict that he got. On page 284 it states, '' His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ''It ain't right,'' he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting. Also, Jem has never been in these type of situations before so he doesn't understand the way the case went down. Basically, Jem's reactions is void and sad at the same time. Whereas, Dills reaction is that he is just basically repeating what Ms. Rachel is saying. On page 286 it states,"if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against stone wall it's his head." Dill is very cynical. He understands the way that the case went and it's because people are shady but he stills thinks that it is unimportant. Plus he was sleeping through the trial which shows that he doesn't care.

Throughout the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" what I've learned about both characters is,

Dill lives in a troubled home.
Jem lives in a respectful home.
Dill is abused by his father.
Jem is respected by Atticus and Calpurnia.
Dill's father is a drunk.
Atticus doesn't drink.
Dill is cynical.
Jem is sensitive.

Typically, Jem has never been in these type of situations before so he doesn't know what to do or what to say except the fact that it wasnt right. However, Dill goes through these type of situations at home. On page 186 it states, "Refreshed by food, Dill recited this narrative: having been bound in chains left to die in the basement (there were basements in Meridian ) by his new father, who disliked him. ". Dill understands why they gave the verdict that they did because he can somewhat relate to this since he is unloved and abused at home.

I think that Dill felt cynical, because the way that he lived when he was with his parents before he ran away, He had came from a hard life and now is kinda forced to be stuck in his way sorta speak because this was the way he was treated in contrast to Jem were he has lived almost a violent free life now he has had some bad times ,when his mom died or when he had to go to school and get bullied because his dad was defending a black man.That is why I think that his reaction was emotional,To me I don''t think that you can't compare there reaction because they both come from different paths in life ,but after the veridic they both see the world as an unfair place.
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Merkiah I wasn't trying to compare their reactions I was clearly stating that Dill's reaction is emotional then he starts to become cynical. I was comparing how Dill can understand Tom's situation and how he feels. Delete

I don't think you understand what cynical means, I said that because Dill was only cynical when he repeated what Miss Rachel had said which was "If Atticus wants to butt his head against a stone wall that's his head." Not because of the way he lived. Delete

@CASHMERE i don't understand what you don't understand could you be clearer in what you are trying to say.THANKS! Delete

I think you don't understand because they both feel sad about the way the verdict is going and what do you mean about Jem getting bullied because scout beat up that boy when Atticus got called a nigger lover. Delete