Ch. 15/16: Why is Dolphus Raymond in the book?
I believe Dolphus Raymond is in TKAM as another way of showing us that Maycomb just isn't quite right as well as to show us what people had to do in order to live there. When we first meet him we know him as a drunk man who associates himself with the black community. No one in that time could understand why a white man would get himself involved with coloured people. People in Maycomb liked to think that he didn't change his ways because he was a drunk...it was an excuse. Later on however we discover that Mr.Raymond really isn't a drunk and that all he drinks is coca-cola. He does this because it allows people to justify their opinion about him; because without a justification they might have to stop and think that their opinion is highly wrong. He also does it to get people off of his back. If he drank then people would think that he was just not in his right mind. All of this shows how corrupt the thinking in Maycomb was. What kind of person should have to pretend to drink so that other people won't criticize them for being with coloured people? He had to make many decisions and give up a few things in order to be even a little bit accepted. Mr. Raymond showed us the compromises poeple had to make in order to live in a community where they didn't fit in.
Madeline H.
I believe Dolphus Raymond is in TKAM as another way of showing us that Maycomb just isn't quite right as well as to show us what people had to do in order to live there. When we first meet him we know him as a drunk man who associates himself with the black community. No one in that time could understand why a white man would get himself involved with coloured people. People in Maycomb liked to think that he didn't change his ways because he was a drunk...it was an excuse. Later on however we discover that Mr.Raymond really isn't a drunk and that all he drinks is coca-cola. He does this because it allows people to justify their opinion about him; because without a justification they might have to stop and think that their opinion is highly wrong. He also does it to get people off of his back. If he drank then people would think that he was just not in his right mind. All of this shows how corrupt the thinking in Maycomb was. What kind of person should have to pretend to drink so that other people won't criticize them for being with coloured people? He had to make many decisions and give up a few things in order to be even a little bit accepted. Mr. Raymond showed us the compromises poeple had to make in order to live in a community where they didn't fit in.
Madeline H.
I agree with Maddie on her opinion as to why Dolphus Raymond is
ReplyDeletein the book. Dolphus Raymond is Haper Lees way of showing us readers
how quickly the people of Maycomb are to judge. His actions allow us
to see the extents in which people have to go to, to not get judged by
people for their decisions. Like Maddie has explained above, Dolphus
Raymond acted like a drunk to keep himself from having to explain to
people about his choice and to avoid any comments from the people of
Maycomb. Mikayla H.