Monday, March 5, 2012
Licked a Hundred Years Before We Started (SDH's class)
Discuss Atticus’s explanation of the case to Scout. What does he mean by “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”?
Atticus is discussing the case, and how it affects him personally. Scout had come to ask her father if he defended "n_______s", and Atticus had replied with, "of course". He came to explain that everyone gets a case that can affect him very personally. Then he told her that if he didnt defend Tom Robinson,(and here we get a glimpse at how good a father he can be), then he wouldnt be able to tell his kids to do anything, and they wouldnt have to listen to him again and he wouldnt be able to hold his head up in town again. He explains that she has to not let them get her goat, and to keep her fists down. He admits to Scout that he won't win, but that he still has to try. Thats what he means by that statement. He has to try and create change by defending Tom, and hoping that in the future, change will come because of people like him. We see a glimpse of what he is talking about in the last few chapters of the book, bu thats a secret..until everyone else is done the book.
~ Ben T.
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I agree with Ben's perspective on how Atticus explains the case to Scout. I think also it was about how Atticus doesn't let failure affect him; he doesn't get down he pushes through and tries again. It also shows that even though Atticus knows he probably will fail but he doesn't give up on the case or even say no to defend Tom Robinson. I agree that this portrays what a father Atticus is to his children, how he values their respect and that he needs to be able to take his own advice. This is so that his children will understand the right things to do when faced with difficult situations. Also the fact that Atticus is trying to create change, he is trying to start something new. This change is where all people can be treated like they were created equally. For Atticus this may be a breaking point for change even if he fails by just showing that he is man enough to do what he knows is right, even risking his well being and his children’s.
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