The roly-poly symbolizes Jem and Scout’s maturity and growth from the beginning of the novel, and demonstrates their beliefs separate from those of Atticus. After spotting a roly-poly on the floor, Scout goes down to play with it, but once she becomes bored of it, she decides to kill it. Although she thinks of it as nothing more than a bug, Jem disagrees and says that it would be wrong to kill it because, “they don’t bother you,” (Lee 320). This same philosophy was used when explaining the difference between a mockingbird and a bluejay, in showing that it is wrong to hurt something simply because you can. The symbolism of the roly-poly also highlights the moral questions Jem had after the verdict of Tom Robinson’s case. Although the corrupted views of many white supremacists living in Maycomb have influenced their generation, Jem is able to see reason. This is explained by Atticus when he says, “So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process. Those are twelve reasonable men in everyday life, Tom’s jury, but you saw something come between them and reason,” (Lee 295). This quote not only shows Jem’s immense amount of moral development separate from simply repeating the lessons of his father, but it also illustrates his ability to empathize with someone by seeing them as a human being instead of objectifying them into nothing more than a racist stereotype. As for Scout, her idea of justice is much more defined. Although the roly-poly itself is causing no harm, other bugs such as mosquitos do. This is similar to Mrs. Farrow’s statement, ”We can educate ‘em till we’re blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of ‘em, but there’s no lady safe in her bed these nights,” (Lee 311). This quote is saying that underneath it all, every black man is the same, so even though the roly-poly is causing no harm, the fact that it belongs to the same group as something harmful like a mosquito, it is therefore ethical for it to be killed, much like Tom Robinson who caused no harm himself, but is associated with a stereotype that led to his conviction.
Do you think that Jem believes that it is wrong to kill the roly-poly simply because Atticus has taught him so, or because he’s developing his own moral compass?
I think that it is both. Jem is growing up and taking in many concepts and he only observes the ones he thinks are right. Atticus tells Jem and Scout that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do not do anything bad. Miss Maudie defends Atticus and says, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird" (Lee 119). I believe that Jem relates back to this scene and realizes that it is not just mockingbirds we should not kill. We should not kill all creatures, including the roly-poly. I can also relate this scene to Tom Robinson's case. At first, Scout wanted to kill the roly-poly because it was a bug, even though it was not doing anything. The same thing happens in Tom's case, the jury convicts Tom because he is black and not because he did something wrong.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ben that the the roly-poly represents Tom Robinson, and I want to draw attention to that point. Tom was just an obedient farm hand, working in Link Deas's field. He was doing an extra favor for Mayella by coming into her house, to supposedly fix her door hinges, when she jumped on him and hugged him. Tom is just like a roly-poly, and a mockingbird because he was minding his own business, helping out others, and not causing any trouble, until Mayella took advantage of him, which ended up getting him sent to court, then jail, then he was killed.
ReplyDeleteThe roly-poly represents both Tom and the mockingbird as Fiona and Ben said. Jem thinks that Scout really shouldn't kill it because it hasn't done anything to Scout. It's the same for Tom. He shouldn't be killed because he didn't do anything to Mayella. Tom is treated worse than the mockingbird is treated because no one is harming mockingbirds. The mockingbirds haven't done anything to anyone but neither has Tom. Jem believes that it is wrong to kill a mockingbird because he is developing his own moral compass. Jem has been growing up and becoming more mature about doing the right thing. This is his own opinion. He is starting to drift away from other people showing him what's right. Even Scout thinks that he his developing more like a girl than she is because of his actions and this scene showed this.
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ReplyDelete(Stephen)
ReplyDeleteI think that the roly-poly, the mockingbird, and Tom Robinson are all innocent in the same way. The mockingbird and the roly-poly are not killed because they do no harm. Tom Robinson is the same, except people see no wrong in killing him. This is also what Mr. Underwood is saying in his `
editorial. he said that it was a sin to kill cripples because they can do no harm. If people thought of Tom Robinson like they thought of mockingbirds, Tom Robinson would still be alive.
(Stephen)
ReplyDeleteI think that the roly-poly, the mockingbird, and Tom Robinson are all innocent in the same way. The mockingbird and the roly-poly are not killed because they do no harm. Tom Robinson is the same, except people see no wrong in killing him. This is also what Mr. Underwood is saying in his `
editorial. he said that it was a sin to kill cripples because they can do no harm. If people thought of Tom Robinson like they thought of mockingbirds, Tom Robinson would still be alive.