Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Chapter 26-27 Explore Scout's confusion in class. What is the root of Scout's confusion about Miss Gates? How is Miss Gates being a hypocrite? Why does Harper Lee include this? What is the purpose? (Emily Plump)
Scout is confused in class about Miss Gates because she is a hypocrite. Miss Gates goes on about how she thinks what Hitler does to the Jews is terrible. Even though she thinks that treating someone badly because of their race or religion is bad, she still does it. Scout overhears her saying a lot of bad stuff about the black people so Miss Gates is doing what she said was wrong, to the people in Maycomb. What is happening with the Jews is really similar to what's happening is Maycomb with the blacks and whites. Scout is talking to Jem about what she overheard Miss Gates say about blacks right outside the courthouse, "I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home" (Lee 331). Scout really doesn't understand how Miss Gates says bad things about people in Maycomb then thinks it's terrible for the same thing that's happening with the Jews. Harper Lee includes this whole scene to show the racism in Maycomb. Miss Gates is explaining to the class what democracy and persecution is, "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced. Prejudice" (Lee 329). Miss Gates says this but she really doesn't mean it. There is persecution everyday in Maycomb with the blacks. Scout was really confused about Miss Gates because she said it was wrong to discriminate the Jews yet she is discriminating the blacks in Maycomb.
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Scout is definitely confused by Miss Gates' explanation of the Holocaust because Miss Gates does not practice what she preaches. She is the exact opposite of spot-on when she says "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody." (Lee 329) How Miss Gates acts when she teaches the class about persecution is quite similar to how Mrs. Merriweather and the other "tea party ladies" acted while they were at the Finch's house. The women at the tea party were discussing the "Mrunas," attempting to make it seem like they weren't really prejudiced towards blacks. When Miss Gates told the children that over in America they aren't prejudiced, she was trying to make it seem like that to the kids; she was trying to make herself look good to the people who didn't know any better, even though it was well-known to some people what she said at Tom Robinson's trial.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Charlotte in that she does the exact opposite of what she is trying to teach the children. She says"Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced,"(Lee 329) while she is obviously prejudiced against black people. The children are getting mixed messages, and it may cause their outlook over different situations. That age is when children remember what they hear, and it could be with them forever. Again as Charlotte said, it is similar to they tea party, where they talk about caring for the "Mrunas" , before turning around and persecuting people in their own community.
ReplyDeleteScout is very confused with Miss Gates, as both Myles and Charlotte said. Scout knows that Miss Gates is a hypocrite because of what Miss Gates says after the trial. "...it's time someone taught em' a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing they can do is marry us." (Lee 331) says Miss Gates. Scout then says, "...how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about the folks right at home" (Lee 331). These statements prove that while Miss Gates hates Hitler because he is persecuting the Jews, Miss Gates is being prejudice to the people right in her town. Opposed to what Myles said, I think the children are getting the right ideas because only Scout heard Miss Gates talk badly about the African Americans. All of the children in the class are only hearing not to be bad to people of different religions, though, and not people of different races.
ReplyDeleteMany of the problems faced by the characters in this book stem from prejudice. The racism of Maycomb is highlighted in situtations where two human beings are seen as unequal, because of a pre-set idea of a particular trait. This is seen in the example of the Marunas, although on one hand the misionaries are bringing them up to what they believe is a more advanced and civilized way of life, at the same time they are prossecuting other human beings, and abusing the power they hold over them simply because they can. I think Harper Lee included this in the novel because it allows us to see the injustices of Maycomb on a smaller scale, and how from an early age it is taught that it is okay to treat one human differently from another.
ReplyDeleteIt's really amazing and sad how people in general can love and understand one person now and then turn around and completely hate them. Unfortunately, people did that in the '30s and sadly, still do it now. Miss Gates says Hitler doesn't understand that all people have souls and then talks about how other people should be "put in their place" and don't deserve to be treated like people just because the color of their skin. Miss Gates probably doesn't even know how hypocritical and unkind she is being. Thats just how people in Maycome were. it was ok to hate people who hated others who were being killed for religion but ok to hate blacks.
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ReplyDeleteWhile Miss Gates' actions are bad and not right. It's just how things work in Maycomb. Scout not understanding how the people of Maycomb function, she is in ah at Miss Gates. But in reality Miss Gates is just like the average Maycomb citizen. I would disagree with Eve's comment because Miss Gates is probably well aware of her actions, but in her mind Jew and blacks are different. Never mind equal, but some of the people in Maycomb think that blacks aren't a true member of society.
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