summery chapter 16 to kill a mocking bird
The night after their run-in at the town jail, Scout ends up sleeping in Jem's room after she starts crying in her own.
At breakfast the next morning, no one except Jem has much appetite.
Atticus says he's glad the kids came along, though Aunt Alexandra sniffs that Mr. Underwood would have made sure nothing too bad happened.
Atticus comments that Mr. Underwood is a strange man—he "despises Negroes" (16.5), yet he acted to protect Atticus and Tom Robinson.
Scout wants coffee, but Calpurnia will only give her one tablespoon of the evil brew in a cupful of milk.
Alexandra tells Atticus not to make comments like the one he just made about Mr. Underwood in front of "them" (16.8), i.e. Calpurnia, i.e. African-Americans.
Atticus says that it's nothing Cal doesn't already know, and that anything that can be said in table conversation is fit for Calpurnia's ears.
Alexandra thinks it encourages gossip among the town's African-American residents.
Well, says Atticus, if the white people didn't do so much that was gossip-worthy the African-Americans wouldn't have so much to talk about.
Scout wants to know why, if Mr. Cunningham is a friend of theirs, he wanted to hurt Atticus last night.
Atticus says that Mr. Cunningham is a good man, he just has a few "blind spots" (16.18).
Uh, okay.
Then Dill bounces in, saying that the gossip mill is having a field day about how three kids fought off a hundred men with their bare hands.
The kids head out to the porch to watch people passing on their way to the courthouse.
Some of the personalities the kids spot: Mr. Dolphus Raymond, already drunk; a bunch of Mennonites; Mr. Billups, whose first name is simply X; Mr. Jake Slade, who's growing his third mouthful of teeth; and the foot-washing Baptists, who pause to shout Bible verses about vanity to Miss Maudie in her revamped yard. (She responds in
At breakfast the next morning, no one except Jem has much appetite.
Atticus says he's glad the kids came along, though Aunt Alexandra sniffs that Mr. Underwood would have made sure nothing too bad happened.
Atticus comments that Mr. Underwood is a strange man—he "despises Negroes" (16.5), yet he acted to protect Atticus and Tom Robinson.
Scout wants coffee, but Calpurnia will only give her one tablespoon of the evil brew in a cupful of milk.
Alexandra tells Atticus not to make comments like the one he just made about Mr. Underwood in front of "them" (16.8), i.e. Calpurnia, i.e. African-Americans.
Atticus says that it's nothing Cal doesn't already know, and that anything that can be said in table conversation is fit for Calpurnia's ears.
Alexandra thinks it encourages gossip among the town's African-American residents.
Well, says Atticus, if the white people didn't do so much that was gossip-worthy the African-Americans wouldn't have so much to talk about.
Scout wants to know why, if Mr. Cunningham is a friend of theirs, he wanted to hurt Atticus last night.
Atticus says that Mr. Cunningham is a good man, he just has a few "blind spots" (16.18).
Uh, okay.
Then Dill bounces in, saying that the gossip mill is having a field day about how three kids fought off a hundred men with their bare hands.
The kids head out to the porch to watch people passing on their way to the courthouse.
Some of the personalities the kids spot: Mr. Dolphus Raymond, already drunk; a bunch of Mennonites; Mr. Billups, whose first name is simply X; Mr. Jake Slade, who's growing his third mouthful of teeth; and the foot-washing Baptists, who pause to shout Bible verses about vanity to Miss Maudie in her revamped yard. (She responds in