November
20
Nov 20: ELA 20 Dramatic reading of climactic chapter…
- We read through Chapter 18 today, which was one of the most dramatic chapters from the novel so far. It included Mayella Ewell’s testimony and cross examination by Atticus and we, as readers, finally got more details regarding what actually happened that eventually led to Tom Robinson’s arrest. It seemed pretty clear, though what we read though, that Mayella is a confused person and her testimony seemed somewhat shakey. (Ie: Answering that she didn’t remember Tom hitting her and then realizing her mistake and boldly correcting herself saying he did, he did!)
- The chapter was actually so intense when the bell rang to end class that I asked the students if they’d just like to read through to finish the chapter and they did, all but one. It was better to keep that heightened tension built up through the class and finish it off, rather than trying to experience it the same way at the beginning of next class!
- Remember, this novel is based on a real situation that occured where white women accused a black man of a similar deed. The man was found guilty, but on acquittal, it became more and more clear that the women were lying. The events of Chapter 18 give strong evidence that Harper Lee wrote the book in response to the unfortunate events that happened in her home area.