In chapter 16, Atticus and the family talk about what happened last night. While Atticus is glad that the kids intervened, Aunt Alexandra is livid. She felt that the kids could have gotten hurt. After breakfast, Atticus prepares to leave to go back to the courthouse. He tells the kids not to go downtown that day. Jem, Dill, and Scout go out to the front porch and Alexandra tells them to come back inside because they could get a good view of the people going to the courthouse. After lunch, Atticus comes home. He tells the kids that they spent the whole morning picking the jury. Jem, Dill, and Scout were so intrigued by this that they sneaked down to the courthouse. Once they reached the courthouse, they recognize Mr. Raymond sitting on the far
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While Mr. Gilman asks Mayella to describe what happened that night, she doesn’t answer. Mr. Gilman begins to ask more specific questions and she answers with minimal answers. When the judge asks her to tell the court what happened, she bursts into tears. The judge tries to comfort her telling her that she has no cause for shame as long as she tells the truth and that Mr. Finch isn’t going to scare her. After that, Mayella continues her testimony. Mayella says that she was on the porch when Tom came by. She asked him to chop up an old piece of furniture for kindling and when she went inside to get the money to pay him, he attacked her from behind. Mr. Gilmer asks her if she fought back and she answered yes, and then he asked what happened next. Mayella testified that she didn’t remember much after that, except that she remembers her father and Mr. Tate standing there. Mr. Gilmer sits down, and Atticus begins to question Mayella. Atticus questions Mayella to talk about herself and then he asks if her father ever beaten her when he is drunk. Finally, Atticus begins to inquire questions about the crime. Atticus quotes Mayella’s previous testimony probing her whether or not Tom hit her in the face. Mayella answers no then yes and then that she can’t remember. Mayella then bursts into tears again. Atticus asks Tom to stand up so Mayella can get a good look at him. When Tom stood up, it is obvious that his left arm is a …show more content…
After some basic questions were asked, Atticus asks Tom about his previous conviction and then about what happened that night. Tom said that he did indeed pass the Ewell place, like Mayella said, because there is no other way to get there. He did go inside the Ewell yard to chop up a piece of furniture, but that was last spring, not in November. Atticus asks if he ever crossed into the Ewell property after that and Tom says he did lots of times. Atticus requests why and Tom says Mayella kept having little jobs for him to do. He never took payment because he knew how poor she was. Tom also says that he never went on the Ewell property without being invited. Atticus queries Tom about the night of the crime. Tom describes that he passed the Ewell place on his way home and Mayella was sitting on the front porch. She asked him to come in to fix a door and when he realized that the door was working fine, she requested him to get something down from the top of the wardrobe. He stood on a chair to get it and Mayella grabbed his legs from behind. Tom continued saying that he jumped up, knocked over the chair. He turned around and Mayella hugged and kissed him and yelled at him to kiss him back. Tom said that he told Mayella to move so he could leave, since he didn’t want to push her out of the way. Then Mr. Ewell shouted through the window and Tom ran away. Atticus asked Tom why he ran away and he said that he was scared.
While Mr. Gilman asks Mayella to describe what happened that night, she doesn’t answer. Mr. Gilman begins to ask more specific questions and she answers with minimal answers. When the judge asks her to tell the court what happened, she bursts into tears. The judge tries to comfort her telling her that she has no cause for shame as long as she tells the truth and that Mr. Finch isn’t going to scare her. After that, Mayella continues her testimony. Mayella says that she was on the porch when Tom came by. She asked him to chop up an old piece of furniture for kindling and when she went inside to get the money to pay him, he attacked her from behind. Mr. Gilmer asks her if she fought back and she answered yes, and then he asked what happened next. Mayella testified that she didn’t remember much after that, except that she remembers her father and Mr. Tate standing there. Mr. Gilmer sits down, and Atticus begins to question Mayella. Atticus questions Mayella to talk about herself and then he asks if her father ever beaten her when he is drunk. Finally, Atticus begins to inquire questions about the crime. Atticus quotes Mayella’s previous testimony probing her whether or not Tom hit her in the face. Mayella answers no then yes and then that she can’t remember. Mayella then bursts into tears again. Atticus asks Tom to stand up so Mayella can get a good look at him. When Tom stood up, it is obvious that his left arm is a …show more content…
After some basic questions were asked, Atticus asks Tom about his previous conviction and then about what happened that night. Tom said that he did indeed pass the Ewell place, like Mayella said, because there is no other way to get there. He did go inside the Ewell yard to chop up a piece of furniture, but that was last spring, not in November. Atticus asks if he ever crossed into the Ewell property after that and Tom says he did lots of times. Atticus requests why and Tom says Mayella kept having little jobs for him to do. He never took payment because he knew how poor she was. Tom also says that he never went on the Ewell property without being invited. Atticus queries Tom about the night of the crime. Tom describes that he passed the Ewell place on his way home and Mayella was sitting on the front porch. She asked him to come in to fix a door and when he realized that the door was working fine, she requested him to get something down from the top of the wardrobe. He stood on a chair to get it and Mayella grabbed his legs from behind. Tom continued saying that he jumped up, knocked over the chair. He turned around and Mayella hugged and kissed him and yelled at him to kiss him back. Tom said that he told Mayella to move so he could leave, since he didn’t want to push her out of the way. Then Mr. Ewell shouted through the window and Tom ran away. Atticus asked Tom why he ran away and he said that he was scared.