Question
Excerpt from Chapter 25 of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee
A few more details, enabling the listener to repeat his version in turn, then nothing to talk about until The Maycomb Tribune appeared the following Thursday. There was a brief obituary in the Colored News, but there was also an editorial.
Mr. B. B. Underwood was at his most bitter, and he couldn’t have cared less who canceled advertising and subscriptions. (But Maycomb didn’t play that way: Mr. Underwood could holler till he sweated and write whatever he wanted to, he’d still get his advertising and subscriptions. If he wanted to make a fool of himself in his paper that was his business.) Mr. Underwood didn’t talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand. Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children, and Maycomb thought he was trying to write an editorial poetical enough to be reprinted in The Montgomery Advertiser.
How could this be so, I wondered, as I read Mr. Underwood’s editorial. Senseless killing—Tom had been given due process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.
What is Mr. Underwood’s main point in his editorial, and what theme does it develop?
Responses
Mr. Underwood believes the legal process worked the way it was supposed to, but the outcome still feels wrong — developing the theme that justice based on rules doesn't always lead to a truly fair or moral result, especially when bias is involved.
Mr. Underwood believes the legal process worked the way it was supposed to, but the outcome still feels wrong — developing the theme that justice based on rules doesn't always lead to a truly fair or moral result, especially when bias is involved.
Mr. Underwood is disappointed that most people in town didn’t react strongly to what happened — developing the theme that communities often avoid uncomfortable truths and stay silent in the face of injustice.
Mr. Underwood is disappointed that most people in town didn’t react strongly to what happened — developing the theme that communities often avoid uncomfortable truths and stay silent in the face of injustice.
Mr. Underwood is upset that emotional reactions clouded people’s judgment during the case — developing the theme that personal feelings and strong opinions can sometimes interfere with fairness and truth.
Mr. Underwood is upset that emotional reactions clouded people’s judgment during the case — developing the theme that personal feelings and strong opinions can sometimes interfere with fairness and truth. EndFragment
Mr. Underwood is outraged by the injustice of punishing someone who never had a fair chance — developing the theme that harming the innocent is morally wrong, even when it’s done legally.
A few more details, enabling the listener to repeat his version in turn, then nothing to talk about until The Maycomb Tribune appeared the following Thursday. There was a brief obituary in the Colored News, but there was also an editorial.
Mr. B. B. Underwood was at his most bitter, and he couldn’t have cared less who canceled advertising and subscriptions. (But Maycomb didn’t play that way: Mr. Underwood could holler till he sweated and write whatever he wanted to, he’d still get his advertising and subscriptions. If he wanted to make a fool of himself in his paper that was his business.) Mr. Underwood didn’t talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand. Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children, and Maycomb thought he was trying to write an editorial poetical enough to be reprinted in The Montgomery Advertiser.
How could this be so, I wondered, as I read Mr. Underwood’s editorial. Senseless killing—Tom had been given due process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.
What is Mr. Underwood’s main point in his editorial, and what theme does it develop?
Responses
Mr. Underwood believes the legal process worked the way it was supposed to, but the outcome still feels wrong — developing the theme that justice based on rules doesn't always lead to a truly fair or moral result, especially when bias is involved.
Mr. Underwood believes the legal process worked the way it was supposed to, but the outcome still feels wrong — developing the theme that justice based on rules doesn't always lead to a truly fair or moral result, especially when bias is involved.
Mr. Underwood is disappointed that most people in town didn’t react strongly to what happened — developing the theme that communities often avoid uncomfortable truths and stay silent in the face of injustice.
Mr. Underwood is disappointed that most people in town didn’t react strongly to what happened — developing the theme that communities often avoid uncomfortable truths and stay silent in the face of injustice.
Mr. Underwood is upset that emotional reactions clouded people’s judgment during the case — developing the theme that personal feelings and strong opinions can sometimes interfere with fairness and truth.
Mr. Underwood is upset that emotional reactions clouded people’s judgment during the case — developing the theme that personal feelings and strong opinions can sometimes interfere with fairness and truth. EndFragment
Mr. Underwood is outraged by the injustice of punishing someone who never had a fair chance — developing the theme that harming the innocent is morally wrong, even when it’s done legally.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Mr. Underwood's main point in his editorial is that the legal process, while it may have been followed according to the rules, ultimately failed to yield a just outcome for Tom Robinson. He draws a parallel between Tom's death and the senseless killing of songbirds, emphasizing the moral wrongness of taking an innocent life. This develops the theme that justice based on rules does not always lead to a fair or moral result, especially when ingrained biases and prejudices influence people's perceptions and decisions. By highlighting the disconnect between legal procedures and moral justice, Mr. Underwood underscores the deep flaws in a system that can allow for the disproportionate punishment of the innocent.