Chapter 19-Tom Robinson Block D
254-255
It must have been disorderly. What did it consist of?
Q:Then what did she do?
A: She reached up and kiss me on the side of my face she said she's never kissed a grown man before she might as well kiss and never kissed of Grown Man before so she might as well kiss nigger.
Q: What did he say? A:Something not better than to say not feeling for these books to hear
pg 259
“Not the same chiffarobe you busted up?”
“Naw suh, another one. Most as tall as the room. So I done what she told me, an’ I was just reaching’ when the next thing I knows she-- shed grabbed me round the legs, grabbed me round the’ legs, Mr.Finch. She scared me so bad I hopped down an’ turned the chair over-- that was the only thing, only furniture, ‘sturbed in that room, Mr.Finch, when I left it. I swear ‘for God.”
“What happened after you turned the chair over?”
“Mr.Finch, I got down off that chair and’ turned around an’ she sorta jumped on me.”
“Jumped on you? Violently?”
“No suh, she-- she hugged me. She hugged me round the waist.”
Q: Then what happened? A:Mr. Finch I was running so fast I didn't know what happened.
Did he succeed?
256
why did you go inside the fence
Yes. You were both convicted?
pg 261
263
Were you aquainted with Mayella Violet Ewell?
Q: Robinson, you're pretty good at busting up chiffarobes and kindling with one hand, aren't you? A: Yes, suh, I reckon so.
“Tom, go back once more to Mr.Ewell. Did he say anything to you?”
“What you did hear, who was he talking to?”
“Then you ran?“
“Why did you run?”
“Why were you scared?”
were you paid for your service?
what circumstances
Whose field?
“Not anything, suh. He mighta said something, but I weren't there.”
Were you picking cotton in November?
“Mr finch, he were talking and looking at Miss Mayella.”
“I sho did suh”
Q: Strong enough to choke the breath out of a woman and sling her to the floor? A: I never done that, suh.
“I was scared suh”
PG:260
You say you had to pass the Ewell place to get to and from work. Is there any other way to go?
please suh?
“Mr.Finch if you was a nigger like me youd be scared too.”
Q: Tom get you rape mayella ewell? A: I don't know sir
Q: Did you harm her in any way?
A: I did not serve
Q: But you are strong enough to? A: I reckon so, suh.
Tom did she ever speak to you?
Q:Had your eye on her a long time, hadn't you, boy? A: No suh, I never looked at her.
Q:Did you recessed her advance?
A: Mr. Finch, I tried I tried to 'thout begin' ulgy to her.
When did she ask you to chop up the- the chiffarobe?
Q:Then you were mighty polite to do all that chopping and hauling for her, weren't you, boy? A: I was just tryin' to help her out, suh.
Q:That was mighty generous of you, you had chores at home after your regular work, didn't you? A: Yes suh
Got in fight with another man, he tried to cut me.
Yes suh, a little, not enough to hurt. You see, I--
Yes suh, Ihad to serve' cause I couldn't pay the fine. Other fellow paid his'n.
Yes suh, I had to pass her place goin' to and from the field every day.
Q: Why didn't you do them instead of Ms. Ewell's? A: I done'em bolth, suh.
I picks for Mr. Link Deas
Did you ever go on the place again?
No suh, I works in his yard fall an' wintertime. I works pretty steady for him all year round, he's got a lot of pecan trees'n things.
No suh, none's I know of.
Q: You must have been pretty busy.Why? A:Why what, suh?
Why, yes suh, I'd tip m'hat when I'd go by, and one day she asked me to come inside the fence and bust up a chifforobe for her
When?
Yes suh.
Well, I went lots of times.
Q:Why were you so anxious to do that woman's chores? A: Looked like she didn't have nobody to help her, like I says-
no suh not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was dlad to do it.
Mr Finch, it was way last spring. I remember it because it was choppin' time and I had my hoe with me. I said I didn't have nothin' but this hoe, but she said she had a hatchet. She give me the hatchet. She give me the hatchet and I broke up the chiffarobe.She said, I reckon I'll hafta give you a nickel, won't I? an' I said, No ma'am, there ain't no charge. Then I went home. Mr. Finch, that was way last sping,way over a year ago?
Q:With Mr. Ewell and seven children on the place, boy? A:Well, I says it looked like they never help her none-
Q:You did all this chopping and work from sheer goodness, boy? A:Tried to help her, I says.
Q:You're a mighty good fellow, it seems- did all this for not one penny? A: Yes suh,
PG 264
Q:You felt sorry for her, you for her? A: None
Q: Now you went by the house as usual, last November 21st and she asked it you to come in and bust up a chiffarobe? A: No sir
Q: Do you denied that you went by her house?
A: Know she said she had something for me to do inside the house.
265
If you had clear conscience, why were you scared?
Like I says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to be in a- fix that.
But you weren't in a fix-you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?
No suh, I'd scared I'd be in court, just like I am now.
Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?
No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.
Are you being impudent to me, boy?
No suh, I didn't go to be.
where the other childern?
they was awkays around, all over the place. they'd watch me work, some of 'em, some of em set in the window
would miss mayella talk to you
yes sir she talked to me
she'd call me in suh, seemed like everyday time i passed by yonder she'd have a little some thing for me to do
click to edit
Q: She said she asked you to bust up a chiffarobe is that right? A: No sir it ain't
Q: Can you say she's lying boy? A: No sir I don't think she's lyin', Mr. Gilmer, I say mistaken in her mind.
Q: Didn't Mr. Ewell run you off the place, boy? A:No sir, I don't think he did.
Q:Don't think what do you mean? A: I mean I didn't stay long enough for him to run me off.
Q: You are very candid about death why did you run so fast?
A: I say I was scared sir.
Atticus: Did you ever at any time, go on the Ewell property- did you ever set foot on the Ewell property without an express invitation from one of them?
Tom:No suh, Mr. Finch, I never did. I wouldn't do that suh.
Atticus: Tom, what happened on the evening of November twenty first of last year?
Tom: Finch, I was goin' home as usual that evening when I passed the Ewell place Mayella were on the porch, like she say she were. It seemed real quiet and I didn't quite know why. I was studying why, just passin' by when she says for me to come here and help her a minute. Well, I went inside the fence an' looked around for some kindlin' to work on, but I didn't see none and she says, "Naw I got something for you to do in the house. The door is off the hinges and fall's comin' on pretty fast". I said you got a screwdriver, Miss Mayella? She said she sho' had. Well, I went up the steps an' she motioned me to come inside, and I went in the front room an' looked at the door. I said Miss Mayella, this door look alright. I pulled it back'n forth and those hinges was alright. Then she shet the door in my face. Mr. Finch, I was wonderin' why it was so quiet like, an' it come to me that there weren't a chile on the place, not a one of e'm , and I said Miss Mayella, "Where are the chilun?" She told me they got ice cream. She says," took me a slap year to seb'm nickles but I done it.
Atticus: What did you say then Tom?
Tom: I said somethin' like, why Miss Mayella, that's right smart o' you to treat 'em. A'n she said, "You think so?" I don't think she understood what i was thinking- I meant it was smart of her to save like that, an' nice of her to treat em'.
Atticus: I understand you, Tom.