Monday, October 7, 2019
Chapters 24/25: What is the significance of the "roly-poly"? What does this incident tell you about Scout and Jem?(Julio)
The roly-poly symbolizes their innocence. In chapter twenty five, Scout finds a roly-poly in her room (a bug). She plays with it and makes it roll into a ball by poking it with a stick over and over again. After a few minutes of playing this game Scout says, "Feeling sleepy, I decided to end things" (Lee 319). After she said that, she was going to kill it. Jem stopped her and said, "They don't bother you." (Lee 320).This relates to Tom Robinson in a way because he is like the bug in this situation. It is innocent and about to get his freedom taken away for no reason. Tom was charged for something he didn't do and unfairly punished and Jem didn't want it happening to the bug.
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I agree with Julio on the fact that the roly-poly signifies innocence and can relate to Tom Robinson's case. In addition, when Scout is poking the roly-poly and is about to kill it Jem explains to Scout why she shouldn't kill the bug and says, "They don't bother you" (Lee 273). I thought that this scene really connected to Mockingbirds. Early on in the novel, we learn that it is a sin to kill a Mockingbird because all they do is sing for us, this relates to the roly-poly because those tiny bugs don't do anything to harm us at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Julio that the roly-poly relates back to the Tom Robinson case, but I also very much agree with Antrias. The mockingbirds and roly-poly's symbolize the innocents and respect they show. For example, "'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy'" (Lee 103). This quote came from earlier in the book, but describes how mockingbirds do no harm to any of us, they just make music. The roly-polys have the same purpose. It says, ""Because they don't bother you'" (Lee 273). This quote relates right back to the mockingbirds. They both show how they shouldn't be harmed just because they aren't human. As you can see, the role-poly, Tom Robinson, and mockingbirds both symbolize innocents.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Julio that the roly-poly symbolizes innocence. The roly-poly was just there and had done absolutely nothing at all. This really does relate to the Tom Robinson case and the mockingbirds. As Alexsa said "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy"(Lee 103). The roly-poly may not be making music or helping anyone, but it isn't bothering anyone in any way. This goes for Tom Robinson as well. He might not be benefiting others, but he hasn't done anything to deserve being put in prison.
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