Home Learning 2/3/2010 Linguistic: An interview with Jean Louise Finch

Q: Scout, how do you feel about the jury's verdict?

A: I was stunned that they chose to convict Tom, when all the evidence pointed to the fact that he was innocent.

Q: Why do you think the jury would convict Tom in spite of overwhelming evidence that he didn't do it?

A: It was because of discrimination of whites and blacks.

Q: Has this event changed your perception of the law in any way?

A: Of course it has! I now know that when it comes to black vs white in terms of law, the whites will always triumph.

Q: Do you think that verdicts should still be decided by juries?

A: I think that we ought to do away with juries. Only the judge should be able to decide the verdict of the accused.

Q: Why do you feel that way?

A: Well, the jury was supposed to be impartial, but they sentenced Tom just because he was a negro. Throughout the trial, I got the feeling that Judge Taylor wasn't really prejudiced against Tom. In fact, I got the feeling that he disliked the Ewells more. So, if Judge Taylor had the final say, I am sure that Tom would be a free man right now.