Week 3 - Family Loyalty

[Alex Gandy]

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Jacob Tanamachi]

I believe that this family loyalty that is displayed throughout the novel is at times, a good thing, but at at other times, a bad thing. Once Scout and Jem realize that their father is more of a man than anyone else in Maycomb County, they do not hesitate to take pride in him. They defend his every action, no matter how it is perceived by the rest of the townsfolk. They stand by his side, as well as his word, no matter what price it means they will have to pay. This is an example of how family loyalty plays a productive part in the story. On the other hand, we have the Ewells... The family loyalty portrayed within the confines of their household is built on the foundation of strict discipline, abusive parental monarchy, and, above all else, fear. To instill within Mayella the wrath of god that would make her withhold the truth in a court of law is an accomplishment that only the most sinister of fathers would be proud of. In my opinion, there is a difference between loyalty and fear, as much as there is a difference between night and day... And it is obvious how both of these polar opposites have equally different outcomes.

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On May 22, 2013, at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

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[Sarah Park]

I agree with Jacob when he mentions the difference between loyalty and fear. In the Finch family, there is strong and poor loyalty portrayed throughout the book. For instance, Jem and Scout are very loyal to Atticus and Calpurnia, who is like family. When the family goes to their cousins for Christmas, the loyalty that they had was only strong within their immediate family. Because Scout strongly supported what Atticus did, she beat Francis, which was a little unloyal to her 'family'. However, there is also fear in loyalty as portrayed in the Ewells. At the courthouse, I thought it was obvious that Mayella was beat by Bob, not Tom, but because of fear of what her father might do, she remained loyal to her father. She wouldn't let family get hurt because of the consequences that might come back at her later along the road. Throughout the book, there are positive and negative effects of loyalty.

[Emma Preston]

I think that the loyalty that is shown within the close-knit families in Maycomb shows the fierce dedication each family has within it. Even though we may not agree with all the principles each family employs, the members of each family support one another no matter what, and I do admire them for that to a degree. I think for each family, being in agreement about things is a good thing. If we were constantly disagreeing with our family members and could not come to resolutions, we would have serious problems. Being in a family where everyone stands up for everyone else is a postivie attribute for that family.

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Ethan Frechtman]

I agree with Jacob, it's very difficult to categorize family loyalty in TKAM as positive or negative one way or the other. When you reflect upon the guilty verdict in court, and how it might've turned out differently if Mayella had told the truth rather than lying to protect herself and her father, you could easily view it as negative, but you also have to take into account that without the Finch family sticking together,  Atticus might not have even had the strength to continue with the case.

On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 3:34 PM, Jacob Tanamachi <jet.tan...@gmail.com> wrote:

[reese.svetgoff]

Family loyalty has both a positive and negative effect on the characters in the book. In the case of the the Finches, it has a positive effect. Because of Scout, Jem, and Dill's loyalty to Atticus, they save him from perhaps a deadly beating from Mr. Cunningham and the boys. Mr. Cunningham saw that Scout Was a just a daughter of a good man jsut doing his job. Because of loyalty, Atticus's life was saved.In the case of the Ewell's it is bad. for Tom Robinson. Mayella blamed Tom for beating her and raping her when in reality, it was her father. Although, her loyalty for her father led to her blame the bruises on Tom, and eventually convict him. This could possibly ruin Tom's life.

[Ali Quarles]

I think family loyalty had negative effects on the characters such as Mayeela. She does not want to hurt he father and make him look bad. He did after all raise her. I do this alot with my brothers. If they do something they are not suppose to, I usually help them hide it and I will pretend it never happened. I will basically cover for them. We all it the Sibling Code. When you have three older brothers, you break the sibling code, they look done upon you. Now if they killed someone, sibling code no longer applies. I feel that when the issue is small, it is ok to cover, but when the issues escalates, it is no longer right to lie for your family. Also, if you see Freedom Writers, when the girl goes on trial to defend her father, she did the right thing by telling the truth. You can not defend murders or rapes. It is morally wrong.

Alison Marie Quarles

On May 22, 2013, at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[reese.svetgoff]

I agree with Emma in that the families may be morally wrong in their beliefs, but they do not mind. They stick to their family because they love each other. Family loyalty is what drives this book to the limits of human ethics. People learn from their family, and build off of what they believe is morally sound. This is what get's Tom Robinson in trouble and Walter Cunningham punched square in the face.

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 2:58:31 AM UTC-5, Alex Gandy wrote:

[Shaye Murray]

Both. The loyalty of the Finches has a positive effect on them because it keeps them close when it seems everything is against them. They know that they can trust each other and they are able to rely on each other. For the Ewell's though, the family loyalty has a negative effect on them. Mayella is being beaten but is loyal to her father so refuses to admit to it. This false loyalty obviously also had a negative effect on the events of the story as it put Tom in jail, and eventually led to his death. Mayella's loyalty was out of fear though, while the Finches were loyal out of love and respect. It's interesting to see the two different sides of the loyalty and how they played different roles in the story.

Sent from my iPhone

On May 22, 2013, at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[zulrich]

I think this could have a positive and a negative effect on the characters of the specific families. For example, the relationships between the members of the Ewell family are shaky as well as not consistent. During the trial, Mayella is contradicting herself because she does not want any more trouble from her father. The finches seem loyal to one another, because when Atticus tells Jem Scout and Dill to go home on the night Atticus was at the county jail, they wanted to stand up for Atticus, even though he didn't want them to. So, this type of loyalty shown in this book can have both effects. It just depends on the characters' personality. 

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 2:58:31 AM UTC-5, Alex Gandy wrote:

[zulrich]

Well put, I really like how you worded all of that. Fancy. Anyways, I agree. Loyalty in this novel certainly has its polar opposites, and the Finches and the Ewells are a prime example. Fear is an excellent word to describe Mayella's loyalty to her abusive father. I also think there is a drastic difference between the two families, in the way they treat each other. Again, they are polar opposites. On one hand you have loyalty by love and respect, and on the other you have fear and hate.

[Ashley Muchin]

I think that family loyalty can have a positive and a negative effect on the characters. When Scout hears one of the Cunninghams call Atticus a nigger-lover, she beats him up. Then when she hears her cousin, Francis, called him a nigger-lover, Scout punches him. She does this after Atticus tells her not to. By doing this, she is setting up a bad reputation for herself. Scout doesn't even know what the term means. That's the negative effect on Scout. But when Atticus explains what nigger-lover means, and gives Scout a life lesson, it eventually has a positive effect on Scout.

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Amy Schmitt]

I think that there are both positive and negative effects shown throughout the novel because the families are so different from one another. I see positive effects on the characters Jem and Scout from their family bond because their family role model, Atticus, is an outstanding character. On the other hand, the Ewell children have a bad role model which has a negative effect on their every day lives. The Ewells are shown that it is okay to break the rules, such as hunting out of season, if you're able to get by with minimal education; while the Finches are taught that going to school will lead to greater things in life. I think that the effects on the characters when talking about family loyalty is strongly based upon the head of the household.  

[Alexandra Olazaran]

Amy, I believe you are misinterpreting what the Ewell's have for family loyalty. Yes, Bob backed up Mayella's lie, but the children do not act that way because they are being loyal to their family. That's how they have grown up and it is all they have been taught, which is why they act the way they do. However, Scout and Jem do act the way they do because of loyalty. For example, Scout doesn't fight at school because Atticus asked her not to and she is being loyal to Atticus.

[Charlie Tapken]

I believe that the family loyalty is a good thing for some but also a bad thing. The finches family loyalty i think is always good because they always stand up for one another and believe in everything that atticus is doing is good and they do everything out of respect. In some ways it is bad though because the way they were raised is the way they live and think. they have restricted thoughts because they have always grown up to think the way their parents do. They don't have their own beliefs and no one of them are really old enough or have enough courage to adventure out on their own and do what they want. That's because most of them dont even have their own idea on things they just have their families idea on it.

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Charlie Tapken]

I completely agree with jacob and liked his point of view. Especially the part about fear. I kind of looked at it like that but never thought to put it as fear. All the kids have no thought or way of doing something in a different way because they do it like their parents because its the only way they know how. mThey were raised to think certain things so that is the only way they have ever thought. I think that there may be some far and some of them do see what is right and wrong and agree or disagree about different situations  but dont say anything ourt fear then but in general i honestly think it was just the way the raised that makes them they are to stay loyal to them because they only know that way and aren't just afraid of disappointing their family but also trying something new

On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 3:34 PM, Jacob Tanamachi <jet.tan...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Jansen Rees]

I think the intense loyalty shown has a positive effect on the characters because it helps keep them strong. The Finches are going through a lot with the trial and everything so what they need the most is family. The Finches are an example of a positive effect. The Ewells, on the other hand, are an example of a negative effect. They are a family based off of abuse and fear. Mayella being loyal to her father is based off of fear of what will come if she isn't. She fears the consequences. Unlike the Finches, the Ewells have loyalty for the wrong reason. Both the families are complete opposites. 

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Jansen Rees]

Jacob, I totally agree. Those two situations are both polar opposites. One is based on fear and the other is based of adoration. The Finch family will do anything for one another out of love, but the Ewells do stuff for each other out of the fear of the consequence if they don't. They both portray loyalty, but like Jacob said, the Finches are a positive effect and the Ewells are a negative effect. The Ewells loyalty shown for one another is for the wrong reason. The Finches loyalty is based on support and love, which is the way every family should be. 

Sent from my iPhone

[Sydney Kane]

I think it definitely has a positive effect on the characters. Loyalty is, in my opinion, the most important trait a family should have. If you are loyal to your family that means that you will do anything to stand by and support your family through whatever it takes. "ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind." thats from Lilo and Stitch the movie. and I know its not related to TKAM at all...but that phrase that is said so many times in that movie is so relevant to this prompt. Scout and Jem support Atticus 180% through this case for Tom Robinson. They dont let the towns rude comments and opinions get them down. They stick together. "No one is left behind."

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Wil Kahlich]

Loyalty's affect on anything depends on where it comes from, and what it causes. If it comes from fear and intimidation, it is simply forced and not beneficial. That type of loyalty relies of continued scare tactics and more intimidation. Not good. On the other hand, loyalty based on respect and love benefits all those involved. It provides a healthy relationship that relies on trust and continued friendship. 

We see both of these things in TKAM. From the Ewells, where Bob Ewell intimidates his daughter, to Atticus, who keeps his children's loyalty with a positive example of morals and actions. 

In this book, it tends to be helpful when the loyalty is based upon positive things, when the loyalty relies on trust and not intimidation. 

--
-Wil

[Gissel Glez]

From My perspective Family loyalty is a big part in the characters and the events of the story such as in Atticus with Scout and Jem. Family loyalty has a positive effect in Jem and Scout because they have a really good bond and role model that is Atticus.  On the other hand this story has a negative effect such as the Ewells family that is not very educated and they are not really thought about having a limit in things. For this they are thought that they are good with breaking any type of rule.

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From: alexga...@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 02:58:31 -0500
Subject: Week 3 - Family Loyalty
To: fg...@googlegroups.com

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Robert Cooper Flickinger]

in to kill a mocking bird family loyalty is both good and bad. The finch family loyalty is one of the greatest ones in the book. But the loyalty in the ewell family is very strong as well. Even though mayella knew with every fiber of her being that what she did and was doing was wrong her loyalty and possibly fear of her father kept her from telling the truth.

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 2:58 AM, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Robert Cooper Flickinger]

i agree with the sibling thing but i think it wasnt complete loyalty and not wanting to make her father look stupid but i think it was partly loyalty and partly fear of her father.

[Siqi Huang]

I don't really believe that blood relations could connect the family. Alexandra is so much more different than Scout and Atticus and her way of emphasizing the strength of their ancestors created more controversy when she moved in with the kids. In this book, family royalty seemed to give them a social class, the Finches at the highest and then the Cunninghams and lastly the Ewells. They are classified based on their family characteristics but not all of them are raised alike in each family. Somewhere in the book, Jem figured out that his family was higher than the Cunninghams. Economically it's true but like Atticus has taught them, integrity matters. And that's where the Ewells lacked. For example, rather than spilling out the truth she'd stick to her dad rather than Tom Robinson, someone outside of her family. This caused an injustice to race that not even a decent white man from a good family background could save the victim.

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From: alexga...@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 02:58:31 -0500
Subject: Week 3 - Family Loyalty
To: fg...@googlegroups.com

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?

[Angelica Pasaran]

The loyalty displayed by the Finches and Cunninghams has a positive effect. They are both genuinely nice people that stay true to their word. The Ewells loyalty has a negative effect on the story. They stay loyal to each other when Mayella lies about what really happened with Tom. They caused the death of an innocent man.  --- On Wed, 5/22/13, Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Alex Gandy <alexga...@gmail.com> Subject: Week 3 - Family Loyalty To: fg...@googlegroups.com

[Weston Smith]

I think family loyalty has a positive and negative on the characters. The Ewells are obviously loyal to each other even when they were exposed in their lies they stayed loyal to each other. This would have a negative effect on them and what happens later on. Walter Cunningham was affected by the events around him, I think Walter is a good man but the environment around him corrupted him and his son could possibly take after his father and the lynch mob. The Finches loyalty have a positive effect on each other. Scout and Jem remain positive and loyal throughout the book, especially at the end.

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From: alexga...@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 02:58:31 -0500

Subject: Week 3 - Family Loyalty
To: fg...@googlegroups.com

Family loyalty is displayed throughout the novel, from the Finches to the Cunninghams to the Ewells. In your opinion, does this intense loyalty have a positive or negative effect on the characters and the events of the story?