Breaking the Code- Identifying Social Codes, Violations, and Consequences
This is a more advanced form of “Analyzing Quotes.” As usual, for each quote you must identify speaker(s) & context. When you decide about the significance of the quote, I want you to complete the chart, just as we did in for the “Cracking the Code” activity. Notice that this chart also asks you to identify the violation and any consequences.
“They don’t belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t have ‘em cause they’re half white, white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere.” (161)
SPEAKER:
CONTEXT:
(What is the situation?)
What is the code? / Why does this code exist/ why is it important?· What is protected/at stake? / How is the code violated in this situation? / What are the consequences of that violation?
“You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?” (197)
SPEAKER:
CONTEXT:
(What is the situation?)
What is the code? / Why does this code exist/ why is it important?· What is protected/at stake? / How is the code violated in this situation? / What are the consequences of that violation?
“The defendant is not guilty, but someone in the courtroom is.” (203)
SPEAKER:
CONTEXT:
(What is the situation?)
What is the code? / Why does this code exist/ why is it important?· What is protected/at stake? / How is the code violated in this situation? / What are the consequences of that violation?
Why Empathize?
Another variation of “Analyzing Quotes.” As usual, for each quote you must identify speaker(s) & context. When you decide about the significance of the quote, I want you to consider the presence or absence of empathy in the situation.
“Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children . . . you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough.” (157)
SPEAKER:
CONTEXT:
What situation does this quote relate to?
What “codes” (if any) helped create that situation?
SIGNIFICANCE:
Who feels empathy in this situation?
What does empathy allow this person/these people to see?
How does empathy affect the people or events in this situation?
“No suh, I’s 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 have to face up to what I didn’t do.”
“Are you being impudent to me, boy?”
“No suh, I didn’t go to be.”
This was as much as I heard of Mr. Gilmer’s cross-examination, because Jem made me take Dill out. For some reason Dill had started crying quietly and couldn’t stop. . . (198)
SPEAKER:
CONTEXT:
What situation does this quote relate to?
What “codes” (if any) helped create that situation?
SIGNIFICANCE:
Who feels empathy in this situation?
What does empathy allow this person/these people to see?
How does empathy affect the people or events in this situation?