Tuesday, January 5, 2016

What does Dalphous Raymond give Dill to settle his stomach?

Mr. Dolphus Raymond has long been known to be the town
drunk; his drinking regularly from some container hidden from view by a paper sack is
considered evidence of his vice.  However, Mr. Raymond is concerned with Dill's "sick"
stomach during a recess from the trial of Tom Robinson and instructs him
to



"Come on
round here, son, I got something that'll settle your
stomach."


..."Here," he said, offering Dill his paper sack
with straws in it. "Take a good sip, it'll quieten
you."


Dill sucked on the straws, smiled, and pulled at
length.


"Hee, hee," said Mr. Raymond, evidently taking
delight in corrupting a child.


"Dill, you watch out now," I
warned.


Dill released the straws and grinned.  " Scout,
it's nothing but
Coca-Cola."



Mr. Raymond is
well aware of the public's perception of him and finds it amusing that he has surprised
Scout, Dill, and Jem.  This episode serves an excellent example of the theme of the
book, which is evidenced in its title.  The three children learn a great deal about the
evils of prejudice throughout the story, especially as it relates to Boo Radley, Tom
Robinson and his family, and Dolphus Raymond.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment on the setting and character of "The Fall of the House of Usher."How does setting act as a character?

Excellent observation, as it identifies how the settings of Poe's stories reflect the characters of their protagonists. Whet...