We've been discussing the book with our table groups. Now it's time to branch out and find out what others that are reading this book think. Take some time to think about a part of the book that would make for a good discussion. It can be any part from the beginning to the part you read for today.
Tell about the part you read, give your thoughts about it, and invite others to share their thoughts too.
Here are some discussion stems. Choose one of the following or make a similar type of post.
I want to talk about the part where __________________. I thought _____________________. What did you think?
The part that I thought was most interesting so far was _____________________________. I think _________________________________________. What did you think?
I want to talk about the part when the people came to Emmett's house in the beginning of the book.I thought it was weird how he was not scared. Emmett didn't tell them that he did nothing.When all of his family and friends begged them not to take him,he did nothing. What did you think?
ReplyDeleteThe part that I thought was most interesting so far was when Emmett and his friends were saying they had white girlfriends.I think they were trying to in press each other, but when they tried to prove it. Everything went wrong. What did you think?
I think maybe when they came for emmett the family was too scared to yell or say anything. At that point if they began being hysterical it would do them no good.
DeleteI think that if I was him, i'd be running out the window because I would be terrified. He's super brave though. He didn't put up a fight but if he did, they probably would've shot or beat him right there.
DeleteI would agree that it was strange that Emmett wasn't terrified by J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, especially since he was threatened with a gun. Though, in his defense, he might of been quite drowsy seeing as he just woke up. But I still think getting threatened by a white man when you're the minority in a time like that (where racism was a very big deal) would be alarming.
DeleteOn page 62 the murderers of Emmett (Bryant and Milam) weren't what I would call very bright about their kill. Bryant said "Just so everybody could know how me and my folks stand" this make me think if they wanted others to know about their kill or not. What do you think about this situation.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really a very racist comment that was said and that it probably got many people angry at him or any white people in the South.
DeleteI want to talk about the part in the book when it described what happened to Emmett till. I thought that it was horrific what happened to him. Why would they do such a bad thing to him when what he did wasn't that bad? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI think it was a big deal back when no one was equal. People might think it's not a big deal but others may think it is a HUGE deal.
DeleteWhen Emmett died he was in mississippi (at that time a very racist state) and they acted much different, yes, what they did even then was very rash but they thought they were doing the right thing.
DeleteI don't think everyone back then really thought about what was happening to Emmett. I that if that happen now, the people who did that would be sent to jail for a long time.
DeleteBack then it was really bad to do that,but still it was really overkill what they did.
DeleteI agree what he did wasn't that bad at all. But also no one is even completely sure he did do what Carolyn Bryant said.
DeleteI agree with you it wasn't that bad at all it might have been back then but I dont think so. Bryant and Millem were very rasist and I still think he should have only got talked to.
DeleteI think that it was weird how Emmett's death could have been avoided if he didn't do a dare. I think that if he didn't take the dare he probably would have done something else that would have gotten him beat or he could have died another way. what do you think?
ReplyDeleteI think that Emmett didn't know any better since he was from Chicago which is not as racist as Mississippi. So if the boys just didn't say anything, I have a feeling he would've lived.
DeleteI believe Emmett didn't know what he got into due to living in the north but he was warned and should have taken it more seriously than he did. He also shouldn't have bragged to much because what goes around comes around.
DeleteI think that if he didn't take the dare, he would probably still be alive. But I agree with you, he probably would've still gotten beaten or killed.
DeleteI would agree with that. I believe that even if he hadn't accepted such a silly, and idiotic dare from his friends he would of survived for a bit longer, before getting in trouble about something else. It would make sense if that happened, because the book mentioned many times how he didn't realize how bad racism in Mississippi was. Emmett Till might of survived the experience there if he hadn't accepted that dare, but he'd at least come out with a few scars for his foolishness in not being wary. Emmett Till shouldn't of needed to feel worried, but that was the way things were back then. And even if he hadn't accepted that stupid dare that led to his demise, he probably would of done something else to get beaten or killed, because he just didn't understand the racists in Mississippi.
DeleteIt could have been way avoided if he wouldnt have taken the dare in the first place should have done something else like, a truth or even a different dare I would have never done that and I even like taking dares but that was a little far back then
DeleteYea if he did listen to his friends he would still be alive probably still today, but in his head he probably didn't think this was gonna happen.
DeleteI want to talk about the part where in the beginning of the book when they came and got Emmett. I read online that his aunt tried to go wake him up and hide him I think why didn't she get there in time because on the cover of the book, their house doesn't look that big. What did you think?
ReplyDeleteThe part that I thought was most interesting so far was his mom left the casket open. I think I get why she did it but looking at the picture in the book(page 67) it kinda sent shivers down my spine. What did you think?
I think that it was a good choice to have the open casket. It was showing others how cruel, and racist people can be. It just shows that you need to be careful, and aware of what you are doing, if you were black in that time.
DeleteI also think it was a good idea because it showed people that there is a lot of racism and how white people treated blacks. If she wouldn't have let the casket open then maybe things would have never changed.
DeleteI don't think it was a good idea to have the casket open. It was a very bad thing they did and the person who tried to make Emmett look better couldn't do much more than that.
DeleteI think that it was a great idea for Emmett's mom to have an open casket, because she wanted everyone to know what they did to her only son and how she will never get the opportunity to spend the rest of her life with him.
DeleteI think that Emmett's' aunt didn't wake him up in time because he wouldn't wake up fast enough. If you think about it, a lot of teenagers have troubles waking up at the drop of the hat, because our sleep schedule can be quite irregular. At least for me, it can take ten, fifteen minutes for me to actually wake up.
DeleteI also believe that Emmett Till's mother did good in having an open casket, because that showed the lengths the two murderers took to 'punish' Emmett Till. It was like a splash of cold water on people who live in the North, that showed how bad racism was in Mississippi. Without that open casket, Emmett Till's story might not of been as told, and who knows how much that would of changed how the Civil Rights Movement affected us today.
I agree with Emmett's mom with the open casket, but it was a little graphic, but it really shows how bad they hurt him and it all could have been avoided.
DeleteI want to talk about Emmett and his mother. I don't get why his mother would allow him to go to a place that would criticize him the way he is and why he would want to go there? I thought that she should have been more careful about where she would want her son to go.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?
I think that the mom trusted his great uncle to keep him safe but he obviously couldn't. Why didn't she just go to Mississippi with them.
DeleteI was confused also about that part it's like what the heck why can't you go with your son to be extra safe.
DeleteHe was so excited to go because he heard so much that it was different and being as curious as he was he wanted to see it.
DeleteHis mom maybe thought things might be different down south, but it obviously wasn't. His most likely not have been able to go because of a job.
DeleteShe probably barely knew about down south because she probably has rarely been there, but she probably thought that she could trust her child with her uncle to keep him safe and she wanted him to see his cousins and his uncle since they don't get to visit to often.
DeleteThe part that I would like to talk about is the trial when Emmett's uncle went up to the stand. It inspired me how brave his uncle must have been. However what is sad about this part of the story is how after his uncle testified he had to flew the state. Which part did you find interesting.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that this part was cool. I mean at the time this all happened it must have been scary for his uncle. Definitely took bravely.
DeleteI want to talk about Chapter 4 (The Wolf Whistle). In that chapter, Emmett supposedly 'molested' Carolyn Bryant, and then explains what happened to him because of it. I thought this chapter was rather enraging. I can understand wanting to get revenge, but that revenge doesn't have to turn physical, and definitely not murder. And I can respect Carolyn Bryant for wanting to keep it a secret, but I cannot respect the murderers for their reaction. This chapter not only angers me, but baffles me as to how these two grown men could get away with murder after so much evidence. People had seen them go in and out with a body shaped bag, and there were numerous eyewitness accounts of Emmett being kidnapped. J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant may claim they released Emmett after confirming it wasn't him who whistled at Carolyn, but that story makes little sense. Who else would really have the motive to torture and murder Till? It's doubtful that after getting released, Emmett Till got murdered by anyone else. Finally, the last thing that doesn't sit well with me, is the fact that it doesn't mention any remorse on the killers part. How did Bryant and Milam murder this teenage boy, with so many years ahead of him, and still sleep at night? Judging by what they did to him, Till cried out. The book doesn't say that, but you can assume so. And if Till did cry out, how did those murderers walk the streets without feeling guilty, and hearing those cries in their ears? Or did they really think African Americans were that much less than them? Animals got better treatment than that. It upsets me how during that time people could murder other human beings, and still feel fine. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI agree, the bad things that the murders did made me feel sick and I understand that she may have wanted to keep it a secret, but I cannot respect how she made that lie about a 14 year old boy that didn't know anything about how bad racism was.
DeleteI want to talk about the part in the beginning when the author told us about how when he was in school he was never once heard or was taught about the topic, and didn't find out about it until the topic was brought up and then he was very intrigued about the topic, and did lots of research on the topic. I think that the author and other people in schools should have heard of or taught about what happened at the time of Emmett Till's murder. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI agree because if they would have talked about this topic then maybe what happened to Emmett would't have happened. Even though it is very depressing and horrifying, I am very glad that happened because then maybe blacks wouldn't have rights and would be treated like they were back then.
DeleteI agree. If the author was born 1 year before emmett died why was it not brought up. If it was a huge part of history why was he not taught about it. What else did they learn.
DeleteI agree. I think that everyone should know what goes on throughout history. It's not right that he didn't know about it. I wonder if other people still don't know what happened.
DeleteI agree I feel like people are trying to cover it up because of how horrible it is. I think that they don't want to think that America was that hateful at one point.
DeleteI want to talk about the part when Emmett and the other boys were at the store when Emmett supposedly 'molested' Carolyn Bryant. Some of the other boys that were with him, who dared him to flirt with Carolyn, were from Mississippi. If they are from that state, and Emmett isn't, and they know the type of consequences of what could happen, why did they tell him to do it? Emmett is from Chicago, which is not as racist as Mississippi,so he didn't know any better. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteHey Emma, I totally agree with you. I think that if his friends and cousins told him that then he didn't know any better to not do that. I think that they should have said they were kidding or just shouldn't have said anything at all.
DeleteI agree if who he was hanging out with was from the state and knew it was wrong and that the bryants were mean why would they do that. I think it was wrong.
DeleteI agree, I think his cousins should've warned him and notified him about how racism is bad there and he didn't know any better because he is from Chicago which has barely any bad racism there.
DeleteI would like to talk about when Emmett got taken by the two men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam. I thought that the Uncle and Aunt didn't really do anything to stop them. When the men came in they acted like it wasn't a big deal. I thought that since his uncle and aunt were the only people taking care of him, then maybe they would be more protective. So, then I thought maybe they were scared of them. So, then I searched the two men and turns out they were both in the war. If his uncle and aunt did stand up to them Emmett or their family could have been in even more trouble. What do you think?
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ReplyDeleteThe part that I thought was most interesting so far was When Emmet's grandfather did not try to stop the men from taking Emmet. I think He was afraid of the men so he did not do anything. What did you think?
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think that his uncle and family afraid of the men. Or what they would do to him and his family.
DeleteI want to talk about the part where he was in the store/ meat market. I thought, that is was very interesting that the other boys didnt go in with him and act like they werent listening just to see how it went. What did you think?
ReplyDeleteI thought that too I mean if it was a dare in the first place wouldn't you want to know what was going on.
DeleteI would like to talk about how when Emmett Till went into the store and how the lady made up the lie that he whistled at her when it's not even true. I don't understand why she would make up that lie. I don't understand if she would have good enough reason to do this or why she would want to do this to such a young boy.
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