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What won't Naomi let Hiram do that night?
Walk her home because of her father and RC
"Time passed as slow as mud" is an example of what literary device?
similie
What does Hiram confess to Mr. Paul about changes of scenery teaching one life lessons?
That his change of scenery--coming back to Greenwood after being away for so long--has made him realize Greenwood is a lot different from what he thought it was.
What does Hiram mean when he says “What they had in common is what kept them apart”?
That both his Grampa and his father were hard-headed and refused to see the other side and would fight like heck for what they believed was right.
Why were Hiram and Grampa tired the morning of the trial?
They were up late arguing about how much Hiram should say if he was called to testify.
How does Hiram respond when Naomi asks him to promise he won’t testify?
He is evasive. He suggests that maybe they won't ask him to testify because there has been no recent mention about the third man.
Where were most of the threats coming from for the sheriff?
The north and Chicago
What is Mr. Paul's response when asked whether the trial will change anything in Greenwood?
That things change very slowly and that Emmitt is not the first nor will he be the last black person murdered there.
According to Hiram, what are some of the “positives” for leaving Greenwood and avoiding the trial?
1. The lawyers and police were so busy they probably would not notice if he left
2. He could go back to school and catch up on missed school work
3. He could work on his relationship with his father
What quality does Hiram say runs in the Hillburns?
What did Hiram's dad say when he talked to him on the phone?
That he would come to Mississippi is needed.
Why do you think it surprised so many that the Grand Jury indicted the men? After all the men had confessed to the kidnapping.
Because white men were behind help accountable for their actions against a black man--this had never happened before.
What does Mr. Paul say he would do if he had to testify in the trial?
He would speak up but if it was against the two white men he would plan to leave Mississippi and not come back.
According to Hiram, what are some of the “negatives” for staying in Greenwood and attending the trial?
1. He would be wasting his time
2. He would be in the way
3. Nothing would get accomplished
4. Nothing would change
Describe the scene at the courthouse in Sumner.
The streets were crowded, and police had to direct traffic. Mob of people and media.
Even though it didn’t change anything in Greenwood, talking to his father made Hiram feel better. Why do you think it made him feel better?
Because it made him realize his father truly cared about him and that made Hiram feel better about his father and about their relationship
What did Sheriff Smith do with Bryant and Milam in order to keep the peace?
Moved them to the Tallahatchie jail in Charleston
What advice does Mr. Paul give Hiram about seeing clearly what he should do?
He says he should use his brains to size up the situation, decide what is right and what is wrong and then make yourself do the right thing so you have no regrets.
Which one won in the Hiram's mind? The positives or the negatives he contemplated about the trial?
The positives. He decided he would run away from the trial and go home and then everyone would be happy.
How many people could fit into the courthouse? and who was allowed in first?
300; family and subponed witnesses and then the press
Where did Grampa spend most afternoons and why did he go there?
at the courthouse. He and hsi friends were concerned that the trial publicity was going to force changes in the south that they did not want to happen such as desegregation.
In what month did the trial start?
September.
What does Hiram say he would have told Naomi if she had met him at the bridge that night?
That he would promise to run away from the subpoena and. be on the next train to Arizona and that he would come and see her every summer after that.
Why could Hiram not go through with his plan for running away from the trial?
He felt sick at the idea of not doing the right thing. He decided he was going to do what was right.
who caused a commotion at the courthouse before the trial started and why was it surprising?
A congressman from Michigan--because he was black.