Question

As Tom testified, Scout remarks that until Atticus explained it to her, she "never understood the subtlety of Tomâs predicament." She then explains that Tom "would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstance and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to runâa sure sign of guilt."

In this passage, what is Scout realizing about Tomâs "predicament"?

Answer 1

Scout realized that Tom had no idea about the consequences of hitting a white woman.

Step-by-step explanation:

Tom had hit a white lady, probably out of anger or frustration and didn't know the implications of striking a white woman (Tom is probably black) so after realising what he had done, he immediately took to his heels because he would be probably tried and executed.

It's clear that he acted without thought and was driven by anger before he proceeded to strike the white woman.