“Then you lied, boy. You lied to me because you’re in the Army Reserve. That right?”
This reminds me of a riddle where you tell someone the color of the bus drivers eye than you ask them to track the number of people getting in and out of a bus and then after 10 minutes you say what color was the bus drivers eyes. They are setting him up for failure and they are saying he lied because the Army Reserve is an organization. This shows the injustice that existed in the voting system.
“. . . General Robert E. Lee.”
He is a confederate general. I think it is interesting to recognize that at this time he said this because it is what the others wanted to hear. He fought for slavery and he is a terrible man.
“Yes, sir.” Will couldn’t make himself say the answer Sam wanted to hear.
This is true strength. Being able to stand up for what you believe in even under pressure is one of the hardest things to do. He is showing strength and resilience by not giving in. This is how change is made.
Sam turned his chair around to his desk. He opened a desk drawer and took out a package of cigarettes. He tore it open and put a cigarette in this mouth. He looked up at Will, then he lit the cigarette and took a long drag, and then he blew the smoke, very slowly, up toward Will’s face.
This is extremely disrespectful to do something like that. I do not understand why he just does not let him vote instead of just wasting both of their times with silly questions. Will has had great resilience through this all.
Sam’s eyes got big. He slammed his right first down on his desk top. “I didn’t ask you that. I asked you if you liked the 15th Amendment. Now, if you can’t answer my questions . . .”
Sam is just trying to harm Will there is no reason for this reaction will was just answering the question. Sam is trying to establish a superiority by having a "speak when spoken to," attitude.
“What’s that? Say that again.”
They keep asking him what to do like he is an idiot or they are constantly forgetting what he is saying. This is very rude and also confusing because they keep making him repeat himself. The antagonists, Charlie and Sam, are playing mind games with Will but he is not giving up easily.