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Extent of the Racist Attitudes that Prevailed Throughout Maycomb
The significance of Tom Robinson's trial in To Kill a Mockingbird is integral for readers to understand the grasp of how Maycomb handled racial and social prejudice. Lee utilizes Robinson’s case as an approach to explicitly reveal the trial’s hidden motives and layers of harsh irony. The fact that Atticus evidently proved Tom’s innocence yet was still deemed guilty of his ‘crime’ shows the degree of racist attitudes that prevailed throughout American society. Along with the blatant contradictions found in their respective cross-examinations, Robinson’s injustice in the court system with unfair treatment, and Bob Ewell’s lies to protect his pride; the trial uncovered hidden hypocrisy
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Under cross-examination, Heck Tate admitted that a doctor was never called to examine Mayella. “It wasn't necessary, Mr. Finch… Something sho' happened, it was obvious” (Lee, INSERT PAGE NUMBER HERE). Logic implicates that if it were a white man accused of rape, a doctor would surely have been called to verify that Mayella had indeed been raped. But Tom Robinson is black, so calling a doctor simply "wasn't necessary," another marker of the deep-running prejudice that blacks in Maycomb live with every …show more content…
Be that as it may, Tom made a fatal mistake when he admitted under cross-examination that he felt sorry for Mayella Ewell. With To Kill a Mockingbird exploring Maycomb’s societal ideals other than the frank maltreatment of a person because of their race, Robinson’s pity for a white woman ended up to be his downfall. This takes an ironic turn, as later on Atticus was allowed to feel pity for Mayella, “I have nothing to but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt” (Lee, INSERT PAGE NUMBER HERE). For a black man to publicly admit feeling pity for any white person is overstepping societal bounds, and it ends up condemning Robinson to his fate. Bob Ewell's pride could not afford to let Tom walk away from Mayella’s advances without the risk of losing what little reputation he had. Tom is a compassionate man, and ironically, his kindness was responsible for his current
Harper Lee wrote, “when Atticus turned away from Mayella he looked like his stomach hurt.” during the trial. Chapter 18: People tried to force their way into prison and kill Tom Robinson. A group of white men, including Mr Cunningham, really wanted him killed as the town believed the ‘white family’. They chose the Ewells over Tom Robinson because he is black.
One of the storylines in the novel is the Robinson-Ewell trial. Tom Robinson is an innocent African-American, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a lower-class white girl. At the trial hearing, everyone is able to tell his or her side of the story before Tom is allowed to speak. All stories, however, offer two different versions of Tom and Mayella’s relationship. Moreover, Mayella and Bob Ewell tell the jury what they expect to hear, about Tom being a monster. They explain that there was no reason for his actions against Mayella. According to them, along with the rest of Maycomb, it's just expected that a black man would rape any white woman if he had the opportunity. The Tom spoken of by the Ewells shows the stereotypes that justify whites to be superior to blacks. However, Tom tells the jury about his innocence. He pr...
Robinson resembles a mockingbird because he does not cause any harm to the town of Maycomb. This particular mockingbird is killed when Mayella Ewell falsely accuses him of rape. Although all the evidence proves that Robinson is innocent, it is a battle between an African American and a white woman. “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow but people have a way of carry their resentments right into the jury box” (Lee 220). Robinson is eventually convicted because of the prejudice and racism that clouds everyone in the jury and every citizen of Maycomb. “Tom Robinson’s a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say “We think you’re guilty, but not very on a charge on like that.” It was either a straight acquittal or nothing” (Lee 219). Tom Robinson may not be guilty of raping Mayella, but he is guilty of feeling sorry for a lonely, white
One of the major events in Harper Lee’s award-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson’s trial. It is based on the Scottsboro Case that took place in 1931 in Alabama, in which several black men were accused of raping two white women. Both the Scottsboro Boys and Tom Robinson are unfairly judged, however, because of prejudice against colored people. The racial discrimination makes whites’ testimony more believable even when it contradicts itself. The same happens in To Kill a Mockingbird. As we delve deeper into the case and get increasingly closer to the truth, it is quite suprising to see that Mayella Ewell is the true villain rather than a victim. She shall and must bear full responsibility for her actions because she makes the decision to tempt Tom Robinson, gives false testimony in court that directly leads to Tom’s death, and has been well aware of the consequences of her behaviors.
In the courtroom that night it is revealed that the alleged crimes of Tom Robinson, a decent Negro man, most likely did not happen. As Atticus says in his closing argument, "The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is” (Lee 271). Showing the clear innocence of Tom Robinson due to lack of evidence, Scout thinks that the white jury will do the right thing only to find out that they still, unfairly, accuse him of being guilty. Scout and her brother, Jem, get very upset when they hear the verdict, however, it allows them both to learn the lesson that the county is unfair towards anyone who is not white. The county demonstrates this evil racism due to the social divisions in Maycomb between the whites and the blacks and because the whites see the blacks as unworthy of rights and freedoms. It was not just the trial itself that displayed evil in the world, but the comments and arguments surrounding the case did
Every day Tom completed most of Mayella’s chores to help her, not to earn a little extra money. As the trial continues, it is further visible that Tom Robinson is innocent, in my opinion. Every day when Tom walked by Mayella’s home, he helped her since he felt sorry for her. During Atticus’s speech at the courthouse, “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temperament to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman.”
The first “mockingbird” that is featured in the novel is a man named Atticus Finch. Not only is Atticus Finch the sole representative of Maycomb in the legislature, but also he is a brilliant lawyer. In addition, he has a good reputation in both Maycomb’s black and white communities because of his exceptional character. However, his reputation is soon shattered when he is faced with a case in court that affects him personally: he must defend an African American man in court in Maycomb’s segregated society. If Atticus chooses to try defending the man, he will lose his good status in town, since his racist American neighbors will soon disrespect him for treating the African Americans as equal to the Americans, which is highly unacceptable in the United States during the 1930s. However, Atticus still accepted the case believing that if he does not, he w...
In To Kill A Mockingbird Lee tells the story of a Mr. Tom Robinson who is an African American who is being charged with rape against a white women. Atticus is the lawyer who must defend Robinson in court. In the Scottsboro case a central figure was a heroic judge who overturned a guilty verdict against the young men. The judge went against the public in trying to protect the rights of the African American men. In reading the novel you learn that Atticus arouses anger in the small community when he tries to defend Robinson.
Was the trial fair? Could the trial have been changed if the person being prosecuted was different? Is Maycomb biased? With Tom Robinson’s trial it outlined the power of racism and how easily it can change the minds of people. It showed how racist the American South was back in the day. The reasoning to even say that Maycomb is racist because of the fact that the outcome of the trial was already determined before it even ended, Atticus and everyone even knew that Tom was going to lose. Another thing that can outline the racism in Maycomb and the racism in the courtroom is that the jury in the case would be very biased towards the case and maybe even fear for their safety because of people finding out that they voted not guilty towards Tom
Dave Willis states, “Do not treat people the way they treat you. Treat people the way God treats you.” A special element about the United States Judicial System is it includes a law that states everyone is given a fair trial. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the character Tom Robinson was convicted of rape by Bob and Mayella Ewell. Tom was not given a fair trial for a various amount of reasons during his trial. Tom Robinson is deserving of an appeal considering that he was not given due process.
On account of his blamelessness, Mr. Robinson’s testimony completely contradicts both the Ewell’s. To commence Tom’s testimony, Atticus sets the background of his life, making Tom Robinson out to be one of the most quality of mankind. Unsuitably, some cannot fathom any type of black man to be this type of human. Unfortunately, his statement also supports the idea of an abusive and negligent father, being Mr. Ewell. Tom Robinson gives the raw and unrestrained story, bringing in fresh and clearer ideas of the Ewell household and the abuse confined in the walls. One of the most chilling quotes Tom gives the jury that Mayella said is truly vile on her father’s part, “‘She reached up an’ kissed me on the side of th’ face. She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do don’t count.” (Lee 194). Consequently, Mayella implies her father sexually abuses her. She also shows she is completely desperate, for not only some type of love, but also for reassurance. Mr. Robinson gives more of this effect when speaking about what Mr. Ewell said to his own daughter, “He shut his eyes tight. ‘He says you goddamn whore, I’ll kill you.” (Lee 194). These terrifying words meant only for Mayella, prove her father’s rage and mistreatment towards her. Overall, he shows no promise or content towards his
Throughout the novel of “To Kill A Mockingbird” the lack of proper Judicial evaluation is pervasive in the town of Maycomb in many different forms and it is preventing those of minorities who go to trial a lack of prejudice or equality. Tom Robinson is petrified that he is going to fail the trial, as well as the rest of the black community and minorities because, the Maycomb court system discriminates towards minorities, and favors whites.
Atticus was a man of strong morals and conscience and in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, had to overcome the backlash and hate from defending Tom Robinson. With what seemed to be the majority of Maycomb County against him and his own safety at stake, Atticus knew that he couldn’t win the trial. Yet accompanied by his rationality, good ethics and determination he overcomes the trial. It is not the desired ending, but for his efforts in the trial, Atticus gains the respect of the black community and the respect of others in Maycomb by following through and overcoming the challenges that followed the
It is not uncommon in today’s society to see injustice take place not only within foreign countries but also within the United States. Being known as the ‘Land of the Free’ is far from the truth as seen by the amount of brutalities that have taken place within the past few years along with the countless racial injustices that have occurred. Injustice is a major theme that takes place within To Kill A Mockingbird as seen through the character Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is put through injustice as seen by the themes of fear, innocence, and empathy throughout Tom Robinson’s trial.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a strong novel filled with innocence and human dignity. The most interesting and emotional part of the novel is the trial between an “untouchable” in the society and an innocent black man. Despite the overwhelming blatant evidence that the black man was innocent, the jury declared him guilty due to the extreme racism that happened throughout the course of the story. The most outstanding person in the trial is Atticus Finch, the defender assigned to defend the black man, Tom Robinson. Atticus’s actions in the trial proved to be intelligent and powerful, and a valuable clue to the outcome of the trial and story.