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Conditions of blacks in the late 19 century
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Secondly, Tom’s voice is ignored just like the innocent fragile songbird. In the 1930s black people are ignored on the basis that they are viewed as compulsive liars and generally unpleasant people. At the end of the novel Atticus says ““The witnesses for the state have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all ***** men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber. Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, …show more content…
Tom was shot by 17 bullets for no reason, they killed him so they could prove to the others that they would chose a white man word over a black man's anyday. Likewise, mockingbirds are killed for no reason too, just for personal enjoyment. After Tom’s death, Mr. underwood writes an editorial that describes Tom’s death as the “senseless slaughter of a songbird”. This means that the innocent and warm hearted Tom was judged by the color of his skin and was misjudged by people in Maycomb, just like how the mockingbird was killed by people. Tom realizing that he’s going to be stuck in prison forever tried to make a run for it “we had such a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and prefered to take his own”. (Pg.236). Tom tried to escape just like a mockingbird that escapes from it’s cage to only be shot by men. The people in Maycomb never understood that what they did to Tom was wrong and never knew that Tom was trying to escape from his death, this can relate to the mockingbirds that get killed by people without them noticing that they mean no harm and that they’re only here to bring us happiness with their music. Tom Robinson lives like a mockingbird, he’s an innocent, kind, loving person who is destroyed by evil
To Kill a Mocking Bird expresses the racist attitudes of Maycomb most dominantly in the court case involving Tom Robinson (who's lawyer is Atticus Finch) and Mayella Eule. The trial makes blatantly obvious to the reader that Tom Robinson, the black man accused of rape is innocent and yet the jury finds him guilty. It also establishes that Mayella was actually beaten by her father and although the evidence that points to this occurrence is circumstantial, it is made perfectly clear. The court case also clarifies to the reader the frightful nature and obvious abundance of racism within the small town of Maycomb.
It is hinted in the novel by Atticus that “He likened Tom 's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children,” (Lee 244). The literal image appears in the end of the book when Tom is shot and killed as he tries to escape from prison. As Atticus Finch doubts himself in how to proceed with the problematic death of the drunk, liar Bob Ewell, Lee decides to use this moment to incorporate her ultimate image of good in the world. “Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. ‘Yes sir, I understand,’ I reassured him (Lee 280). This almost playful dialogue between the characters shows that even after innocence appears to be lost, they still hold value for what is good and they are still able to display this kind of affection and concern for one another. The death of Tom Robinson is still an event that readers are trying to cope with almost sixty years since To Kill a Mockingbird’s publication. Tom Robinson seemed to be one of these mockingbirds; a man who did nothing wrong and yet found himself persecuted by those he tried to live innocently
To Kill A Mocking Bird is set in a small town in South America called Maycomb. Most of the town’s people of this happy town are not at all what they seem for there is a great hate for all coloured humans. At first glance many readers would wonder how the title evolved, but once you explore the text you begin to understand what the bases of Harper Lee’s message. Harper Lee has portrayed two characters as Mocking Birds. The first of these is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a Negro living in Maycomb who becomes notorious when he is wrongly accused of the rape of a white woman. Atticus knows that the battle will not be an easy case to win, but decides to represent Tom Robinson, as he says that he couldn’t hold his head up in town or tell the children what to do.
To begin with, Tom Robinson is an innocent being that resembles a mockingbird because he is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. He is a black man that believes in equality. '''Yes suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-''' (Lee, 209) This honest statement Tom Robinson makes is a big mistake because back in the 1900s, there was a lot of discrimination which meant black people should never feel sorry for white people. It is a sin to kill Tom Robinson because he is a harmless citizen that means no harm to anyone in Maycomb. The death of Tom Robinson was typical to many white citizens in Maycomb because if black people were ever convicte...
After a long fought case, Tom Robinson was found guilty and was sent to the local jail. Tom knew he wasn't supposed to be their and tried to escape. He was shot and killed as he seeked freedom. Mr. Underwood, a newspaper writer, compared,"...Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds..." (Lee 241). There was no reason to kill Tome, he didn't harm anyone or caused any trouble. Tom was guilty because of race and the fact that whites rule this era. In this time period, the 1930's, segregation was a huge problem for colored people. It was obvious he didn't rape or do any harm to Mayella Ewell. Tom was just judge on the beliefs of all colored people being criminals and cowards. After Mayella won the court case, her father, Bob Ewell was after Jem and Scout to punish their father for defending Tom Robinson. As Scout and Jem make their way home one night, they were attacked by Bob. Lucky, Boo Radley protected the child and murdered Bob. After Scout realized Boo saved their lives, she stated, "...our neighbors image blurred with my sudden tears" (Lee 270). At that moment Scout knew she had mistaken Boo Radley her entire life. The children aren't to blame though, Maycomb judged Boo as an evil and crazy person based on uncertain stories. Boo Radley accepted the fact that many believed he was psycho, forcing to keep his life on
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
This man is unfortunately victimized since his society does not believe he is innocent due to the color of his skin. Being the black man that Tom is, it is clear that “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and screamed” (241). There is no way that a black man’s words would override the voice of a white person. No testimony, evidence or speech can help Tom prove he is not guilty. Atticus understands that Tom is victimized by racism, so he explains: “When it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (220).
In this world, everyone has an equal right; however, many people are getting falsely accused of acts they did not commit even though they are innocent. Mockingbirds, one of the most innocent birds, sing their heart out for people to enjoy, however, they getting killed every day. In this novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many racial prejudices going on. Finches stand near the top of the social hierarchy, with Cunningham and Ewells underneath. Black community in Maycomb is even below the Ewells, even if they were a hard worker; they were not treated equally. The “mockingbirds” represents the idea of innocence, so killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, many characters are considered a mockingbird. Three examples are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Those three characters are innocent; they are kind and were never harmful to others. However, they were destroyed through contact of evil. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the mockingbirds symbolizes the idea of innocence, and Tom, Boo, and Mr. Raymond are considered one of it.
...ir if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life” (295). From the very beginning of the trial, the jury was going to find Tom Robinson guilty since it was a black man's word against a white man’s word. The all-white jury never wanted to see a black person win against a white person. After he is found guilty, Tom is sent to a prison where he tries to escape but is shot to death by the prison guards. Mr. Underwood writes an editorial in which he compares Tom being shot to death to hunters shooting mockingbirds. Like a mockingbird, Tom never caused any harm to anyone. Tom is “shot” by the jury when they assume that he is guilty because he is a black man and his alleged victim is white. In the end, an innocent man was found guilty because of the color of his skin.
because of his race; one only needs a single bullet to kill. Tom Robinson most likely felt forced to take the easy way out in fear of putting his family in more danger and poverty. The fatal outcome of Tom’s trial helps to prove how disastrous racial discrimination's effect can be on people, no matter what race they are. In conclusion, racial discrimination is evident within To Kill a Mockingbird through many of the characters.
Being an African-American and living in a generally prejudiced town like Maycomb, Tom was already licked from the start. Tom was allegedly accused of raping a white person and as Atticus says, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (295). During his trial, Tom could have lied about his reasoning for helping Mayella, to keep himself from getting into more trouble, but instead he showed real courage by revealing the real reason behind his actions: “I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em” (264). Since Jim Crow laws were active in Maycomb, Tom’s answer was seen as a terrible mistake: “Below us, nobody liked Tom Robinson’s answer” (264). It showed that he, being a black person, thought he was better off than a white person.
Nearly the whole last half of the book is about racism. The attitude of the whole town is that Tom Robinson, because he is black and,"…all Negroes lie,…all Negroes are basically immoral beings,…all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…"(Lee 207), will be found guilty regardless of how good a case Atticus makes for him. There was substantial amount of evidence that suggests his innocence. Even the prosecution's two witnesses' stories contradicted each other. The jury did not give a guilty verdict it gave a racist verdict. Not a verdict based on fact, but a verdict based on the color of a man's skin. This is important because the author was not making this racism up; it was what it was like in those times. She is trying to show how ignorant and blind people can be just because of differences between them, as well as how society treats racial minorities.
Tom Robinson’s trial, and in fact his entire life, was badly affected by racism. It is truly a testament to the corruption of society when a person who has earned a bad reputation is held in higher esteem than a person who was born with it, as is the case with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Even though Tom was obviously honest in his testament, the jury sided with Bob Ewell because he was white. They made this decision despite the fact that the Ewell family was widely known to be a worthless part of society. Jem, not being racially prejudiced, could not understand this mentality. As Atticus pointed out, “If you (Jem) had been on the jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.”
In the court, the director leaves out the systemic racism that Harper Lee claims is the reason Tom Robinson is convicted of rape (Dave). The racist community, and mob of white men, make up the deciding factor of the court. However, for someone watching the movie it would not be understood that the hatred expressed expressed towards Atticus is for supporting a black man ("Overview: To Kill a Mockingbird"). The only reason Tom loses the case is because he is black and the movie underplays this as the reason. More than half of the movie is seen at the trial which left little time for the audience to build the idea that the novel builds up. This is the injustice do to racial matters, that is skimmed over and left to the viewers to determine their own opinions (Smykowski). The movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird ignores that racism is the reason Tom Robinson is
Tom Robinson, from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, was shot. Tom Robinson who was accused a raping a white girl and when put on trial, was found guilty and sentenced to death in prison. He attempted to escape from the prison and when caught by a prison guard, he got shot and he died. But this is not what killed Tom Robinson. Lee hints to the readers who is truly responsible for the death of Tom Robinson. What killed Tom Robinson was the pressure of Maycomb County and their views on how negroes should be treated verse how a white man should be treated. The actions and beliefs of the individuals in Maycomb who is to blame and who is to take responsibility for Tom Robinson’s death.