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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. During the trial of Tom Robinson, the fear he experiences can be seen through his testimony and rather bluntness of it. Robinson, during his cross-examination with Atticus, bluntly states ‘”I was scared, suh.” “Why were you scared?” “Mr. Finch, if you was a n***** like me, you’d be scared, too.” (Lee 261)’. Through his testimony to Atticus it can easily illustrate the fear that Tom faced upon the night his whole trial is based upon. The theme of fear within Tom Robinson’s character can also be seen through his body language throughout the trial as seen by Scout Finch, ‘Tom’s black velvet skin had begun to shine, and he had ran his hand over his face. (Lee 258).’ This example shows how …show more content…
fear consumed Robinson during his trial to the point was he was physically shown. The fear of being convicted for a crime he did not commit is seen through Robinson’s words and through Robinson’s actions throughout his trial. Empathy is a huge part of Tom Robinson’s character and is shown through his worries and concerns for Mayella Ewell and the through the actions of the African American community who went as far as to donate money to help support his family during his absence of work. Robinson is empathic for Mayella Ewell as shown through his testimony in which he responded to a question with ‘”Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her…(Lee 264)”’. This quote shows Robinsons caring theme through is bold statement of feeling sorry for Miss Mayella, a white woman. While it is not put into exact words, it can be greatly assumed that Robinson was a very caring man as the people of his church, The First Purchase, come together to collect money for his family who cannot support themselves due to his absence. Scout describes this act of kindness towards the Robinson household with her stating ‘My curiosity burst: “Why were you all takin’ up collection for Tom Robinson’s wife?”… “Helen’s got three little’uns and she can’t go out to work-“ (Lee 163).’ The showing of Robinson’s empathy towards people is seen with him stating that he feels sorry for Mayella Ewell and through the care his community shows him in his greatest time of need. The innocence of Tom Robinson is seen through is honesty which is shown when Atticus begins to question him (Insert questioning quote).
The honesty Tom Robinson shows can show his innocence as an innocent man would struggle to keep his story and rely upon other whom are siding with him as seen by Bob Ewell siding with the Sheriff when being unable to answer Mr. Finch or Atticus directly. This can be seen with Bob Ewell stating (Insert quote of him agreeing with the sheriff of the town). Tom Robinson’s innocence is clearly seen through not only his honest to not only Atticus but also the prosecutor along with Bob Ewell’s failure to keep a straight story and be able to retell the same story without
trouble. The injustice Tom Robinson faces throughout his trial can not only be seen through Atticus’s well thought out showings within the courtroom but through Robinson’s character themes such as empathy, innocence, and fear. While it is widely speculated that such racial injustices no longer occur, especially within the United States, the speculation is widely wrong as police brutalities and racial judgment still occurs to every single race. This theme of empathy, innocence, and fear play a major role within Tom Robinson’s character and only further shows the injustice he faced in his trial and how wrongfully he was convicted.
In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.
In the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a lawyer named Atticus Finch attempts to convince a jury that a Negro should be found innocent in a case of lies and prejudice. The Negro, Tom Robinson, was sent to court because a man, Robert Ewell, accused Tom of raping his daughter, when in fact, he beat his own daughter for trying to kiss Tom. Atticus strives to change the stereotypical minds of the jury by looking past race. Atticus uses ethos, connotation, and a simile to challenge the jury’s pre-existing minds about race.
Tom Robinson was just a “respectable negro” with a kind nature who was accused in absence of wrong. Mr Robinson is immediately seen as an enemy by most in town of Maycomb. Is it because of his malicious personality? Is it because of his hair colour? Is it because he is arrogant? No, all of these are false he is instantly convicted because he is of a different ethnicity. It seems foolish but this is the reason why Maycomb has discarded a man who is of higher quality than the majority of the town. “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and screamed.” As soon as the trial began Tom’s opportunity for victory grew slimmer and slimmer and Maycomb knew that Atticus was fighting an unwinnable battle. But Atticus was determined to defend the ‘ultimate mockingbird’ right up until the end; even after the court case Atticus defends Tom at the jail. A final act of Tom’s innocence to prove his mockingbird status was whilst in court, he still didn’t want to accuse Mayella because “she seemed...
Atticus’s actions for defending Tom Robinson proved to be assertive and intelligent, and provided a clear outcome for the remainder of the story and trial, which resulted in Tom Robinson being found guilty by the jury’s verdict and Bob Ewell declaring revenge on the Finches, as the trial further decayed his reputation. However, if the outcome was the opposite of the story, Atticus will be advantageous and unstoppable.
Injustices There have been many famous pieces of literature, but one that stands out is the 1960's classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. Lee, who only wrote one book in her life time, wrote of prejudice, injustice, and racism in the 1930's. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the Deep South in the 1930's. To Kill a Mockingbird is a story in which a black mad is accused of doing something he didn't do. During the whole story some of the two of the main characters, Jem Finch and Jean Lousie Finch, grow up in there mind
Throughout History, men have looked down on blacks and women. But this does not justify the view that blacks and women are below white men. When people look down on blacks and women, they preform injustice. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is full of injustice. During this time period, everyone looked down on blacks and women, which makes Maycomb one in the same with the discriminators. In particular, the people in Maycomb looked down on Tom Robinson, and many others looked down on Scout. Around the Finch household, Aunt Alexandria always tries to do away with Calpurnia, the black housekeeper and cook as Alexandria says, “We don’t need her (Calpurnia) now.” (182). Injustices in Maycomb include the case of Tom Robinson, the way Aunt Alexandra treats Calpurnia, and the way people treat Scout.
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.”
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee's only novel, is a fictional story of racial oppression, set in Maycomb, A.L. in 1925 to 1935, loosely based on the events of the Scottsboro trials. Unlike the story however, the racial discrimination and oppression in the novel very accurately portrays what it was like in the 1920's and 1930's in the south. Tom Robinson, the black man accused of raping a poor low class white girl of 19, never stood a chance of getting a fair trial. This can be supported by giving examples of racially discriminatory and oppressive events that actually took place in the south during the time period in which the novel is based. In addition to actual historical events, events and examples from the book that clearly illustrate the overpoweringly high levels of prejudice that were intertwined in the everyday thinking of the majority of the characters in the book supports the fact that Tom Robinson never stood a chance of getting a fair trial.
Compassion is shown by the Atticus’ willingness to accept the case. His compassion towards Tom Robinson represents his incredible sense of right and wrong of situations. Putting himself, Jem, and Scout in danger, Atticus not only shows compassion but also bravery. This situation is significantly impactful at that point in text as Tom Robinson is represented as a mockingbird. Falsely accused by Bob Ewell, Tom Robinson symbolizes the soiling of a mockingbird as he is charged with rape.
To Kill A Mockingbird takes place during the 1930’s, a time of economic slump and despair. During this time, especially in Alabama, racism was copious. Naturally, Maycomb landed into the racist manifest. The town abhorred Atticus Finch for his acts of defending Tom Robinson. The immensity of the prejudice is so abundant, no one would dare go against what is politically correct. Unless, of course, equipped with enough moral courage. Harper Lee illustrates that Atticus is a man with an immense amount of courage and sense of justice. Atticus Finch proves to us how the defeat of prejudice is possible with moral courage. Atticus is very aware “[Tom Robinson] [will] face the chair, but not until the truth’s told” (195). Atticus refuses to allow a man, so clearly innocent, to face the chair without the unpardonable truth being told. It is prominent that black people face extreme prejudice and racism, and due to this are convicted much faster. Atticus’ moral courage to defend Tom Robinson made the decision last so long, that Judge Taylor fell “sound asleep” (280). The jury took roughly 6 hours to inescapably convict Tom guilty. The tremendous amount of time it took to convict Tom Robinson made Atticus think “ this may be the shadow of a beginning. That jury took a few hours. An inevitable verdict, maybe, but usually it takes ‘em just a few minutes” (297). Atticus states that maybe things are different, now. Maybe all the evidence against Tom being able to commit the crime was taken into consideration rather than solely the fact that he is black. Atticus’ moral courage defeated the prejudice for a short period of tim , but a period of time nonetheless. If perhaps, the jury had as much moral courage as Atticus, then they would speak up for what is true. Another instance where moral courage oversteps prejudice is when Boo Radley, the Finch’s
A possible reason as to why the book was called “To Kill a Mockingbird” is because a mockingbird is a harmless and innocent animal. Therefore, when it is killed, peace is disturbed. In the story, Tom Robinson, a black man, was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Due to this, innocence and peace have been disturbed.
In a desperate attempt to save his client, Tom Robinson, from death, Atticus Finch boldly declares, “To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). The gross amounts of lurid racial inequality in the early 20th century South is unfathomable to the everyday modern person. African-Americans received absolutely no equality anywhere, especially not in American court rooms. After reading accounts of the trials of nine young men accused of raping two white women, novelist Harper Lee took up her pen and wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, a blistering exposition of tragic inequalities suffered by African Americans told from the point of view of a young girl. Though there are a few trivial differences between the events of the Scottsboro trials and the trial of Tom Robinson portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the accusers’ attitudes towards attention, the two cases share a superabundance of similarities. Among these are the preservation of idealist views regarding southern womanhood and excessive brutality utilized by police.
“We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe,” (Atticus). This aphorism becomes evident in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Tom Robinson is the defendant of a rape case, in which Mayella Ewell is the victim. With lopsided and contradictory testimony and great elucidating from Atticus it seems Tom will be a free individual. However, he is found guilty and in due course is shot to death in a prison where he attempts to run. Nonetheless, Atticus Finch uses ethos, logos, and pathos in his closing argument to persuade the jury of Tom Robinson’s innocence.
Tom Robinson is an apparent victim of discrimination against those who are black. For example, Tom is falsely accuse of rape because he is put in front of a prejudice jury, “The one place where a men ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury boy. ” (295) Atticus explains the unfairness that juries have in a courtroom especially since it is a white man’s word against a black man’s. During trials, juries must always be fair and make their decisions based on the facts given. The facts in Tom’s trial all show that Tom is innocent, but because of the great amount of discrimination, it is embedded in people’s mind that all blacks are dangerous people and they should be put away. However, the truth is that any person can be dangerous or deceiving not just those who are black, “You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around ...
Tom Robinson’s trial began, when he is placed in the local jail, a mob tries to take him. Atticus decides to face the mob. Jem and Scout sneaked out of the house to join him. Scout recognize, Mr. Cunningham and questioning him about his son shaming him into dismissing the mob. At the trial, Atticus provides evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father, Bob, are lying to cover her shame and guilt. Despite the evidence pointing to Tom’s innocence, the jury convicts him. The innocent Tom later tries to escape from prison and is shot dead. Bob Ewell feels that Atticus and the judge have made a mockery out of him, and vowed revenge. He menaces Tom Robinson’s widow, tries to break into judge’s house, and attacks Jem and Scout as they walked home from a Halloween party through the woods. Boo Radley intervenes to save the children and stabs Ewell during the fight. The author begins the story with the idea of innocence with Scout not knowing the great injustices and hatred in her society. Then the loss of innocence having seen the worst and had face to face experiences with it. Finishing with