Examples Of Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Innocent Victims

To Kill a Mockingbird exhibits many different cases in which characters become victims of unfair treatment. Written by Harper Lee, the book tells us many things that the characters went through. Since one bad decision leads to another, evil events all around them have either injured or destroyed them. The theme of injustice dwells throughout the lives of many “mockingbirds” in this book as demonstrated by the way Tom Robinson was wrongly charged, a poor reputation rested upon Boo Radley, and the way Jem’s arm became broken. Tom Robinson, accused of assaulting a young woman, spent his remaining life in prison. Boo Radley, a shut in, receives harsh gossip from his community. Jem and Scout, Atticus’ children, were viciously

attacked by a group of vile men.

Innocent of the crime people claimed he committed, Tom Robinson retained his wrong charges.

Behaving as a kind, helpful neighbor to Mayella and her family, the false accusations by them screamed unfortunate cruelty! Sadly, Mr. Ewell likely set up Tom Robinson. It seemed questionable that Tom just happened to help Mayella in her home at the same time Mr. Ewell encountered them. Mayella’s bruises on her face did not match up with Tom Robinson’s weak rubber-like arm. “He guided his arm to the Bible and his rubber-like hand sought contact with the black binding. As he raised his right hand, the useless one slipped off the Bible and hit the clerk’s table.” (254) The trial ended, Tom faced imprisonment and his wife and children lived alone. Evil victimized and destroyed Tom Robinson’s innocent life, and the life of his

family.

Compared to people of a higher class, Boo Radley received a poor reputation. Despite what people said about him, Boo Radley presents himself as a respectable man. On their way home from school one day, the Finch children found a ball of gray twine in a knot-hole inside a tree. Whether the item was for them or someone else, toys and other trinkets kept appearing in the tree. One day, they even found dolls that looked just like them! Another admirable example of Mr. Radley, when Scout, Dill, and Jem snuck up to the Radley place, is when Jem lost his pants and had to go back for them. When he found them, someone had sloppily sewed them up. “‘When I went back, they were folded across the fence…like they were expectin’ me…’ Jem’s voice was flat. ‘Show you when we get home. They’d been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed ‘em, like somethin’ I’d try to do. All crooked.’” (78) Boo Radley seemed to truly try hard to be kind, especially to Jem and Scout. He models kindness even to those people who show him injustice through their insulting gossip.

When the Finch children were ambushed, Jem bravely attempted to protect his little sister which lead to his broken arm.

Scout felt chicken wire and metal all around her and fell to the ground trying to get free. “Someone rolled against me and I felt Jem. He was up like lightning and pulling me with him but… we didn’t get very far. We were nearly to the road when I felt Jem’s hand leave me, felt him jerk backwards to the ground (351).” Jem could have left Scout and ran away to safety by himself. Instead, he pulled Scout along with him, which slowed him down and might have caused the attackers to catch up with him and fight against him, causing him to break his arm. She seemed to have admired her brother even more because of his heroic action. In turn, Scout feared for her brother’s injuries. His speedy decision to help his little sister during the attack shows Jem’s innocence and unfortunate injury in this particular

event.

Some of the injustices of these “mockingbirds” are unfair and outrageous. Mayella’s fake accusations about Tom Robinson never happened. Tom’s wife and children suffered without a father and husband in their lives because of discrimination. Boo Radley did not deserve gossip. Having never caused harm to others as an adult, people can judge wrongly and ruin another’s life. The way Jem’s arm was broken remains shameful. War is another example of how the innocent, and even the uninvolved, receive the abuse aimed at another. One of the morals of the story is how easy evil events can take place and accelerate, causing great injury or destruction of innocent victims.

Resource
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1982.