Examples Of Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

‘“ It ain’t right, Atticus ”’(284)Jem said. This is what many of the characters in the book To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee felt after the trial's verdict of Tom Robinson, an innocent African American man who was convicted of a crime he did not commit. This story takes place in 1930’s in a tiny town called Maycomb and is narrated by a small, but mighty, little girl named Scout Finch. In To Kill a Mockingbird, injustice takes place in many ways, the biggest one being racism. Before, during, and after the trial, the Finch family is strongly affected by the Maycomb’s racism towards African Americans and the injustice it causes.

Atticus Finch, the lawyer for Tom Robinson, does not have high hopes for winning the case, but does it anyways

because he feels it is the right thing to do. He believes Tom deserves the best chance to win he can and says ‘“Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what’” (101). Not only was Atticus frowned upon by Maycomb's towns folk because of his involvement in the trial but so were his two children Jem and Scout. One character who strongly affected Jem’s emotions was Miss Dubose. Everyday the children would pass by her house and she would say terrible things about Atticus, one of these comments being, ‘“Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for”’(135). This ended up sparking anger in Jem causing him to brutally destroy Miss Dubose flower beds and having to deal with an unconventional punishment requested by her. Francis, the cousin of the Finch’s also says unpleasant things about Atticus to Scout. He says ‘“But now he’s turned out a nigger lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruinin’ the family that’s what he’s doin’(110)”’. This is also causes Scout to react in a violent way by fighting him for saying such harsh things about her father. This goes to show just how much Maycomb's views are negative towards African American people and how their feelings are on Atticus involvement with the trial. Even young to old almost everyone in Maycomb’s tiny town are full of extreme resentment and racism, causing great injustice before the trial has begun.
Hundreds of people from all around town came to the court to witness the trial of Tom Robinson who was acussed of rapping Bob Ewells’s daughter Mayella.

Bob Ewells is a white careless man who lives on the outskirts of town in small tin shack and is living off of relief check that he is most likely drinking away. Heck Tate, Bob, Mayella, and Tom are all called to the stand for questioning, this helps Atticus find key evidence that could prove Tom’s innocence. As Atticus interrogates Heck Tate and Bob Ewell he discovers that his story of what happens doesn't really add up. He says Mayella had bruising all on the right side of her face showing that it was most likely a left hand person that punched her, the only problem with that claim is that Tom left arm does not work so there is no way it could have done it. During this whole trial Jem is absolutely certain that they are gonna win because none of evidence proves Tom is guilty, but it rather show the opposite and points to Bob Ewells being the abuser in the tall tail that was spun by Ewells. As the trial was coming to its end, Atticus pleaded with the jury to give Tom a fair decision because in court all men are created equal. He says to the jury ‘“I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty”’(275). Even with all of the evidence pointing to Tom's innocence and Atticus last

strong plea for the jury's humanity the verdict comes out none other than guilty. The trail furthers show how much blind hate they have for the African American people. Even with most of the evidences proving Tom’s innocence the jury takes Bob Ewell's word for the events that happened and they convict Tom Robinson.
The trial has ended and Jem’s faced is streaked with hot angry tears, he does not understand how they could convict Tom of a crime he did not commit.

When Jem asks how they could do such a thing Atticus responds with ‘“I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it, seems that only children weep”’(285). Atticus says this because it only seems that children can understand that what has happened was wrong because they still have open hearts and minds and aren't as quick to judge, whereas the adults have grown up and overlooked their wrongdoings. The jury’s verdict left Atticus bitter, Jem dumbfounded and Tom with no hope and a stone cold bedroom in prison. The Finch family goes home tries to recover from the trial and continue their daily life but it is short lived. Soon after the trial Atticus and the family is told that Tom is dead, he had tried to escape prison and was shot 17 times. Tom had tried to escape because he had lost all hope and that made him think and act in an nonsensical way that lead to his death. In the end Maycomb could is to blame for Tom’s untimely death, for if they had not had such closed minded views and inhuman ways, Tom would still be

alive.
In conclusion the Finch family had to face many negative effects on them before, during and after the trial because of Maycomb’s racist views, that lead to many injustice actions. The town hateful views lead to the unfair trial that convicted Tom Robinson and ultimately lead to his demise. If Maycomb’s community had been more accepting and equal, Tom would have lived and the Finch family would’ve not have had such rude awaking of what injustice really is.