Harper Lee's Influence On The Scottsboro Trial

544 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The scottsboro trials did influence harper lee’s to kill a mockingbird

It can be argued that Harper Lee was influenced based on the Scottsboro trial because both cases involved rape. They also both happen in Alabama and both cases had a white woman/women, black man/men asscused of rapeing these white girls. Another reason that Harper Lee was influenced based on the Scottsboro story, is that when Victoria Price and Mayella Ewell told their story, it was similar because how they were scared to answer the questions. They were nervous because they knew what they were saying was a lie. In both cases, these ladies was stopping in their sentences and looking around not saying anything for short breaks and catching attitudes with the plaintiff.

These ladies backgrounds are similar also, The backgrounds to Victoria price is that she was very poor and had no shame, Ruby Bates was very quiet and poor and then Mayella Ewell was poor and had no friends. Their families, Ruby Bates father wasn't around and she and her family lived among the negroes, Victoria Price family were mill workers and ran a speakeasy and then Mayella Ewell and her family lived as guest of the county and had filthy surroundings around their house. …show more content…

For instance, she was getting angry at Atticus because he kept asking questions and calling her “ma’am" that aggravated her. Mayella claim that she was getting picked on by him. The difference about what Harper Lee made in the book to what happened in the Scottsboro trial is that Mayella was trying to get the judge to feel sorry for her, but in the Scottsboro trial Victoria Price was saying random stuff. The comparison of how Harper Lee made Mayella Ewell to Victoria Price is that they said anything that came up in their head that they thought was right but didn’t seem right to the judge and other people. Harper Lee had a lot comparison and difference in their

Show More
Related

  • The Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

    Read More

  • Mayella Juxtaposition In To Kill A Mockingbird

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harper Lee, before the reader meets Mayella in person, uses her family and home environment to portray her as an impoverished but aspirational woman, revealing some of her more redeeming qualities before the trial has begun. She then goes on to demonstrate some of Mayella’s negative characteristics during the trial, when Lee portrays her as cowardly, emotionally unstable and racist at times. By the end of the trial, the reader is left to make their verdict on Mayella Ewell; should she be blamed for what she did or is she simply a victim of circumstance?

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Scottsboro Boys And To Kill A Mockingbird

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first similarity is that all of the girls were the supposed "victims" of their own case. Victoria herself "testified that six raped her, and six, Ruby Bates" (Ransdall, "The First Scottsboro Trials"). Mayella also stated that she was the one raped and beaten by Tom before he was caught. The second similarity is that Mayella and Victoria both tried to avoid future conflicts by being inconsistent and evasive. A description of Price 's cross examination stated that she "remained sarcastic, evasive, and venomous. She used her ignorance and poor memory to her advantage and proved to be a difficult witness to corner" (Linder, “The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys”). Similarly, Mayella used her ignorance to her advantage as well as her tendency to cry as a way to win the jury

    Read More

  • Mayella's Stereotypes

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 1930’s, there was this evil assumption that Atticus draws attention to which is that “....all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…”( Harper Lee TKAM 273). With that in the minds of all the townspeople, Mayella being a “helpless” female amongst the lowest of the low gave her continuous power in the case against Tom Robinson. Moreover, being a female prompted the town to want to protect Mayella even more. The white to black ratio was unwavering in the 1930’s. Even though white people look down upon her, when it came time for Mayella’s case against Tom Robinson her class was disregarded and her race and gender trumped all.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Scottsboro Boys And To Kill A Mockingbird

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the most successful works of fiction in American Literature. Although To Kill a Mockingbird is classified as a work of fiction, there is evidence to support the claim that To Kill a Mockingbird was modeled after the Scottsboro Trials of 1931. There are many parallels between the trial of Tom Robinson and the Scottsboro Trials. The Scottsboro Boys were nine, young, African American men who were falsely accused of raping two white women while illegally riding a train in Alabama. Harper Lee was also about six years old when these trials took place. This is the reason why Harper Lee chose to write her novel through the eyes of a six year old. The trials inspired her to write To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper

    Read More

  • Mayella Ewell's Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mayella Ewell is a woman in the 1930’s and yes, women back then were not treated as citizens. As Atticus is delivering his closing argument on how the person who beat Mayella with his left, Tom cannot use his left due to a job accident. By contrasting the difference in race and gender, in the 1930’s these were a big thing, To examine the results of race, gender are way different. Mayella may be white, but in her role as a female, it just goes downhill from that. Although it is different from Tom Robinson point of view. As Atticus is delivering his closing argument after proving that Bob Ewell is left-handed and Tom Robinson is not able to use his left hand. ‘“...What did her father do? We don’t know, but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…’”. Tom Robinson is unable to use his left hand due to a job accident. Mayella took advantage of Tom, she knew he would help her because he is a nice man. Mayella was not taught respect while growing up, Tom on the other hand was amiable. Mayella is anxious of her father and what he does to her. Some readers might be anxious too, but might confess up to what their father is doing to them. Since she was not taught respect from her father, she would not know much about it. “Won’t answer a word you say long as you keep on mockin’ me,’Mayella said.

    Read More

  • How Harper Lee makes Mayella Ewell a Vulnerable yet Contemptible Character in To Kill a Mockingbird

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    With lots of children to take care of Mayella was only able to get two to three years of education and she had no friends. This is why when Atticus asks her about her friends she thinks he is making fun of her. After having to live a life like this we don?t know why Mayella would like to defend her hard-hearted father, but she probably did this because she was scared of what he would do to her if she told the truth. We feel sympathetic towards her at this point but there is still a sense of hatred towards her as she is letting an innocent person being jailed who actually helped her a lot when no one did.

    Read More

  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    2185 Words  | 5 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee seems like a complete replica of the lives of people living in a small Southern U.S. town. The themes expressed in this novel are as relevant today as when this novel was written, and also the most significant literary devices used by Lee. The novel brings forward many important themes, such as the importance of education, recognition of inner courage, and the misfortunes of prejudice. This novel was written in the 1930s. This was the period of the “Great Depression” when it was very common to see people without jobs, homes and food. In those days, the rivalry between the whites and the blacks deepened even more due to the competition for the few available jobs. A very famous court case at that time was the Scottsboro trials. These trials were based on the accusation against nine black men for raping two white women. These trials began on March 25, 1931. The Scottsboro trials were very similar to Tom Robinson’s trial. The similarities include the time factor and also the fact that in both cases, white women accused black men.

    Read More

  • Victim or Villain? Mayella Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Courtroom Comparison

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 304). Harper Lee is the renowned author of To Kill a Mockingbird which was inspired by the real events of the Scottsboro Trials. Throughout her novel, Lee indirectly references the case by creating characters, events, and symbols that resemble and contrast the case. These elements allow the novel to emerge with a more realistic and historic plot. In particular, the similarities and differences between Judge Horton and Judge Taylor, Victoria and Mayella, and the atmosphere of the courtroom are most prevalent. By examining these components one will be able to respect the historical features present in Harper Lee’s fictional literary phenomenon, To Kill a Mockingbird.

    Read More

  • The Scottsboro Trials and To Kill A Mockingbird

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    Parallels and bias were shown in both cases, every racist witness showed bias to the black men who were accused. The major characters that were involved with the trial were similar too. Both Atticus and Judge Horton fought for the equal treatment of blacks in the judicial system as the whites. The accusers of the black men were similar too; it seems like the book was made after the actual Scottsboro Case. The time that both of the trials took place in were exactly the same as well. Every single aspect of both of the trials is the same except for the outcomes. One outcome was that they men got away which was amazing because it was real life and the other was more realistic that the black man was killed and the racists had their justice served.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Honesty In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lee uses Atticus’ good nature and respect for people to promote the theme; being strong in one 's beliefs and honest sets a good example for society: “‘First of all,’ he spoke, ‘if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-,” (Lee 39) Atticus indicates. This quote shows how fair Atticus is, he try’s to understand other people in different situations. His advice is very true and is valid throughout the entire book, it could even be considered a theme on it’s own. Atticus’ quality of respect is very high and continues on into the trial further into the book which helps him during the case and helps Lee build to the theme: “‘Gentleman,’ he was saying ‘I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time with you to remind you that this case is not a difficult one, it requires no minute sifting of complicated facts, but it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white,” (Lee 271) Atticus voices in his final words at the trial. Lee uses Atticus’ powerful personality to express her views to the readers. In Maycomb no one ever did anything that was against the majority, so when

    Read More

  • The Life and Writings of Harper Lee

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nelle Harper Lee, the famous author of the worldwide bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird, was born April 28th, 1926, to Amasa Coleman (a lawyer) and Frances Lee. At the time, the family lived in Monroeville, Alabama. Harper’s family was somewhat wealthy, and they lived in upper middle class society most of their lives. Harper’s birth name, Nelle, was her grandmother’s spelled backwards (Ellen). However, in her publications, she took her middle name, Harper, to avoid being known as “Nellie”. But what numerous people have never heard - and many would be shocked to know - is that one windy, rainy night, Harper threw all her unpublished manuscripts of To Kill a Mockingbird out the window! Fortunately, she soon realized what she had done, and called over her editor, Tay Hohoff, to assist her. Hohoff sent her out in the snow and slush to retrieve her pages, which luckily had not fallen far away. But one would wonder: what would have happened if she had done the same on a slightly windier night?

    Read More

  • Discuss how the historical, political and social setting of Harper Lee's

    2385 Words  | 5 Pages

    Discuss the historical, political and social setting of Harper Lee's. novel To Kill a Mockingbird contributes to the fears that are present. in Maycomb County. Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. (Scout Finch, Chapter 1, 'To Kill a Mockingbird').

    Read More

  • The Scottsboro Trials

    2407 Words  | 5 Pages

    Imagine being a black teenager in the south amid the great depression. It was hard enough for whites to find jobs during this time; I can’t even begin to fathom what it would be like being black seeking a job. Many blacks sought hoboing as a common pastime seeing it as an adventure to get them from one small job to another. And this is where the story of the Scottsboro Boys begins.

    Read More

More about Harper Lee's Influence On The Scottsboro Trial

Open Document