60.00% of people in the United States were greatly affected by the Great Depression. Experiencing some of the most painful years in history. Harper Lee learned to live through this since she was young . Her novel is connected to real on goings in the 1930s. Lee was seemingly influenced by the misfortunate events such as, the murder of Emmett Till this has caused much reflection and guidance in her writing through particularly one character. Not only was Lee very profound in the Emmett Till murder, but also in the Expectations of women in the South and Scottsboro Trials. Lee’s usage of these real world events in her novel begins with the gruesome murder of young Emmett Till. This tragedy definitely altered Lee’s vision in writing her novel. The Scottsboro trials started when nine boys between the ages of, the youngest Eugene Williams at 13 and, the oldest Charles Weems 19 at the time, got on a train. Because of the unfairness towards different races, the boys all African American were not supposed to ride a train. Two white women, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates were also, illegally riding the train. When the train came to a stop in Paint Rock Alabama, the posse that stopped the train were very much surprised to have found the two women. They instantly claimed that they had been raped. Just hours later semen was discovered in the women. But the women were calm and not found injured in anyway. The nine boys were accused, even though many believed the women were not raped. Neighbors and family described Bates and Price to be prostitutes. Victoria Price herself came out and fully admitted to their wrong doing. Price stated that Ruby Bates got her into the lie. Resemblance is shown between both of these stories plaintiffs. Miss Mayella Ewell is much like Price. She knows the real situation but defends her father's lie. As Price does, defend her friends. Price and Bates never seem to remember what happened. Anytime they are asked a question it consistently seems to be answered “ I do not remember” or “ I do not know”. As does Miss Ewell. “ What happened next? She can not really remember, but eventually her father and Mr. Tate were there.”
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
According to Victoria Price’s direct examination by H. G. Bailey, Victoria Price was asked, “Was your back bleeding when you got to the doctor?” and Price responded, “I couldn’t say.” Mayella Ewell represented both of these women in To Kill a Mockingbird. According to Christina Bergmark, “the National Guard had to be called in to prevent a lynching.” Likewise, Tom Robinson was almost lynched by a mob of angry white men.
On March 25, 1931, Victoria Price, a known prostitute, and Ruby Bates accused nine Negroes of raping them on a train in Northern Alabama. The trial took place in Scottsboro, amid much anti-black sentiment. An all white jury sentenced eight of the nine to death, despite the fact that one was blind and one could...
The Scottsboro and Maycomb trials took place in the 1930s, where the trials both have identical causes with the same conclusion, though its a tragedy event that happened however it have influenced the world today. The resemblance between Scottsboro and Maycomb leads the people into thinking about the Great Depression and the most infamous case that took place in Scottsboro, relating to Maycomb. Though there are no reasonable causes or hateful affairs between opposing characters, yet it seems like racism between white and the Afro-Americans had started the conflict. Coming to a white vs Afro-American cases, the jurors would always favor the white over the Afro-American for they believe its not right to do such thing as acquitting the Afro-American due to their old-fashion values and prejudiced mind. Such tragedy happening in the history has influenced the world today in many ways, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is one project that’s inspired to be written. Though both Scottsboro and Maycomb seems like a loving town with nice people, however their dark sides are discovered through their actions.
By providing a precise example of the times it is set in, To Kill a Mockingbird effects the readers opinions on today's society making them think of ways to better it. For example, in the novel, Lee describes what life in Maycomb, a southern town in Alabama, was like during the 1930's: “ a day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was no where to go, nothing to buy, and no money to buy it with...” ( Lee 6). People have a hard time imagining what life in a big depression was like, and this provides them with a description that not only helps the reader think about living during those times but broadens their knowledge about the history in general. This new insight helps them to see how far today's society has come and how many obstacles mankind has faced and overcome on their journey to today. In addition, Catherine Bernard explains through her book, Understanding To Kill A Mockingbird, that: “ While Lee's novel is set in the 1930's, the themes of discrimination and toleranc...
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.
Throughout the novel Harper Lee explores the racism, prejudice, and the innocence that occurs throughout the book. She shows these topics through her strong use of symbolism throughout the story.
Several groups of white and black men rode the trains in the thirties for transportation. One night a group of white men started a fight with the black men on the train, which led to them getting kicked off. Later on in the case it is proved that the white men start the fight because both of the men have different stories and one of them admits to starting it all. After the white men were kicked off of the train, it was ridden to the next stop somewhere in Alabama. Upon arriving at the station, the black men and the white women were arrested for vagrancy.
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves of classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for its execution of style and the importance of its content.
Often times, literature reflects the problems within a society. An author finds their character’s struggles and triumphs in the people of each era. Inspirations from real life events fuel not only great literature but also books that become remarkable social pieces. A perfect example is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. This novel is reflective of the 1930’s era. In the story racism runs rampant through society with only a noble few trying to stop it. The racism that is apparent and a focal point for the novel is, although fiction, closely matched to that of a racist era in America. Racism represents fear of the unknown in many themes in the book as well as in the daily aspect of life.
When Lee was six years old one of the nations most notorious trials was taking place, the Scottsboro Trials. “On March 25, 1931, a freight train was stopped in Paint Rock, a tiny community in Northern Alabama, and nine young African American men who had been riding the rails were arrested” (Johnson). “Two white women on the train,
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.
This gave the southern culture, which already despised them, one more thing to add to their list of allegations. The Scottsboro Boys got into a fight with white hobos on the train they were traveling on. This spread to the conductor who stopped the train in Alabama and alerted the town of the exchange. Unlike To Kill a Mockingbird, this fight did not come up in trial, but it led to the mob of white men outside the train, and the accusation of rape from Ruby Bates and Victoria Price. In Lee’s trial, Mr. Gilmer questioned Tom Robinson further about his charges, “You were given thirty days once for disorderly conduct, Robinson?”(Lee 197) Scout later adds,”Mr. Gilmer would sincerely tell the jury that anyone convicted of disorderly could easily have the heart to take advantage of Mayella Ewell,” (Lee 197). Scout is explaining how the prosecutor made a point, and “played to the jury”. He made Tom Robinson look like the villain again. Put him back into the stereotypical box of black men at the time, and how they were bread to put southern womanhood in
The story of the Scottsboro boys is very similar to the case of Tom Robinson in the story To Kill a Mockingbird. In the Scottsboro trials, nine boys were accused of crimes against white women. Six of those boys were accused of raping the two girls, and two were accused of assaulting those two girls. Victoria was the one to point out the six boys who had raped her. Tom Robinson was also accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white girl.
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.