Throughout the novel of “To Kill A Mockingbird” the lack of proper Judicial evaluation is pervasive in the town of Maycomb in many different forms and it is preventing those of minorities who go to trial a lack of prejudice or equality. Tom Robinson is petrified that he is going to fail the trial, as well as the rest of the black community and minorities because, the Maycomb court system discriminates towards minorities, and favors whites. Firstly, In the town of Maycomb racism is extremely prominent in everyday life but, especially in the judicial system, which cheats black citizens, and is unfairly biased against the black community. “As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something …show more content…
and don't you forget it- Whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter how who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.”(Lee, 224) This text reveals important ideas about Maycomb. It exemplifies how “white men cheat black men,” constantly and how the black community experiences constant and never-ending harassment and biases from the Maycomb judicial system. Atticus shows that he does not think that the racism will end, he states “As you grow older,” implying this bias will still be around as scout ages. Atticus is trying to teach his daughter equality, something the rest of the community heavily shuns and does not embrace. He believes that any white man “no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash. ”As a lawyer, he believes that justice should not only be given to whites but all citizens should have access to a fair unbiased life. Atticus also shows the racism faced towards black citizens when he claims "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads --they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life." (Lee, pg. 224) This quote also displays how atticus as a lawyer, seeing these cases every day states, “they couldn't be fair if they tried” showing that the judicial system favours white men over black men with Atticus blatantly staring, “In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins.” This incredibly specific quote unforgettably tells the reader that the Maycomb Judicial system completely and unfairly favours the white man's word over the black man's, which causes Tom Robinson's death and many other black convicted citizens an unfair trial. Next, Atticus also notices the favoritism towards Whites in trial and prosecution, and wants the judicial system to fairly try convicts, no matter there ethnicity, and wants to show to the court their bigotry.
“I'm no idealist to believe family in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system- that is no ideal to me, it is living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury…..”(Lee, 209) Atticus showing his rightful frustration towards the courts obvious racism, when he states “a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury” Telling the members of the court that justice can only be achievable if the prosecutors do not have preset biases. He is trying to show that the court's selective justice is ruining the very point of justice and discrediting everything a court stands for. He also states he is “no idealist” referring to the impossibly small change Tom will win. He is fed up with this terrible state of the court system, and points out even further than the citizens of Maycomb can not even count on or rely on the court system to give a fair trial to minorities. This quote shows how utterly disgusted he is with the court's state. Earlier he declares a similar idea that “The one thing that does not abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” (Lee, 108) meaning that even though the racist judge and lawyers may vote towards a black's death that man and many others know that that man is innocent. Trough infernal one could conclude that Atticus means to warn the court advising them to change there racist ways or face an uprising of whites and minorities alike, all angry and vengeful towards the courts brutal past and foreshadowed
actions. Finally, Tom Robinson's defeat in the trial is shown to be non evidential, and unethical, favoring Mr. Ewell's claim and disregarding Tom’s just because of his race. Tom Robinson is a black male who was helping a man named Bob Ewell's daughter with household chores when he allegedly raped her, but through a matter of multiple pieces of evidence showing these allegations were fake, just because he is black he has fared biasly and not fairly listened to. He justifiably scared that he is going to lose his life, when he states “Mr finch if you was a nigger like me, you'd be scared, too.”(Lee, pg. 199)This shows that he as an African American is, “scared” that he is going to lose his life off of stereotypes and will not receive the fair trial he longs for and deserves. He also mentions himself as a “nigger” showing the decades of oppression in the USA oppresses the souls of black citizens, making themselves think oppressed and unwanted. This could contribute to the effortlessness that the whites unfairly prosecute blacks, making Tom feel worthless and guilty for being their skin color, and don't feel like they can stand up for there oppression in court. The favoritism whites receive in court is even noted by white citizen Mrs. Maudie, saying “The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White only; a handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us…”(Lee, pg. 240) She as a white citizen sees the favoritism she and other whites receive when she says “a handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us…” She is showing that many others recognize this but don't do anything about the terrible bigotry Tom Robinson undergoes. The Courts are, “white only” and end up taking Bob Ewell’s word over Toms just because he is black because there was no substantial evidence for either side, but then the evidence is found showing Tom is innocent but the court still favors Ewels white claims. In conclusion, The extreme amount of racist found in Maycomb county is largely found in the judicial system, favoring the opinion and presence of whites, and disregarding and unfairly making assumptions and sentencing blacks, such as tom Robinson who was unfairly and unjustly tried and ended up being shot as a result of it.
The Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The purpose of this essay is to compare three very similar cases, the Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and the fictional trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; and to prove why the defendant in the third trial never had a chance. Each took place in the rural South in the 1920’s and 30’s and involved the unfair conviction of young black males by all-white juries pressured by the threat of mob violence.
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.
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.
To begin, parallel and conflicting characteristics can be realized by exploring the judges of the two cases. Judge Horton and Judge Taylor both presided over the cases. Judge Horton was the second of three judges in the Scottsboro cases, and Judge Taylor was the fictional judge in To Kill a Mockingbird. The two both exhibited undeniable sympathy to the defendants in the cases. Judge Horton sympathizes with the nine Scottsboro boys by declaring, “You are not trying whether or not the defendant is white or black … you are trying whether or not this defendant forcibly ravished a woman” (People and Events). It is obvious that Judge Horton was unprejudiced and believed the boys should be treated with equality. This attitude is akin to the one of Judge Taylor; Taylor assigned Atticus Finch, a notable lawyer, to the case of the fictional black character Tom Robinson. Maxwell Green, an inexperience rookie, should have been assigned the case; however due to Taylor’s empathy, Tom obtained a decent lawyer who would do h...
Maycomb is a prejudice town that does not have equal rights for all citizens. The town is against Blacks, and portrays
In the courtroom that night it is revealed that the alleged crimes of Tom Robinson, a decent Negro man, most likely did not happen. As Atticus says in his closing argument, "The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is” (Lee 271). Showing the clear innocence of Tom Robinson due to lack of evidence, Scout thinks that the white jury will do the right thing only to find out that they still, unfairly, accuse him of being guilty. Scout and her brother, Jem, get very upset when they hear the verdict, however, it allows them both to learn the lesson that the county is unfair towards anyone who is not white. The county demonstrates this evil racism due to the social divisions in Maycomb between the whites and the blacks and because the whites see the blacks as unworthy of rights and freedoms. It was not just the trial itself that displayed evil in the world, but the comments and arguments surrounding the case did
Sum up, the social relationship between these people here, this old town Maycomb is complicated and pretty tense. This novel has taught us so much, thanks to Harper Lee – one of the greatest writers of all time. It has opened our eyes wider about racism at that time and compared it to nowadays it has become so much better. People are equally, no matter what skin color you are, what religion you have, or where you’re from, what you’re appearance looks like, we are all equal, and we are all the same – human. So instead of treating badly to one another we should all united and make the world a better place.
Maycomb is a petite, sleepy town, however, the political side is vicious. Atticus selflessly decides to defend Tom, an African American, in court who was being wrongly prosecuted for rape. Despite Maycomb’s arsenal of verbal chastisement on himself and his children, continued to defend Tom. Because Tom was African-American, his rights were subconsciously removed due to racial bias. "It was just him I couldn't stand," Dill said…"That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him… It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick… The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered… It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that—it just makes me sick." (Lee 155-165). Although the treatment was harsh, Atticus continued to defend Tom because Atticus’s virtues abide by protecting the innocent. The overwhelming negativity crowding the court case that Atticus disrupts for Tom Robinson supports Atticus’s altruism in defending the
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
The first “mockingbird” that is featured in the novel is a man named Atticus Finch. Not only is Atticus Finch the sole representative of Maycomb in the legislature, but also he is a brilliant lawyer. In addition, he has a good reputation in both Maycomb’s black and white communities because of his exceptional character. However, his reputation is soon shattered when he is faced with a case in court that affects him personally: he must defend an African American man in court in Maycomb’s segregated society. If Atticus chooses to try defending the man, he will lose his good status in town, since his racist American neighbors will soon disrespect him for treating the African Americans as equal to the Americans, which is highly unacceptable in the United States during the 1930s. However, Atticus still accepted the case believing that if he does not, he w...
The tight-knit sense of community created by the citizens of Maycomb leads to the same values and beliefs of the whole town. As a result, the town has put many expectations and judgements towards people who are not the same. In particular, the black community is used as a scapegoat because they are black, therefore they are viewed lower than the white community. Tom Robinson, a member of the black community is imprisoned for most of the book. When Tom is put on trial, the community voted against him by the reason that he’s black- he is an outsider. Although he did nothing wrong, the community continues to blame him. During and after the trial Tom is thrown in jail and imprisoned. Knowing that he cannot do anything about the situation, Tom loses all signs of hope of freedom. As a last straw of hope, Tom attempts to escape from prison but fails to do so, and is shot seventeen times. Tom faces the injustice of Maycomb County due to the fact of judgements and lies formed from society. The lies and judgements has lead into the separation and segregation of the black community. Segregation and separation brings the black community into vulnerable position leading into psychological and physically imprisonment. Lee demonstrates that segregation and separation increases the sense of
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.
People are responsible for acting according to their conscience. The justice system was created in order to be our aid in making moral and ethical decisions, but when the Justice system fails, we should still be able to follow our conscience to make the right the decision. In Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” one of the characters, Atticus Finch, helps not only characters in the book, but the readers, understand that the legal system does not always serve justice, in fact, the legal system only is as moral and just as the community it serves. In the town of Maycomb, just like many towns in the American south during the 1930s, racism as a personal feeling and racism as a cultural, legal, and economic institution are practically one
Throughout time society has been tested many a time. The tests of society are those which show the development of a society’s culture, morals and value system. The recent events of Maycomb have shown it has not developed or flourished but that with the death of my dear husband, Tom, it has failed miserably. Justice, although bittersweet, is the pie that society has been given the duty to serve. The once-solid pillars of fairness and humanity upon which our society was built are crumbling. The trials and tribulations of Tom Robinson have not only led me to lose faith in justice, fairness and humanity but removed my veil of ignorance and shown me the ignorant “whites” have the power to kill even the sweetest of mockingbirds.
Back in the nineteen thirties, African Americans were not given equal or fair treatment, even though legally they had equal rights. Often they would still be seen as less of a person, or not even seen as one by the racist white citizens. Because the African Americans were not treated fairly, they were not allowed to serve on the jury. They would specifically not choose blacks for jury duty. This was just plainly unfair to the defendant because usually, even though they claimed to be fair, the whites would go against the African American just because of their skin color. No matter what the law said, there was always going to be racists in Maycomb County. For example, if there was a white defendant and a white jury, they would be truly and honestly fair, but since Tom Robinson was African American and the jury was purely white, they would favor the white plaintiff over the African American even if they believed he was innocent. Back in those times, it was considered frowned upon if one were to favor an African American over a white. It was considered betrayal and social disgrace. The reader can see a clear example of this when Atticus is continuously bashed for helping the African American, Tom Robinson. He was considered an outcast in several people’s eyes because he went against