Robinson And The Mockingbird In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the concept of the mockingbird serves as a powerful metaphor for innocence and vulnerability. Throughout the novel, there are multiple characters that embody the qualities of a mockingbird. The one that sticks out the most in the text is Tom Robinson. In the novel Robinson is falsely accused of rape and is then proven guilty by the jury even though Robinson had an overwhelming amount of evidence proving his innocence. He was guilty just because it was a white man’s word against a black man’s word. By examining Robinson’s character in relation to the symbolism of a mockingbird, it becomes clear that he represents kindness, innocence, and victimization in the Maycomb society, just like a mockingbird. The first reference to a mockingbird in the novel …show more content…
The Blue Jays in the quote symbolize the people who actually do bad things and deserve to be punished for the bad things that they did. The mockingbird in the quote symbolizes the innocent and misunderstood people just like Robinson that get punished even though they did nothing wrong. The quote says Basham 2 that it is ok to punish the people but wrong to punish innocent people, or in this case Robinson. This early reference to a mockingbird sets the stage for Robinson’s character and the unjust things that he has to face in his trial. By linking the mockingbird to innocent people like Robinson, Atticus implies that it is right to protect those who are vulnerable and undeserving of punishment. Atticus’s statement about mocking birds serves as a deep reflection of Robinson’s character and the injustice that he faces in the novel. Miss Maude further explains what Atticus said to Jem and Scout when she said your “fathers” are right. mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to
o begin, it’s amiss to be vile towards the innocent. Tom robinson had just been convicted guilty of rape, mainly due to his skin tone, since there was good evidence proving his innocence, and questionable evidence saying otherwise. In chapter 22, Lee writes, “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears. . . . ‘It ain’t right, Atticus,’ said Jem. ‘No son, it’s not right.’” (Lee 284). This quote is saying how it was wrong to convict Tom, guilty of rape. Events like these can ruin innocence, just like it did to the children opening the door to adultery, exposing them to all the racism and prejudice in the world. The children learn that Maycomb is not as great as they had thought, many people are racist and make prejudice
Tom Robinson was one of the most talked about characters in the novel ¨To KIll a Mockingbird¨ He was known as any other black man pretty much. He was very discriminated, but he was also very innocent. The reason many people were familiar with Tom is from his court case. He was accused by Mayella Ewell and her father for beating her and raping her. This drew many people to the courtroom to see what would go down, and as expected he
because Tom Robinson is also a Mockingbird Figure. We know that Tom Robinson was found guilty of the charge of Rape to Mayella Ewell. This happened even though there was no evidence whatsoever to say that Tom did it, and plenty to say that he was, in fact, totally innocent. Also Tom in the trial shows how caring and honest he is when he says.
Tom Robinson was just a “respectable negro” with a kind nature who was accused in absence of wrong. Mr Robinson is immediately seen as an enemy by most in town of Maycomb. Is it because of his malicious personality? Is it because of his hair colour? Is it because he is arrogant? No, all of these are false he is instantly convicted because he is of a different ethnicity. It seems foolish but this is the reason why Maycomb has discarded a man who is of higher quality than the majority of the town. “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and screamed.” As soon as the trial began Tom’s opportunity for victory grew slimmer and slimmer and Maycomb knew that Atticus was fighting an unwinnable battle. But Atticus was determined to defend the ‘ultimate mockingbird’ right up until the end; even after the court case Atticus defends Tom at the jail. A final act of Tom’s innocence to prove his mockingbird status was whilst in court, he still didn’t want to accuse Mayella because “she seemed...
(263,264). By demonstrating that Jem did not instigate the attack upon him or his sister, Lee is able to show that Jem is a non instigator also known as a “Mockingbird” because he did not do anything to bring the attack upon himself or his sister. Also, Lee demonstrates the none “Mockingbird” Mr. Bob Ewell by attacking the young Finch children. Another instance of “Mockingbird” characters is Tom Robinson, a hardworking, family loving African American who was put up for his life against the word of two white people even though he had not committed any offences he was being charged for. Tom Robinson was found “Guilty. .
Robinson resembles a mockingbird because he does not cause any harm to the town of Maycomb. This particular mockingbird is killed when Mayella Ewell falsely accuses him of rape. Although all the evidence proves that Robinson is innocent, it is a battle between an African American and a white woman. “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow but people have a way of carry their resentments right into the jury box” (Lee 220). Robinson is eventually convicted because of the prejudice and racism that clouds everyone in the jury and every citizen of Maycomb. “Tom Robinson’s a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say “We think you’re guilty, but not very on a charge on like that.” It was either a straight acquittal or nothing” (Lee 219). Tom Robinson may not be guilty of raping Mayella, but he is guilty of feeling sorry for a lonely, white
To begin with, Tom Robinson is an innocent being that resembles a mockingbird because he is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. He is a black man that believes in equality. '''Yes suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-''' (Lee, 209) This honest statement Tom Robinson makes is a big mistake because back in the 1900s, there was a lot of discrimination which meant black people should never feel sorry for white people. It is a sin to kill Tom Robinson because he is a harmless citizen that means no harm to anyone in Maycomb. The death of Tom Robinson was typical to many white citizens in Maycomb because if black people were ever convicte...
In the novel, the mockingbird represents several different characters in various ways. For example, Boo Radley is portrayed as losing his innocence in society. He has proven that he is nothing but kind and generous by helping Jem and Scout in various occasions, but him being distant from society has allowed them, especially Jem and Scout, to make up stories about his doings causing him to look like a psychopath and obtaining a negative reputation amongst society. Jem also loses his innocence as well; this occurs when Tom Robinson is found guilty. Jem is well aware of the racial segregation that exists, but he believed that all the prejudice towards blacks did not exist in the courtroom. Jem is almost one-hundred percent sure that Tom will be found innocent because of the evidence his father Atticus has shown to the jury, but when he is declared guilty Jem has a realization that a white man will always win against a black one. In this point is where Jem loses his innocence and goes from a child mindset to an adult mindset where he now understands that prejudice exists everywhere. Another character that is portrayed as a mockingbird and is surely the most important out of the whole novel is Tom Robinson. Tom is an extremely vulnerable character since he is a cripple and black. His experience was different from Boos and Jems experience. The title of the book “To kill a
To begin with, Tom Robinson is an excellent example of portraying the symbol of the mockingbird. Tom being an Black African American in the late 1930’s, when society in the southern parts of America were filled with racial prejudice, is the best example of an African American not receiving the justice he deserved. The amount of racial prejudice in the town afflicts people's judgement and it labelled an innocent man, a convict. When waiting restlessly for hours at the courthouse in anticipation for the final verdict of the jury, Scout says,“ I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: “Guilty… guilty … guilty… guilty… guilty” (Lee, 282). A society's view of a black man is the ugly kind, their moral code does not allow them to be in favour of a black man, despite all evidence proving the innocence of one. Moreover, Tom knew he was unable to defend himself when the whole event of “rape” that took place, because he knew it he did say anything or did anything thin in his
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.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Race Relations Racism is a problem that has been around for multiple centuries. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it demonstrates how racism can affect one person even in the court of law. In this story, the case of Tom Robinson is told. It is obvious that Robinson is a victim of racist people that see him guilty only because of his race, African American. From the beginning, it seems obvious that Robinson does not have a chance of winning his case, whether he is guilty or not.
NAME: Cristian B DATE 4/1/24 CLASS and PERIOD: English,1st hour ASSIGNMENT Essay. Why was Tom Robinson falsely accused? allegedly "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a novel by Harper Lee that deals with racial injustice through the story of a young girl named Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, a lawyer defending a black man falsely accused of a crime. Atticus Defended the black man, also known as Tom Robinson, for allegedly sexually assaulting another person named Mayella Ewell, who is a member of the Ewell Family. The Ewell Family are poor and live in the slums.
Navya Madan Mrs. Kannon English 9G 2 May 2024 A halt in due process due to system racism Tom Robinson is a character from Harper Lee’s well-known novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Robinson was unfairly declared guilty in a court case involving the rape of Mayella Ewell, a girl from a poor white family. Scout Finch, the daughter of Atticus Finch, narrates the trial and the context around it from her perspective as a child. In this trial, various improper conduct occurred such as an all-white jury and no medical evidence. In this novel, Lee observed the problem of systemic racism present in the judicial system appearing in the 1931 Scottsboro case as well as the case of the Groveland Four, encouraging her to create the character of Tom Robinson in
That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." is a quote from the novel that implies that there are some people who symbolize a mockingbird in the novel. One of the people who is symbolized as a mockingbird is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson could be symbolized as a mockingbird because he did not harm anyone or do anything that could harm someone while contributing good to the world and helping people with jobs they couldn't do by themselves.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the social prejudice against black people often puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to the law. A prime example of this is Tom Robinson, a hardworking, respectful black man who is accused of sexually assaulting a white woman on the sole account of her white father. Regardless of the lack of evidence the prosecution is able to bring to court, Tom Robinson remains at a disadvantage due to racial views. Because of this, the towns people also view Tom as guilty for a crime he did not commit. This makes him and anyone who associates with him strongly disliked.