Theme Of Tom Robinson's Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol for vulnerable and

innocent members of society. There are multiple instances of behaviors and characters in the

novel. The three most prominent instances being Tom Robinson's trial and representation of the

black community, the comparison between Hitler persecuting the Jews and the people of

Maycomb persecuting the Blacks, and Scout's vulnerability as represented by her ham costume.

These three occurrences all share a common theme, which is the vulnerability that is

symbolized by the mockingbird.

One instance of the mockingbird representing vulnerability in the novel is Tom

Robinson’s trial in which he was wrongly convicted for the crime of rape. The trial in To Kill A

Mockingbird is a projection of the situation of the blacks in Maycomb County. The trial is shown

as being favorable to the white victim and witnesses and unfavorable towards the black

defendant. This appears to have been deliberately and

strategically placed in the novel by the

author to distribute one example of the injustice that happens constantly in the County of Maycomb, and by doing so, can be interpreted for the modern world as well. The hardship of Tom Robinson representing vulnerability can also be interpreted by the fact that he was powerless to defend himself. Tom Robinson was assigned one of the best lawyers in the county, and still he lost the case. This shows that even if a man is completely innocent, he can still be proven guilty just because he is a part of a minority group. Atticus Finch was appointed to Tom Robinson’s case by the judge because the judge thought Atticus Finch could break through to the people of Maycomb and make them able to see past the colour of Tom’s skin. Tom Robinson was a symbol of vulnerability because he was incapable of proving himself innocent of a crime he did not commit.
Another example of the mockingbird representing vulnerable members of society is the hypocrisy of certain Maycomb residents. In the novel, Scout is part of a discussion at her school about Adolf Hitler and his demonstrations of racism towards Jewish people. Scout finds the idea ridiculous that people are disgusted about Hitler displaying racism but are not worried about the racism that the same residents are showing towards black people in Maycomb. This instance shows that Harper Lee was not focusing on one particular member of our society that is vulnerable. Lee was attempting to communicate that there are many different vulnerable people in the world, and people are quicker to judge others on their actions than to judge
ourselves. People consistently “Shame others for shooting the mockingbird, but are quick to shoot one themselves,” continuing with the analogy of a mockingbird being the vulnerable member of society. Scout realizing that the people of Maycomb are hypocritical is a prompt to the reader to think about how they treat people and to reflect on their possible hypocrisy.
The last instance of vulnerability as portrayed by the mockingbird is Scout being somewhat trapped in her ham costume for the Halloween play. Scout is completely immobilized by her costume, her hands and arms crossing her body in a contorted position, making her incredibly vulnerable. This is an opportunity for Scout to see how Tom Robinson felt in his court case, just in a physical form whereas Tom Robinson’s was mental or emotional. Earlier in the novel, Atticus Finch gives valuable advice to his children Jem and Scout. “You can never truly understand someone until you climb in their skin and walk around in it.” (28) In Scout’s case, her ham costume was a very literal example of this. She was physically vulnerable, which is showed in how easily Bob Ewell attacks her later in the novel. Scout is able to see how Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he does no harm to anyone yet is so vulnerable, which allows Scout, the narrator, to give the reader a better perspective on the situation.
The three most outstanding instances of the behaviour associated with the mockingbird Tom

Robinson's trial and representation of the black community, the comparison between Hitler

persecuting the Jews and the people of Maycomb persecuting the Blacks, and Scout's

vulnerability as represented by her ham costume.

Tom Robinson’s trial is seen as a projection of

the entire black population of Maycomb, the comparison between Hitler and the people of

Maycomb is applicable to everyone, and Scout’s ham costume is a very literal personification of

vulnerable members of society. Harper Lee placed the events of To Kill A Mockingbird in such a

manner that the reader was made to question their own actions and ways of life. In this , Harper

Lee created a beautiful metaphor within the “Mockingbird” that is still relevant today. The

Mockingbird is a peaceful creature, never meant to be harmed. So why do we consistently harm

and maim this vulnerable and innocent

creature?