Scottsboro Boys Trial Comparison

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Recommended: Cultural perspective of killing a mockingbird

The text that provides the best commentary is Harper Lee’s, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Both ‘Dry September’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ are loosely based on the Scottsboro Trial; ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is the better commentary. This is for three reasons, the crime that both accused were charged with and the outcomes, the prejudice that the jury has in both cases, and the discrepancy and integrity of the alleged victims. Nevertheless the reasons articulate for a strong forefront for the better commentary of, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. The commentary of the Scottsboro Boys that, To Kill a Mockingbird, provides is a better commentary when compared to, Dry September.

The first reason, To Kill a Mockingbird, provides a better commentary than, Dry September, is the outcome of the accused charges. In both of the stories, the crime is rape. However the crucial matter is that one went to trial and the other did not. The part of the fame and appeal of the Scottsboro boys is the trial and later retrials. In Dry September, the reader is lead on to know that Will Mayes is lynched. This is established when a character called McLendon says in reply to a whisper made by another character to kill Will Mayes, “Not here.”(Dry September, William Faulkner, 11) This is the intention and the motive of the gang, to kill Will Mayes meaning that a trial could never take place. Consequently the paradox of this is the trial of Tom Robinson. The trial in To Kill a Mockingbird is the better commentary than the lynching of Will Mayes because it is analogous with the real trial. The trial of Tom Robinson provides a better commentary for the Scottsboro Boys than the lynching of Will Mayes.

The second reason To Kill a Mockingbird provides better commentary than Dr...

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...lleged victims on court based scrutiny provides a better commentary for To Kill a Mockingbird when compared to Dry September for the Scottsboro boys' trial.

As one can see To Kill a Mockingbird provides a better commentary for the Scottsboro boys' trial than Dry September. The commentaries between the two have similar properties but the major difference is a trial. Consequently any comparison to the conduct of the trials cannot be undertaken with Dry September. To Kill a Mockingbird provides a better commentary with the outcome of the charge of rape, the prejudice of the jury and the discrepancies and integrity of the alleged victims. These reasons articulate to create a better commentary for To Kill a Mockingbird on the Scottsboro boys' trial. In conclusion, To Kill a Mockingbird provides a better commentary for the Scottsboro boys' trial than Dry September.

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