Individuality In To Kill A Mockingbird

Then, surprisingly, at the end, a Cunningham made the jury hesitate while they were taking their decision which supports that the Cunninghams, just like everyone, can be both good and

I think that Tom should have been considered innocent until the Ewells could prove that he was guilty. Nevertheless, the jury believed that Tom was guilty because of the color of his skin. After much debate the jury of white men believed the two white witnesses over the black defendant. However, not the whole jury thought that Tom was guilty. One of the Cunninghams was on the jury and fought very hard for Tom’s side, according to Atticus.

Like most places, Maycomb County, Alabama was full of hardworking people of integrity, as well as dishonest, indolent citizens. Atticus, a distinguished lawyer, raised his two kids, Scout and Jem, to be disciplined youth, practicing honest morals. Everyone in Maycomb admired Atticus for his respectable character, just as they all abhorred the Ewell family, for their cheating and lying ways. However, Atticus’ prominent role in town was suddenly challenged when he was chosen to defend in court Tom Robinson, a black man whom Mayella Ewell accused him of taking advantage of her. Eyes that once looked up to Atticus with deep admiration, now glared at him in disgust.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongly accused and tried for the crime of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, and is being defended by his lawyer, Atticus Finch. According to the book it’s written “I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.” This shows how Tom struggled emotionally because Tom was emotionally tired of being controlled by others, letting others have the opportunity to control his life and what happened to his family. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Tom ran for it even though he knew there were high risks of him being killed, which shows how the caged bird in the poem “Caged Bird” is much like him. In the poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou, the caged bird is compared and contrasted to a free bird and by examining the circumstances of Tom Robinson’s life, I say that he is very much like the caged bird.

He then tries to transfer the audience’s pity to Tom Robinson, who is the real victim in the courtroom. He calls out the ‘witnesses’ for assuming that the jury would believe them just because of Robinson’s skin color. By doing this he appeals to the jury’s emotions by claiming that they are smarter than only judging on skin color. He addresses the racist prejudices that the jury might have had and tells them they are better than that, making them feel guilty for the racism they may have felt. Atticus tells the jury he is sure that they will make the right decision, saying, “Now I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this man to his family.”

Atticus being familiar to the kind of people in Maycomb, he had a good feeling that he was going to lose the trial. “Despite the danger of a mob of men coming to lynch Tom, Atticus sits outside the jailhouse with nothing but a lamp” (Text 2). Atticus put himself in serious danger by standing up to these angry men wanting to hurt Tom. Later Scout and Jem arrive and this puts them in danger as well.

Mayella was exacerbate when Atticus kept on calling her “Ma’am and miss.” (Doc:C) Judge Taylor told Mayella that Atticus was not making fun of her because he was being polite and of what she’s been through so Mayella got away with being rude to Atticus. “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, ain’t ever seen any jury decide in a favor of a colored man over a white man…’” (Doc:D) The jury decided in favor of a colored man over a white man due to all the evidence that was found and leading to Mr. Ewell.

Assuming all men are created equal like Jefferson said, then slaves should have never existed. Mr. Finch adds “ a jury is only as strong as the men that make it up.” Granted the men that make it up do not believe two men of different races are equal. Tom should be given a fair trail with an unbias jury. Assuming a white male was being accused of raping a black female, the case would have been dismissed as the female lying.

He says that courage is perseverance even when you know you will not win, and Atticus shows us courage by defending Tom Robinson in a trial he knows he will most likely lose. "Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”. Atticus says this in his closing argument saying that the courts at this time are very much unequal and racist. To win this trial Atticus much convince the jury that they are wrong, but since the jury has been raised on hating black people this difficult task.

Tom’s case was extremely unfair because the jury was all prejudice people. Atticus shares his morals in the courtroom, You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men” (217). It was clear that the people in the court do know that what Atticus says is true. Atticus was given instruction to be Tom’s lawyer, he truly tried his best to convince the jury that Tom was

Juror Nine votes not guilty because he admires Juror Eight for standing alone against the majority. Once the jurors start to discuss the case again Juror Seven questions who else would have the motive to kill this boy’s father. Juror Eight rebuts by saying, “As far as I know, we’re supposed to decide whether or not the boy on trial is guilty. We’re not concerned with anyone else’s motives here” (Rose 240).

That brings about a great majority of racist white men. The jury in Tom Robinson’s case is made almost wholly, if not entirely of them. The only people in the novel who clearly challenge this stereotype, or status quo, are Atticus Finch and Dolphus Raymond. This makes it not only possible, but fairly effortless for this group of men to have the power. Before the trial begins, Scout and Jem can’t find seats downstairs, where the white people sit.

Lee doesn’t leave the readers to play the guessing game this time on whether he will walk free or be found guilty. This is racist and discriminatory Maycomb, Alabama. The reader is already told he will not walk free. Scout, like the reader, learns that despite every piece of evidence rendering the raping of Ms. Mayella Ewell an impossible happenstance, life is simply just never

Tom Robinson is in court because he is accused of raping Bob Ewell 's daughter. Tom is a black man and during that time they were still being discriminated and being treated unfairly. Bob is a white man and when a white man accuses a black man of anything the white man is the outcome is usually in the white man 's favor. In the courthouse Atticus was trying to defend Tom Robinson, he uses an allusion and says, " But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal--there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein..." (210).

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem, Scout, and Dill’s innocence is destroyed. They lose their carefree and happy existence through the ignorance and racism in their hometown of Maycomb. Initially, the children believe everyone in Maycomb is friendly. They do not understand the racism occurring in their town until Tom Robinson’s trial. After observing the Tom Robinson trial, the children’s view of some of the citizens in their town change because of the hatred against blacks and the obvious injustice in the courtroom.