In To Kill a Mockingbird, a black man named Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus had helped Tom Robinson as his lawyer, Tom Robinson had not received a fair trial, because he had no witnesses to back him up. Since the jury was not impartial, it made the trial even harder on Tom’s part. When explaining the trial to Scout, Atticus tells her, “’ Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started. ‘” as it states on page 78. Atticus had already known that the trial would have been difficult because of racial issues dating back to 1865 when slavery was still around. Not only had an impartial jury been of the reasons that made the trial unfair, but it also was the fact that the trial was slow. On page 77,
31. Atticus delivers disturbing news to Helen Robinson, that her husband was shot, when trying to escape the prison. 32. The subject of Mr. Underwood’s editorial is That is is a sin to kill cripples. 33.
This past week has been rough for the Robinson family. After a racist jury choose to make an innocent man guilty things went from bad to worse. Atticus Finch was chosen to defend Tom Robinson. This particular case was against Mayella Ewell, a white woman. As a black man Tom was already at a disadvantage.
1. When Atticus Finch states that one day people will settle the accounts for discrimination that happened back in the day and today, he means that white people will get revenge, or some sort of punishment for inciting horrific words, and acts upon black people. In the novel, an example of white people settling the account for discrimination against black people is Bob Ewell. This man falsely accuses an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, for raping his daughter Mayella. Days later, he was killed trying to murder two innocent children. The consequence for him causing harm to Tom Robinson was death.
Comparing Trials. We have court trials monthly, whether it's minor or major. But, without a witness how will the jury pick a side and decide if the accused is guilty or not guilty? As trails exist in non-fiction they exist in fiction.
Would you defend a man for money, or for a greater cause? Others would say money, but in To Kill A Mockingbird, there was more to that for Mr. Finch. Atticus was wise to defend Tom Robinson because, he believes everyone deserves a fair trial, wants to demonstrate that you should stand up for what you believe in, and wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t defend him. Atticus wasn’t doing this because it was his job or for the money, he saw more than that in this case. He saw that maybe he could maybe show Maycomb a bit of light, that they don’t need to be discriminating men and women like Tom.
How is judgement prevalent in society? Physicist Albert Einstein once said, “Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen”. He means that you didn’t just randomly become so judgmental one day. You acquired all of the common sense that you have now based on where you grew up, and the influences that were around you. You were taught to automatically judge people and assume things based on appearance, skin color, and rumors.
Innocently charged with the alleged rape, Tom Robinson is appointed with the lawyer Atticus to defend his case. Bravely, he takes on the case and leaves everyone in a state of shock. Due to Tom’s race, the common prejudice assumes he is guilty yet Atticus stands up in his defense. Even though Atticus knows he will lose and “licked a hundred years before we started” he believes that it is, “no reason for us not to try and win”(Lee 87). Lee’s use of the allusion “licked a hundred years before we started” references a historical loss in the South in the Civil War.
The Importance of Action John Ruskin was a famous artist and critic who composed multiple works including The Crown of Wild Olive in which the quote, “What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do,” is found. Ruskin is saying that thoughts, knowledge, or beliefs do not have very much significance and only action can lead to tangible results. The ideas in this statement have been shown to be correct throughout literature and history in To Kill a Mockingbird, “The Gettysburg Address,” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.
False accusations In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, there was a false accusation against Tom Robinson for rape. Along with that, he was a man of color. Which is still a problem to this day. The false accusations can be anything from breaking and entering to murder it all depends on who is telling the truth and what does the evidence bring to the case.
Because it was a black male against a white female, the black male was accused of lying. Atticus also say, “A court is no better than each
Atticus is faced with many threats along the way and is shunned in the community for defending a man of such a heinous crime. During the trial Atticus makes many strong arguments and it is plainly
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee Hadrien Olinger Newspaper Article Report on the death of Tom Robinson Maycomb country Tom Robinson, accused of rape People involved in this trial: Atticus Finch, lawyer of Tom Robinson Mayella Violet Ewell (19) - says she got raped Judge Taylor- the judge Mr Gilmer- lawyer of Mayella Ewell Tom Robinson (27)- accused of rape Tom Robinson gets shot dead a few hours after his trial. Had no hope left in him and decided to go for the run. He was accused of raping a white girl.
Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "... 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" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony.
In the case that Atticus was defending, Tom Robinson, a black man, was accused for raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. When speaking to Atticus about the court case, Jem states that there should have been more evidence before deciding whether Tom Robinson was innocent or guilty. He said, “I mean before a man is sentenced to death for murder, say there should be one or two eyewitnesses. Someone should be able to say, ‘Yes, I was there and saw him pull the trigger’” (251).