Tom Robinson was a black man who in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, was convicted of a crime simply because of the color of his skin. His case was much of the underlying meaning behind the book itself, and was the main reason it earned its reputation and recognition. Tom Robinson was affected by prejudice and killed by it in extension to his supposed rape of a white woman. There was no evidence supporting his guilty sentence, but because he was black and those who spoke out against him were white he was found guilty Tom Robinson lived in the black part of Maycomb, and helped a white woman by the name of Mayella Ewell. On one certain day, she was alone in her house and invited him to come inside to help her with something. She shen attempted …show more content…
The entire story seemed to be based around it, not the other way around. It showed the way the world was during the depression, and the casual racism that existed so freely back then. “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.” The story existed to shed light on the way the world was even as it was being written, including the parts many novels didn’t dare to keep in. At the time reading this book was like being Scout, having your eyes opened to the true nature of the world including all the horrors it holds. “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads- they couldn’t be fair if they treid. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s word, the white always wins. They’re ugly, but these are the facts of life.” Concepts like this enthused some and enraged others. By extension into the real world, the story of Tom Robinson aided the Civil Rights Movement, and in the book giving Jem and Scout a taste of the real
Titus Smith Mrs. Lawson English 10 11 January 2023 Who is to blame? Mayella Ewell had no evidence to prove Tom was guilty, but on Tom's side, there was specific evidence that proves he is innocent. The story of, ¨To Kill a Mocking Bird¨ by Harper Lee, is about a little girl living through the experiences of a court case between a local family daughter Mayella Ewell, and a black man Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was accused by Mayella of rape when he came to the Ewell house to help her. Mayella invited Tom inside to help her and considering Tom Robinson was a black man, the community already did not treat him well.
It’s a hot and humid day and all of Maycomb is gathered to find out the truth behind what happened on the evening of November 21. The person in question is Tom Robinson an African American servant. He was accused by Mayella and Bob Ewell for rape of Mayella. The defendant, Tom Robinson, is supported and assisted by defence attorney Atticus Finch who is going against prosecuting attorney Mr.Gilmer. The courthouse was filled with people from all races, where the blacks sat in the balcony and the whites sat front and center in the lower level.
Tom Robinson and many others like him have been victims of racism in the United State. Tom Robinson was a character in To Kill A Mockingbird and he was falsely accused of a crime and then was later killed for it. Tom Robinson from To Kill A Mockingbird is the best representation of racism because of its historically accurate representation of racism when he was almost lynched and later judged by the jury on his case. Tom Robinson is also current accuracy in the fact that he was a victim of police brutality.
On November 21, Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. This court all believes and will take Mayella Ewell and Mr. Ewell’s side for this case is a white woman against a black man. Mr. Ewell, the witness, said that he saw a “strong looking black man” punch his daughter in the right eye. According to the witness, that means Tom must have hit Mayella Ewell with his left arm. Tom’s left arm, however is completely obsolete for it is completely withered away from a prior incident.
Yesterday evening at 5:30 pm, Tom Robinson declared that he is innocent and admitted to doing no crime for the accusation of the Mayella Ewell rape trial incident which took place at the Southern town of Maycomb courthouse. Tom Robinson spoke his side of the story ever since the trial began and requested not guilty, because he stated that he had committed no crime at the residence of the Ewells. However, protesters of Maycomb believe that he is not speaking the truth about the incident. According to Mayella Ewell, the rape incident took place at her very own home on the evening of November 21st last year.
Long before Tom Robinson is introduced into the novel, it is clearly known to the reader that ‘negroes’ are considered in the lower class and always convicted guilty, regardless of the truth. Tom is accused of sexual rape by Bob Ewell’s daughter, Mayella Ewell, who is an obnoxious young lady with an attraction to Tom. Sheriff Heck Tate testifies that Mayella was hit on the right side of her face. Tom’s lawyer, Atticus Finch, believes that this is crucial evidence for Tom’s case and asks Heck, repeatedly, to clarify that it was the right side of her face: “It was her right eye… Which side again Heck?... The right side Mr. Finch” (192).
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the South, where African Americans are seen very differently compared to white people. African Americans were seen as liars, deceptive, and untrustworthy. While white people were very well trusted, no matter how shaky their story is. Tom Robinson is an African American man accused of rape. Mayella Ewell the “victim” if you will is a white woman whose testimony isn’t as good as Toms.
Moreover, the author introduces mature ideas into the story, such as Boo Radley and his ill treatment. The author also emphasizes the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Through these ideas, the author’s message is to inform the reader of the ill treatment and discrimination against others, which still continue to this day. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird emphasizes Scout losing her innocence due to the series of events occurring in her life, primarily those that have great significance.
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the idea of the mockingbird represents much more than a simple bird. Tom Robinson and the mockingbird have a lot in common. They do no harm to anyone, are innocent of what people accuse them of, and face persecution from most people. In the South right after the end of the Civil war, people of color were still persecuted and regarded as unequal to the white man. This was exactly the case in the fictitious small-town of Maycomb, Alabama.
Tom Robinson is considered a mockingbird because he was slaughtered for doing nothing but trying to live his life, “...There’s a black boy dead for reason” (Lee 233). In the quote when it talks about the "senseless slaughter," and the unreasonable, unjustifiable death, it relates to Tom because he is being punished for his false accusations, and it relates to an innocent mockingbird being killed. Tom Robinson symbolizes an innocent fragile songbird because he does no harm to society, his voice is ignored by almost everyone, and he gets shot and killed just like an innocent fragile songbird which reaches the theme of the novel, ‘To kill a mockingbird’. The book exploration of the moral nature of human beings—that is, whether people are essentially good or essentially
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a controversial trial between a white family and a black man during the Great Depression is depicted. Bob Ewell, who lives in a run down house by a dumpster, comes home to see his daughter, Mayella, being taken advantage of by Tom Robinson. When their case arrives in court, Tom Robinson argues that he was merely trying to help Mayella Ewell when she tried to kiss him. Although Mr. Robinson was found guilty, Bob Ewell still wants revenge on the attorney representing Tom Robinson, Atticus, and decides to attack his children.
¨Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed¨(pg 241). Tom Robinson, a young black man accused of a crime, is a main example of blindness to prejudice throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Taking place within the Great Depression and the Jim Crow era, these issues affected many people's lives. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee writes about issues with prejudice that are presented often through racism, social class, and sexism.
Think back to when you were little kid around 7 or so and you had no worries about life or anything. All you would think about is candy and toys and nothing about the world of adults. No worries of the weather or what the grown ups would talk about. Scout’s childhood innocence takes a turn from her care free days to the real world of racism and bad people. In To Kill a Mockingbird Scout witnesses the trial of Tom Robinson and how racism is taught to her unknowingly from it.
Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongfully convicted of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This novel goes through Scout's life from when she was 6, till she is 9. She lives in the town of Maycomb Alabama, and lives an innocent life until about halfway through the story, where she begins to ask questions. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the readers that racial inequality creates an unjust society through the African American community, through the people surrounding colored folks, and through Tom Robinson’s Case. The first example of the consequences of racial inequality is the African American community in Maycomb.
Tom Robinson is unfairly persecuted because his skin is darker than the skin of his neighbors. Robinson is not given a fair trial. Later in the book, an angry mob shows up at the jail, trying to kill him. These strangers acted without knowing if Robinson was guilty or not. Their prejudice, racism, and hate nearly leads them to murder.