Tom Robinson Unjustified Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Justice was shown through some of the main characters in this book. Like a figure of a mockingbird Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Atticus all showed great justice throughout this book. Tom Robinson, has never harmed anyone and always helped with anything he could. Boo Radley, although never really seen by the community much, showed that he is really a nice man towards the end of the book. Atticus Finch also showed character by standing helping Tom even when most of the community was against him.

“This case is not a difficult one, it requires no minute sifting of complicated facts, but it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. To begin with, this case should have never came to trial. This case is as simple as black and white. (203) In To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee presents the idea that justice was not served for blacks in the 1930’s because Tom Robertson was not given a nondiscriminatory trial nor do blacks get the same rights as oppose to if you were white.

To kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Mockingbirds do not cause harm or trouble; in fact their only purpose is to convince others with beautiful music. Tom Robinson’s death can easily be compared to that of a mockingbird; it did no good but also prevented no evil. Mr. Underwood chooses to write an article that basically every citizen of Maycomb can understand, and this proves to the reader the obvious connection between Tom Robinson and the symbol of a mockingbird. Mr. Underwood chooses to ignore the prominent racial barrier that separated Tom Robinson from justice, and chooses to focus on his disability instead.

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley are two characters who represent the mockingbird. In the midst of finding who Boo truly is, Atticus Finch explains to his children, Jem and Scout, that it is a sin to kill the bird because they don’t do anything but make music. As the story progresses, and the two “mockingbirds” are being accused and attacked both verbally and physically, the identity of the mockingbirds surfaces. As a crippled African-American man who is accused of rape simply because of his color, Tom Robinson symbolizes a mockingbird in Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

In TKAM justice is not applied equally, especially regarding white and non-white, and adult and child. With white and non-white one of the main reasons Tom Robinson goes to court for rape is because that he is a black man testifying against a white family. Even though the evidence obviously points to Mayella trying to kiss Tom Robinson, Robinson is still considered guilty because of his ethnicity. This is extremely unfair and biased because he is obviously innocent, and being persecuted for no reason other than the fact that the judge and people in the town are racist. With adult and child, Atticus tries to keep his children from the court.

Yesterday was Tom Robinson’s trial. I cannot explain how frustrated I am. I finally understand in what cruel society i am in. I cannot believe that the Maycomb folks took their prejudge into the trial. I was so confident about the trial.

Mockingbird symbolizes people who are innocent and do no harm, but only good to others. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are mockingbirds. Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he helped Mayella without expecting a reward many times. Tom usually did chores that need the strength of a man like break a chiffarobe for Mayella. Boo Radley saved the children even though he was afraid of public.

Throughout the novel, people start acting different towards Atticus because of the Tom Robinson trial. A few days before the trial a good friend of Atticus tries to kill him with a group of white men to hurt Tom Robinson, but in between the situation Scout gets involved by talking to Mr. Cunningham casually and the men leave. It was one night when Atticus was acting up, of course because of the Tom Robinson case which is the night before but Jem, Scout and Dill knew something else was going on. A crowd of men and the sheriff, Heck Tate, go to Atticus’s house the day before the Tom Robinson trial.

To Kill a Mocking Bird When living in a community as small and close-knit as Maycomb, it is inevitable that social class will play a large role in everyday life. Some key attributes that determine where the citizens of Maycomb stand on the social ladder are wealth, race, and character. Jem explains, “There’s four kinds of folks in this world. There 's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there 's the kind like the Cunningham’s out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes" (Lee 258). At the top of the ladder stands the Finch family.

The greatest injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird is race and racism. This is a good book to learn about the discrimination against black people and how they were treated. In the novel racism is used against Tom Robinson; the one accused for the rape of Mayella Ewell. Also, race is shown how Capurnia acts in front of the Finches, then in front of the regular black population. In the novel Scout and Jem are looked after by Calpurnia, their black housekeeper.

In the knothole, some treasures that the children find include a knife, a watch, and a ball of grey twine. Scout believes that the person who are leaving these items around is Mr. Avery. The next day, the children sees that the knothole is now filled with cement. Mr. Nathan Radley most likely said this to the kids to keep them away from his yard. The night of the fire, Scout was covered by a blanket by Boo Radley.

Character & Blended Quote w/ page number Context/Situation Significance As Calpurnia tries to have Scout justify her assumptions, when it comes to looking at things from someone else’s perspective “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us, “she whispered fiercely, “but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t. […] “Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you disgracin’ ‘em”. (32) Calpurnia tries getting Scout to look at a situation from someone else’s perspective, to learn to justify their actions.

In Harper Lee’s historical fiction masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird, the rarely appearing  character, Tom Robinson, acts as a linchpin for the plot. He was created by the author for the purpose of causing encounters, causing references to his life, and sharing his insights on life that highlight the theme: other should not be prejudged by race.     Atticus mentions Tom Robinson to Uncle Jack at the latter’s home. Atticus feels worried about the case because,” the only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word”(Lee 166-17). This insinuates that people of color get perceived as liars when their words contradict those of a white person.