Who is a symbol of a Mockingbird and what does a Mockingbird symbolize? Tom Robinson from Harper Lee's novel To Kill A MockingBird symbolizes a Mockingbird. The bird represents innocents and it does no harm to others. Mr. Robinson symbolized the Mockingbird because he was fated to death even when he was innocent. Also, Tom is disabled and is unable to use his left hand and arm. Mr. Robinson faces racism within the court and in town. Tom Robinson was fated to death even when he had lots of evidence proving his innocence. On page 323 it states, “ Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” This shows everyone already made up their mind about Tom without listening to the evidence and Tom never even had a chance of surviving. Also, on page 323 the text says, “but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case.” Even though Atticus is the best lawyer in town he could not convince the people of Maycomb of the innocents …show more content…
Robinson was disabled and could not use his left hand nor arm. On page 254 we can see how useless his hand is when the text says, “As he raised his right hand the useless one slipped off the Bible and hit the clerks table.” We see how he can’t control his hand. Another detail is when the text says, “It was her right eye.” This shows that the person who beat up and took advantage of Mayella had to punch her with his left hand, which couldn’t have been Mr. Tom Robinson. When Reverend Sykes whispers to Scout and Jem and says,”He got caught in a cotton gin, caught it in Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when he was a boy … like to bled to death … tore all the muscles loose from his bones-” This shows in detail how Tom became disabled and how and why he can no longer use his arm. Mr. Robinson’s left hand was disabled when he was just a boy and now he can no longer use it. Mayella's right side of her face was beat up so someone punched her with the left hand. These details help prove the innocence of Tom
Oh yes that would make it her right. It was her right eye, Mr. Finch (Lee 192). This evidence shows that Mayella had all the bruises on the right side of her body which means Tom Robinson would have to use his left arm, but his left arm was useless because he got it caught in a cotton gin. BASIS OF GUILT On November 21, 1935, Tom Robinson was accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell because Sheriff Heck Tate had a poor investigation of the case.
During the trial, Atticus reveals that, “Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely,”(Lee). Mayella and her father claimed the abuser to be Tom Robinson. As Mayella had been beaten mostly on her left side, Atticus mentioned that Mayella’s father “swore out a warrant, no doubt signing it with his left hand,”(Lee). By showing Mayella’s father’s dominant hand, the newfound information that he was possibly guilty entered the jury’s minds, yet Tom Robinson was still a suspect. To defend Tom, Atticus said that, “Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses-his right,”(Lee).
Since that day, Tom has been unable to use his left arm. Not only was he unable to beat Ms. Ewell on her right side, but there is more evidence to prove that Mr. Robinson was not guilty.
Like when the prosecutor stated, ‘“You were given thirty days once for disorderly conduct, Robinson?”’ (Lee 223). This is followed by the fact that Tom got into a fight. Showing that he has a history of violence, also proves that he could easily harm someone with only one working arm. This ties in with Mayella’s injuries, bruises were found all over the right side of her face.
However, Sykes said his arm got “caught in a cotton gin” and it “tore all his muscles loose from his bones” (249). The physical condition of Tom Robinson’s arm was very likely to be noticed by the jury even though it wasn't necessarily spoken about. This can be said with surety as pragmatically if Scout
Link Deas was Tom’s boss and Mr. Deas could have told them about how Tom is a hard-working man. Link Deas could have also told them what Tom was doing the day that the alleged crime happened. The third piece of evidence is Mr. Finch should have had Tom show more that his arm didn’t work. Mr. Finch knew that “Mr. Robinson couldn’t have punched Mayella” (Lee 253). So, why would he not show that there was no way that Tom could have punched the left side of her face?
Of course, she blames Robinson for the act, despite the inconsistent certitude that his left arm was eviscerated in a cotton mill during a calamitous accident suffered during his childhood. This startling attestation is furthermore enunciated when Atticus utilizes delayed sentence in the following declaration: “Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses—his right hand,”(Lee 273). By highlighting Tom’s crippled state in such a melodramatic fashion, Atticus not only establishes the now nearly irrefutable notion of Robinson’s innocence, but also garners sympathy from the jury for his client, both of which are essential factors in his
He looked oddly off balance, but it was not from the way he was standing. His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled hand, and from as far away from the balcony I could see that it was no use to him.’” It is now revealed that Tom Robinson was innocent. The others in the courtroom begin to witness Mayella's wrath as she realizes she’s been caught being untruthful.
The Tom Robinson trial that occurred during the summer of this year was a result of an accusation of rape against Robinson by the Ewell family. According to Sheriff Heck Tate’s testimony, he was called to the Ewell residence on the night of November 21st. He found Miss Mayella Ewell beaten up and sprawled on the ground. “Found her lying on the floor in the middle of the front room, one on the right as you go in”(190). After questioning by Robinson’s lawyer, Atticus Finch, he stated that despite Miss Ewell’s injuries, a doctor had not been called.
(Lee 232). Atticus was very clever in using this piece of evidence against the opposition. To summarize, Atticus says that Mayella was severely beaten on the left side. He explains how Tom Robinson’s only good hand is his right hand, meaning that it would have been almost impossible for Tom to have beaten Mayella on the left. To add to this, Atticus also says that Mr. Ewell expressed that he was left-handed, a sure tell sign that he could have been the one to beat Mayella up on the left side.
(232). This is significant because this imagery allows us as readers and also allows the jury to truly picture a man beating Mayella with their left hand. He also uses the strong word “savagely” allowing us to realize how badly she was beaten. Although, as we read through the court case we got informed that Tom robinson can not use his left hand because it is permanently injured from an accident in the past, but Bob Ewell is left handed and Atticus believes he believes he beat Mayella his own daughter because he was drunk. In the end, the imagery provided allows us to see so much on how Tom Robinson is innocent but in the end the jury still goes on to announce him guilty, and that will be because he is
The trial is a clear-cut case that should not have even made it to court, as Atticus says. The only reason the case makes it to trial is the fact that it is an African American versus a white woman. In Atticus’ closing statement, he speaks briefly about the state not producing a single piece of physical evidence that could convict Tom Robinson, as the only physical evidence that can be held against Tom Robinson is the bruise marks Mayella received. This still does not correlate with Mr. Robinson because not only is he not left-handed, but he also has an arm that is lifeless. “...but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with only good hand he possesses—his right hand.”
(171) This quote is important as the action described here cannot be done by Tom Robinson as he only has one useful arm. This closing remark from To Kill A Mockingbird alludes that Tom Robinson had not even harmed Mayella in any way, but that Bob Ewell both beat and raped Mayella “The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is.”
“Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…he swore a warrant, no doubt signing with his left hand, and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses, his right hand.” This dialogue shows beyond a doubt that Tom is innocent by using factual evidence. Atticus takes advantage of the absence of factual evidence to support
First, Tom Robinson should have been found not guilty because he was right handed. Mayella the victim, was punched in the face on the night of the crime. On page 235, Mr. Heck Tate stated that Mayella had a black eye on her right eye