“The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this room is” (Lee 271). Atticus, in his closing argument, attempts to convey that Tom Robinson is innocent, and the Ewell’s have done a wrong deed. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the theme of treating and respecting everyone as an individual in Atticus’s closing argument by using rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogies, and allusions.…
In this part we perform the xanthoprotic, biuret, and ninhydrin test. A yellow color is positive for the xanthoprotic test, and tyrosine will give a positive result. For the biuret test, a purple color is a positive test. The ninhydrin test will give a positive result for glycine.…
Throughout history, there have been people who oppose the will of society, often actively working against it. Every society had there Joan of Arc or their Martin Luther King Jr., and this trend carried over to popular culture, finding its way into movies, books, television and radio. Harper Lee’s famous novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is no exception. She weaves a near-timeless tale of the path from childhood to adulthood. In her unforgettable novel, the character of Atticus Finch assumes this role, as he takes on the court case of Tom Robinson, a black man convicted of rape, in his opinions on the mysterious Arthur “Boo” Radley, and even in his personal positions on many aspects of his life.…
“To Kill a Mockingbird” takes place in 1930’s Alabama, where racism and segregation were accepted as social norms. Lawyer Atticus Finch defended “Negro” Tom Robinson in court, whom Mr. Ewell accused of raping his daughter. People considered defending a black man in court against a white man as a disgrace to the lawyer, his family and community. While Atticus talked to his brother Jack, he mentioned that “The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells‘. The evidence boils down to you-did—I-didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells”. (Lee, 116-117) Atticus tells Jack that they don’t have enough data to prove Tom’s innocence in the case. The Ewells were not as respectable people as Tom Robinson, but according to the social hierarchy, dishonorable white people were above…
Harper Lee, the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird," left behind a massive legacy. Her book sold more than 40 million copies since it was published in 1960, and Americans rank it among the most influential books they've read. But after more than 50 years and millions of classrooms lessons, some of its central lessons still, at least at times, go unheard. the same racial prejudices that led to Robinson's conviction are thriving, if in more subtle ways, in courtrooms today. It is not unknown that black defendants are more likely to be convicted of crimes than white defendants, and that people found guilty of murdering white victims are significantly more likely to be sentenced to death than those who murder blacks. Defendants with more stereotypically…
The Tom Robinson case in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee shows unfairness and inequality in colored people compared to whites. Tom Robinson is a black man who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Evidence clearly shows that Tom did not commit rape, but the jury still found him guilty according to his skin color. Tom now has to face his life in misery, knowing that he didn’t do anything wrong. The Declaration of Independence and Tom’s inspiring lawyer, Atticus Finch, both say that “all men are created equal”. Based on this classic American novel, not everyone gets an equitable trial and is treated fairly. The Tom Robinson trial was evident of injustice and inequity. Harper Lee's story proves that not everyone is treated equally, especially in court.…
Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird depicts the childhood and coming of age of a young girl named Jean-Louise “Scout” Finch. The main focus of this novel is the trial of an African-American man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman, and Scout’s father, Atticus, who has been assigned to defend him. Written during the Civil Rights Movement, Lee’s purpose is to highlight the racial prejudice that had permeated throughout the Southern culture. She achieves this in the trial scenes, where she embeds Atticus’s strong dialogue into the context of the vivid imagery she presents of the trial.…
Justice vs. Injustice is a very prevalent theme in the text To Kill a Mockingbird, the song “You’re Crashing, But You’re No Wave” and the article The Nation: The Central Park Jogger; An Old Case in a Different New York. In To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM), Atticus Finch is called on to defend a black man accused of rape. Before the case is turned over to the jury, Atticus presents the jury with his final argument. He believes that the case requires “no minute sifting of complicated facts,” and should be easily decided. Atticus asks the jury not to get caught by the Prosecutor's case, as they gave very few adequate points and are relying on the assumption that “all negroes lie, that all negroes are basically immoral beings.” Sadly, Tom Robinson…
The book To Kill a Mockingbird is based out of the town of Maycomb, Alabama. The residents in Maycomb are extremely racist and see minor inequalities as major differences and reasons to segregate. The families of Maycomb have their own hereditary social classes and are pretty much stuck in their class based on occupation and race. People in Maycomb are born into significance or are born into less fortunate situations. Many of the characters use these social classes to boost their self esteem. Due to the social classes and stigmas surrounding these classes the citizens have limited their ability to develop fully as humans.…
Tom Robinson, an African-American man, is put on trial for the rape of a nineteen year old girl. Since those in the court system look down upon colored people, his trial is not fair from the start. Both the judge and the members of the jury are white, southern males, and these people do not like African Americans because they believe that they do not deserve to be treated like people and have actual human rights.. For example Tom says to Atticus, “Yes, suh. I felt sorry for her…” (164). At this point Tom was basically digging his own…
In the 1930's in southern Alabama, rape and attempted rape was considered a capital offense. This was just one of the measures taken to ensure the safety of Southern women, who in the eyes of men, were fragile and innocent. As a result of the Ladies Law, men could even be sentenced to jail time for using profane language around a lady. This conservative culture, combined with prejudices leftover from the civil war, spelled trouble for any black man who spent his time in company with white women. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson, an African American, is charged with the rape of a young white woman. Tom Robinson is very fortunate to be given Atticus Finch as his defense attorney. Atticus Finch is an outstanding lawyer whose moral responsibility and personal investment gave Tom Robinson the best chance at being acquitted.…
Imagine you are in a town where racism is evident and you have been falsely accused of rape against a white woman, Mayella Ewell. You are an African American young man who has a beautiful wife and children, fighting for your freedom in a trial that could end with you being six feet underground. The evidence of the trial is to your advantage and your defending attorney is now presenting his closing argument that is sure to prove your innocence. The major conflict in the trial is the inequality you face because you are a colored man against a white woman. Racism was one of the many problems affecting the United States, especially in southern states, during the 1930’s. It is still a major issue in the United States today. In “To Kill A Mockingbird”…
Did you ever wonder why someone thought to separate blacks from whites, then wonder why someone decided to join them together again? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many uncomfortable situations were addressed that many people today preferably don’t like to discuss. This is why Atticus Finch encourages his children, Jem and Scout, to be aware of segregation. Within the novel, there is a rape case that discusses a black man being accused of the crime. This case afflicts many emotions and actions of multiple characters, but specifically Atticus, the lawyer on the black man’s side. The emotions from him are about how his life revolves around social disrespect and racial dishonesty which causes Atticus to act effectively and…
Racism is the hatred and intolerance of another race and this eventually leads to inequality for all minorities. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows the effects of racism in a community and how it changes and affects the people in it. Racism, throughout history, has created inequality as well as affected the minds of the young. In To Kill A Mockingbird these two themes are played out in the small town of Macomb County and their effects are shown throughout the story. After a decision by the jury to convict a black man of raping a white woman, Jem breaks down and tries to understand the racist world. Children are not born racist, but they are molded by their community and become like the people they look up to. Racism is inequality and…
From a very young age, I have always held a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. Being able to sense when something throws off my moral compass is something that I pride myself on, which is how I relate deeply with Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. In Watchman, Scout is now in her twenties, and trying to wrap her head around the rapidly changing times of the 1950s, when the entire country is on the brink of major social change on the racial front. Traveling from progressive New York City to her childhood home of Maycomb, Alabama, only deepens her confusion on racial issues. Scout is forced to formulate her own opinions when discovering the deepening troubles concerning race in her hometown……