That's what answered to the question what were the reasons for him to defend Tom Robinson in court. Tom Robinson is in this story the most obvious oppressed. But instead of talking about why he is oppressed, I'd like to show you in what way he is oppressed, by e.g. Bob Ewell.
1. [...] "I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" […] - Bob Ewell
Mister Ewell is barely literate, as we all know, because he could barely write his OWN name properly. However when it comes to verbal communication he is actually quite talented. Even though I think his language-use is way to aggressive and offensive. He never used Tom's name, not even once. He never used the pronoun 'he', when speaking about Tom. So what he does is he dehumanises him and compares his to a beast (: "I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!"). He emphasises Tom's race (: "Black nigger"). What he does he won't let anyone is that court forget that Tom is something not-human, because of his race. So within a mere ten words he offenses Tom multiple times and make the crowd in court wild.
2. [...] To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. Funny thing, Atticus Finch might've got him off scot free, but wait-? Hell no. You know how they are. Easy come, easy go. Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer's mighty thin. Nigger always comes out in 'em. [...]
I must say a beautiful peace of writing by Harper Lee, but that does not take away that something very serious has been mentioned here. What she tells us is that the work of Atticus did not have much effect. After the trial, in which many got on Tom's hand and were against his penalty, everything went (alsmost) back to normal. People went on with their lives and not daily wondering about how unsound of mind they actually are! In a passive way people actually let racism go on and they do not try to stop it. For the inhabitants of Maycomb there, propably, has to be another incident or trial involving a negro-person.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Tom Robinson was a civilized man who was trying to get home from work one day,and Mayella Ewell ruined that for him. In the unfair case of Tom Robinson he was accused of raping a girl he never found interest in.The case had a ruling set before it even started,because he was a black man. There was so much evidence that Mayella wasn't raped by Tom Robinson,some of the evidence were Tom's physical handicap from a cotton gin as well as his left arm being twelve inches shorter than his right and was not able to use his left arm.His color works againt him,the jury decides to believe mayella instead of Tom. Therefore, he was convicted and sent to jail.…
- 255 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
As I replaced my corset, I could hear those mindless little birds jabbering on about how Tom Robinson was going to get what he deserved. Ha. For my brother is not a fool and he would not defend a Negro as forcefully as he did if that Negro was not one-hundred percent innocent. But, I plastered a smile on my face, went out to face the world as a strong and proud and proper woman of the 20th century. But, I felt like falling to the floor and eating all of the tea cakes I was carrying while I cried. The Finches were ruined, not only was it bad enough that Atticus was defending a Negro but that we lost was an even bigger blow to his dignity, our dignity.…
- 308 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Being a Black man in Maycomb, Alabama was difficult; Maycomb was a racist town with people who did not want the Blacks to be equal to the Whites. People discriminated Robinson’s race to the point where his race was what defined his character. The Whites in Maycomb had a mentality that all blacks were not to be trusted. This affected Tom Robinson because during his rape trial his lawyer, Atticus Finch states “. . . You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral; some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.” [Lee, 48] Atticus was trying to say that we need to judge people as individuals rather than by their race. Robinson’s race caused him to be discriminated against by the Whites in Maycomb, in particular Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell had seen that his daughter had kissed a Black man and was very upset. He said "I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" [Lee, 84] Because Robinson…
- 1213 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Atticus Finch was a very well-liked man in the small Mississippi town called Maycomb, but after being chosen to be Tom Robinson’s defense attorney, he was highly persecuted by the town that loved him so much. Atticus was a very well-liked member of Maycomb, he was very respected by his peers. As Miss Maudie once said, There are some men in this world who were born to do unpleasant jobs for us, (Lee 215). Of course, Atticus was one of those men, which in the blink of an eye, turned the town against him.…
- 521 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch shows courage by standing up for his beliefs and by respecting values that he does not share.…
- 470 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
During the trial, Atticus argues calmly but adamantly for Tom Robinson’s innocence, but also for the jury to give him fair trial. In his closing argument, Atticus reminds the jury that the “case [was] as simple as black and white” (Lee 207), and he also dispels the “evil assumption—that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber” (Lee 208). For Tom Robinson, the case would have never gone to court if he was not black. This is a clear critique on the racism of Maycomb, which is only supported by the fact that Atticus had to remind the jury that African Americans are human beings of the same moral…
- 615 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
One of the biggest parts of To Kill A Mockingbird was the Tom Robinson Trial. This was so significant because Tom - who was a black man - had been convicted of raping a white woman. Atticus decided to take the case because he stated,” I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.” His empathy towards Tom was very real and enormous because he says,”Before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with…
- 1258 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus Finch is a successful lawyer and well known man of Maycomb County. Judge Taylor gives Atticus the task of defending Tom Robinson, an African American man who allegedly raped the daughter of Bob Ewell. Nevertheless, this comes with Maycomb's usual disease of racism. There are several instances in To Kill a Mockingbird that illustrate the many ways in which Bob Ewell is racist. For example, “ I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” (Lee 231). Bob Ewells use of the words “ that black n…. yonder” , instead of calling Tom Robinson by his name, makes the accused to look beneath Bob Ewell because of Tom Robinson skin color. Atticus states "There's something in our world that makes men…
- 513 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout this journal, one can predict that the black spectators at the trial stand when Atticus passes because they respect him and are grateful that he defended Tom Robinson. To begin, the black people of Maycomb respect Atticus. One example that supports this is that Atticus himself respects black people. Throughout the book, Atticus has openly supported equality between races. A specific example is during Atticus’s finishing statement, when he proclaims that all men, whether white and black, are equal in the eyes of the court. This shows that Atticus believes black men and white men to be equal and is willing to publically state such, which is a trait the blacks can appreciate and respect Atticus for. Another example that verifies the…
- 625 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
During the 1930s, racism was a major problem which led to the mistreatment of African Americans. Tom and the rest of his race were called names and labeled as ‘Monsters.” Mockingbirds are misjudged and shot because people just assume that the bird is harmful. Tom and his skin tone represent this situation because from the outside Tom supposedly looked dangerous, but on the inside he was innocent. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom is “seen” as raping Mr. Ewell’s daughter Mayella. In reality, Mr. Ewell abused Mayella, but he knew if he said Tom hit Mayella that it would be believable because of Tom’s skin color. When Bob Ewell says, “I seen that black nigger younder ruttin’ on my Mayella,” it explains that people knew Tom’s skin color and assumed that he was up to no good and that he was dangerous (Lee 173). Even when Tom tried to explain himself at court, everyone believed Mayella’s false story about Tom hitting her (Marshall). No one took Tom seriously in court; the jury already had their mind made up even before the actual court date. Tom was wrapped up in evil and was misjudged harshly by his skin color and was “shot down” like a mockingbird by racism. Tom’s skin color defined him; Caucasians could not get past the fact that he was supposedly “different” from them. Later in the book, Tom’s race is the major reason he is shot or “killed like a mockingbird” by a police…
- 2615 Words
- 11 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus is a man of morals, and he will not allow other people’s opinions to alter his morals. Even though Atticus clearly proves that Tom is innocent, Atticus “could [not] in truth say that [they] had more than a good chance” of winning the case (Lee 242). While Atticus goes to the jail on the night of Tom’s moving, Atticus knows he risks being hurt by the lynch mob. It is solely courage that takes Atticus to the jail even if it means risking danger upon himself. This mob quickly disperses with the help of Scout Finch. Although Atticus’ courage will not show immediate change, his change is more long term. Maycomb will not accept African Americans as equals overnight, but through the brave actions of Atticus this change is not completely out of…
- 736 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch’s choice to represent Tom Robinson and completely fulfill his duties in a rape case has many severe consequences. Three of them are, Scout and Jem being ridiculed by their peers, Tom Robinson’s death, and Scout and Jem being attacked by Bob Ewell.…
- 721 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life’. Ewell’s initial reaction…
- 349 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Emmett Till was a young African American man that was murdered by Roy Bryant and J.W Milam (white men)because he whistled at the wife of Roy Bryant (one of the killers) at their grocery store that they owned. The men were put on trial and looked cherubic with family and kids sitting in the front of the courtroom and were found innocent, though a few days later they put a notice out that they did kill Emmett Till because they could not be tried again for the same crime(A&E). In the novel Tom is treated unfairly by the white people in the community because of the segregation in the south (Lee 159-211). Emmett was treated badly because he was on the bottom of the social ladder a African American child(A&E). An example of this would be that black people had to succumb to the white people and get off the sidewalk even if it was a white child. Emmett was almost unrecognizable when they found him in the river, but his mom asked for the casket to be viewable at his funeral so the people could see what the the men did to her son(A&E). An instance where Tom is treated unfairly is when he is shot seventeen times in the chest while trying to run away (Lee 235). Additionally the fear of “higher authority” influenced Lee’s writing. Emmett Till was very scared when the men showed up at his house in the middle of the night to “take care of business” with the little incident…
- 1314 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch uses ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech to the jury to persuade them of Tom's innocence. His effective use of these rhetorical devices ultimately demonstrates his values and reflects his person. Though no one else would step up to represent Tom due to his race, Atticus did not back off from the challenge even though he knew inside that it was likely a futile venture. Atticus attempts to provide the jurors with a sense of duty to take the high road and acknowledge Tom Robinson as an equal in the courts: "It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve.…
- 369 Words
- 1 Page
Good Essays