Harper Lee set out to tell a story about the deep south of America. Through that, the author was able to bring racism and various controversial topics to light. These ideas were explored through the naïve eyes of Scout Finch. This is a compelling perspective as Scout is yet to develop racial bigotry, unlike the citizens of Maycomb where these views have been woven into their systems through generations of racist attitudes. Racism is a key theme in the novel but the abiding appeal of this text comes from the fact that these are still very relevant in society. It may not occur in the extremities as seen in the book but the underlying attitudes are still the same.
The most apparent victim of racism was Tom Robinson, a negro working man, that was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. During the trial Robinson hides nothing from the court. He gave …show more content…
The jury must reach a verdict after considering all of the evidence presented. The jury helps to contribute to a impartial and fair trial. The jury system in To Kill A Mockingbird had a large impact on Tom Robinson’s case. This case was an example of a bias and unequal justice system, fuelled by the racial views of the town. For Tom Robinson’s trial the jury consisted of 12 white men, which was typical for juries of 1930’s in America. Robinson’s trial was not stand-alone case, here have been many parallel insidents in American history. For example “Scottsboro Boys’, nine young black men falsely accused of raping two white women on board a train near Scottsboro, Alabama. This case succeeded in highlighting the racism of the American legal system. Within two weeks of the women’s accusations the Scottsboro Boys were convicted and eight sentenced to death and the youngest, Leroy Wright, at the age of 13, to life imprisonment. This case illustrates through fact, what the author tried to covey in To Kill A