Tom Robinson was innocent of raping Mayella Ewell. In the story it talks about how Mayella got punched in the eye with the left hand but Tom couldn’t have done it because his left hand is crippled. Reverend Sykes said, “He got it caught in the cotton gin, caught it i Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when he was a boy...like to bled to death...tore all the muscles loose from his bones-”(186). This explains what happened to Tom’s hand and that he couldn’t have punched Mayella with his left hand because he could not use it. Furthermore, when Tom was telling his side of the story he said that Mayella kissed him and that he tried to get away because he knew that it wasn’t right for her do that. Tom explains what happens when Mr. Ewell sees them,…
A trail for a black man was set in the courthouse in Maycomb city. Tom Robinson, the defendant was accused of using violence to Mayella Ewell. It rare to set a trail for a black since most of them are getting lynched in this city. Therefore, a huge amount of people rushed to the courthouse and observed the trial including the whites and the blacks.…
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.…
I will be interviewing Mayella Ewell about the trial about Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was a African american who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella Ewell said that Tom Robinson snuck up behind and he hit her and hit her repetedly, her pa was out in back and he didn’t hear anything untill she was thrown on the ground. She said that he hit her with her left hand, so Atticus Finch then interviewed Mr.Ewell. Atticous asked Mr.Ewell to write his name on a piece of paper, he did. Atticus proved that he was a leftie meaning he did everything with his left. Mr. Finch then asked Mr.Robinson to catch a cup, he did but he causght it with his left hand, proving he was a rightie. Atticus asked if Tom could catch it with his left hand, Tom robinson…
In my English Language Arts Class, we have been reading a book called “To Kill a Mockingbird” and in the recent chapters we have been reading about an African American man named Tom Robinson who “raped” a white female named Mayella Ewells but I don’t think he is guilty in this essay I will be telling you why I think Tom Robinson isn’t guilty.…
I tend to my garden as I watch several cars drive along my street back to their homes. Tom Robinson’s trial must be over. Before the trial even started, I predicted that the verdict would be guilty. When I saw Jem, Scout, and Dill arrive back at their house with long faces, my prediction was confirmed. It is still upsetting for me to hear that another innocent black man’s life was ruined because of the way white people treat them. I did not attend the trial; I do not wish to see an innocent person on trial for their life. I take off my gardening gloves and head inside. As I wash my hands, I see the children looking very upset and confused. I decide to make them chocolate cakes to help to cheer them up. They must be extremely confused and disappointed about the verdict of the trial. They are too young to completely understand our unfair society.…
Imagine that you are a black man that was caught at the scene of a crime that you did not perpetrate, but you are to blame completely based on the color of your skin. Tom Robinson is a black man who is accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Since Tom is black and Mayella white, he is automatically convicted of that crime and sentenced to death. The authorities would take the word of Mayella over Tom any day. Scout and Jem are the children of Atticus Finch, the lawyer who is trying to defend Tom Robinson in the court.…
His main goal in the Tom Robinson trial is not to win, but to show the town of Maycomb that Tom is innocent, and should be treated correctly. While discussing the death of Mrs. Dubose, Atticus informs Scout that things would be getting difficult soon; this shows a lot about his character “This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience-Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man” (Chapter 11, pg. 139). Atticus reveals that standing for Tom Robinson, against racism, was the right thing to do; if he were to deny it, he would never be able to treat himself or others the same. This sets Atticus apart from everyone else in Maycomb, considering mostly everyone knew that Tom was innocent, though only the courageous and honorable were able to stand up to…
The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows the reader that life can be unfair. Some people get blamed for things they did not do. Unfortunately, one of those people was Tom Robinson. Tom was an innocent negro man accused for raping Mayella, although he did not do it. His character ties in with the book because a mockingbird symbolizes innocence. The ways that Tom was symbolized as a mockingbird was through his obliging ways, compassion, and innocence.…
As Jem and Scout are watching the judge convict, Scout starts to cry, but Jem does the opposite. “‘It ain’t right’ he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where he found Atticus waiting”(pg.284). When readers examine this passage, they are able to sense this feeling of Jem transitioning into Mr.Finch. As he is hearing the convict, a feeling of anger overpowers him, enabling him to see how racism is affecting the South deeply. This contributes to the theme by showing Jem’s turning point from a kid to a mature man. Also, his perspective plays a huge role in this, as his anger is controlling his actions. Since Scout hasn’t realized the power of racism yet, her emotion are just for Tom, not for the movement. Another example of tone in the novel is when Jem is trying to tell Atticus that Maycomb County needs to understand that Tom Robinson didn’t do nothing to the girl. “‘He didn’t kill anybody even if he was guilty. He didn’t take anybody’s life”’(pg.293). This quote shows how Jem’s tone towards helping Tom has changed from anger to reason. The theme supports this by showing how the perspective of Jem is beginning to see the trial from all the different sides. Although he is too young to even participate in this kind of situation, he is beginning to understand the concepts of the kind of people there are in this world. Altogether, Jem’s coming of age for becoming a man can be seen in…
This is one lesson where he mostly lets them learn through real world experience. When Jem questions how the jury found Tom Robinson guilty when he so clearly was not, Atticus says, "As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash" (295). Racism is a main theme in this book. It is a court case in which there is a black man verses a white man. This is one of the few times where Atticus tells them there is a right and a wrong, and racism is wrong. Jem realizes this and cannot understand why the verdict came back guilty. Atticus explains that some people just can't get past race and realize that we are all the same species and we are equal. They are wrong, but that's just how it is. Scout and Jem learn this through the town and just have to accept it even though they do not fully comprehend it. Jem thinks that the jury made the verdict quick, but Atticus corrects him, " No it didn't ... That was the one thing that made me think, well, this maybe the shadow of a beginning. That jury took a few hours. An inevitable verdict, maybe, but it usually takes 'em just a few minutes" (297). Atticus may have even taught the town a few lessons with his arguments in court. The verdict took a long time, that…
We started to see the flaws that our once idolised town has. Going through the Tom Robinson case, where Jem is so sure that he is innocent, then he is found guilty, breaks his heart. He knows that the jury’s votes were based on racial preferences. This is shown when scout says ‘It was Jems turn to cry’. He has finally come to the realisation that the town of Maycomb is very racist and prejudice. Also, seeing his father lose the case, after so much investing went into it, Jem hated to see his father so disappointed. As a result of growing up, Jem has lost his…
The trial of Tom Robinson is very influential on Jem and Scout. This is an important depiction of how colored people were treated at the time. Although they are white and privileged, they understand that the trial was unjust. After the trial, the author writes, “I peeked at Jem, his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them” (Lee 282). Jem is smart enough to realize how obvious it was that Tom was innocent, but the…
I can't believe my position. I was a peaceful man, and I didn't do any harm. The people of Maycomb only know me by what other said about me. To the people of Maycomb County, I am just a black man whose word is nothing but lies and committed an unthinkable crime.…
His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right’” (242). Jem was upset that Tom Robinson was sent to jail for something that he didn’t do, while others thought it was great since Tom Robinson insulted what they thought was a picture of a “good southern white woman”. Jem’s personal belief that people should get a fair trial broke the status quo because most believed that an African American man such as Tom Robinson, didn’t deserve as such, since they were racist. “Face was streaked with tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd” (242). Racism is a problem where a person of one race has prejudice and believes in stereotypes of the other, usually believing the other is lesser, and Jem could see this, however some might not see it that way. Others may say the only reason that Jem was crying, is because his dad lost the court case, this, however, is not the case. Jem is quite clearly quoted saying that “It ain’t right”, so he believes the outcome is not fair for Tom Robinson, and has empathy for him, as he has pity and knows how Tom Robinson feels.…