Tom Robinson's Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a major character in the story, and a crucial part of the main plot. Tom is a kind and giving person. Much like a mockingbird, Robinson only wanted what is right for everyone involved. To the author of this essay, Robinson could be considered a mockingbird. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson symbolized a mockingbird because he was not given a fair chance, he was kind, and he was honest. Because Mr. Robinson is an African-American living in an era full of discrimination, he finds himself in a bit of a predicament. In the small county of Maycomb, Alabama, people with dark skin were considered less than those with light-colored skin. The only two people that don’t discriminate
in Maycomb are Atticus Finch and Dolphus Raymond. Atticus Finch states, “Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand…” (Lee, 84). This shows that the people of Maycomb are close-minded, and doubted Robinson before hearing him out. Tom Robinson was only trying to be a kind person when he helped Mayella Ewell. Tom is noted as being a kind person. When asked if he was ever paid for his services, Robinson replied with, “‘No, suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn’t seem to help her none…’” (Lee, 191). The only other time he was ever that he was guilty, was when he was charged with assault, and had to stay in jail for approximately 30 days. He only had to stay in the jail because he couldn’t afford the fine to leave. Tom Robinson is also considered an honest person because of the testifications given by Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell, and himself. When Mayella and Bob Ewell testified, they described things that didn’t make sense. Such as when Mayella was asked if she had ever told Robinson to come inside the fence before, her exact words were, “I did not, I certainly did not” (Lee, 184). This statement is contradicted by Robinson saying he was asked into the fence many times before to help with some things. He wanted to help her, but she lied to hurt him. In sum, Robinson was a mockingbird because he was at an unfair advantage, he was helpful, and he was ethical. He was trying to defend himself in an unfair time that discriminated against the pigment of his skin instead of the evidence shown during the trial. Robinson only wanted to be kind because he knew how hard it was for her. He was ethical because he was a good person who wanted the best for everyone. It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, and yet Tom Robinson is dead.