To Kill A Mockingbird Trial Essay

Mr. Finch starts his argument by presenting the facts of the case, trying to logically prove Tom Robinson’s innocence; he does this through the rhetoric and the use of logos. He begins by presenting medical evidence that supports Tom Robinson’s case. Atticus verifies that Tom uses his right hand and that Mayella Ewell’s facial injuries strongly suggest a left-handed assailant. Through the cross-examination of the witnesses, Atticus shows that their jumbled stories bring up serious questions about the crime. To anyone in modern times the proof he presented would’ve won Mr. Robinson freedom, but despite Mr. Finch’s best efforts to supply logical evidence, the jury did not immediately believe Tom Robinson.

The house, family, belongings, and privileges one possesses can all be taken away by a speedy trial or a jury's final call; a court is an unwelcoming place where people are convicted of villainous acts they may or may not have done. Stereotypes, prejudices, and racism has flourished greatly in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, allowing various assumptions without even containing proof in some cases. Tom Robinson, being accused of rape is found guilty by many of Maycomb, but however his dark complexion leads others to believe this was the reason for him being put in this terrifying position, although he was actually innocent.

As a defense to the accusation, Tom Robinson was asked to stand. It was shown to everyone in the courthouse that Tom Robinson’s left hand is 12 inches shorter than his right as his left arm was caught in cotton grin since he was 12 years old, his left arm could not be used. The accusation of Tom Robinson raping Mayella Ewell had come into serious question as it was implied by Atticus that it was unlikely for a person to injure his left ability to hurt Mayella’s right eye. There is the possibility of Bob Ewell hurting his own daughter instead of Tom Robinson as he is left-handed. When Mayella was questioned by Atticus as whether Tom or her father had harmed her, there was no response from her.

Tom Robinson had been accused to raping Bob Ewell’s daughter, Mayella. Although Atticus provided all the evidence that proved he was innocent, the jury declared him guilty and he was sent to a prison. There, he was shot dead by the guards after allegedly trying to escape. But this is all suspicious since Tom knew that he might still have a good chance of being released. It is also skeptical because the guards shot him seventeen times, an unnecessary amount, Atticus said “seventeen bullet holes in him. They didn’t have to shoot him that much” (Lee 268). Atticus realizesDill dares Jem to run up to the Radley’s door and touch it, which is a big deal to them. Scout’s comments and reactions aided in triggering her older brother to accept Dill’s dare. Scout teases and mocks him about being scared. She says that “in all his life, Jem had never declined a dare”, and he wasn’t about to now (Lee 14).When he hesitates, she laughs at him. He can’t admit that he’s scared, especially not to his little sister who would never let him live it down.

When Harper Lee was writing about the trial of Tom Robinson in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” she had a very real case to look to for inspiration. The trial of the Scottsboro Boys was a world renowned case in the 1930’s in which nine black youths were accused of raping to white girls in Alabama. Lee’s novel took this case and created the fictional case of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a lower class white girl in a small town in Alabama during the Depression-era. The Scottsboro trials were the main source of inspiration for Lee’s novel, and although the circumstances of the novel differed from the real-life scandal, the similarities between the two cases are quite abundant.

A young man, by the name of Tom Robinson pleads guilty for rape, in the case of Ewell vs. Robinson. He was shot and killed a day after his hearing. This case has brought attention to the small town of Maycomb.

In this discussion report, we talked about the Tom Robinson trial. We explored Judge Taylor and Atticus character that was expressed in the trial. Mayella’s actions and Dill’s reaction to the case. To start with, Judge Taylor acts a little informal and laid back during the trail maybe to trick the witnesses to thinking that he was easy to manipulate. Judge Taylor acts like a judge that would not really care about listening to someone defend the African American, but in reality, he pays close to the case and sees it as a great deal to bring justice to Maycomb. Then, we see Atticus character as a lawyer that gives an effort to prove his client is innocent. One example is when Atticus points out that Bob’s dominant hand that he writes with is

Tom Robinson’s fate was decided; the jury voted he was guilty of all charges of rape against him, even though his lawyer, Atticus Finch, defended him and presented sufficient evidence that could have proved Tom Robinson’s innocence. When Robinson came to the stand, Mr. Finch attempted to persuade the jury with Robinson’s perspective while Mr. Gilmer, Mayella Ewell’s lawyer, thoroughly cross-examined Robinson to attempt to make him stumble and incriminate himself when he answered questions and retold parts of his story. Mr. Finch questioned Robinson first. He asked Robinson numerous questions that were meant to prove his innocence and prove Robinson had nothing to lie about. Mr. Finch began asking questions to give those present in the courthouse background on Robinson’s

During Tom Robinson’s trial, Atticus presents the jury with clear and logical evidence that clearly shows that Tom Robinson could not have raped Mayella. The first major claim

The Verdict of Tom Robinson’s case was an important event in Maycomb because it could change the future of Tom Robinson and all of

One person. Two worlds. Impacting the lives of others. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee, uses the main character, Scout, to demonstrate an idea that as you grow up, you gain greater understanding of the world. For this to be portrayed, Harper Lee brings in the character Calpurnia. Calpurnia is a black woman. A mother figure to Scout. The Finch’s maid and a person that exemplifies moral lessons and themes of the book. Scout views these moments to shape her “coming of age”.

Similarly, the character Tom Robinson can be compared to young, African-American males of today, those that have been racially profiled by police; much like Robinson by the people in Maycomb. In the last 5 years, there been a high number of incidents where males of color have been killed by police that have acted as judge and jury. Tom Robinson was found guilty by the people of Maycomb, particularly the judge and

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird Maycomb is a small town in Alabama that has a prejudice outlook towards people of colour. This novel’s, setting took place in the 1930s and the people of Maycomb, are very prejudice against coloured people. Atticus, a lawyer, who is defending a coloured man accused of raping a white woman receives a lot backlash for defending him. Atticus knows that it is impossible to win this case, because he will be in front of a very prejudice court, but he does it for his own morals. The man that he is defending caught a lucky break in order to receive the opportunity for a trial.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, an unjust society is working to imprison a wrongfully convicted African-American, apart from a few citizens and lawyers yearning for a ‘just’ conclusion to the case of Tom Robinson. This novel encourages the reader to admire Tom Robinson for his determination to help someone in need, regardless of the black/white divide that has brought him scrutiny. It also persuades the reader to pity Tom, because of the sad, yet inevitable end to the case. Tom was “… a dead man the minute Mayella … screamed.” It can also be noted that the reader should admire Atticus, for his willingness and determination to help Tom in his case, although, he knew it would never be possible to save him from his inevitable end.

Maycomb also serves in showing how the persecution of innocent ‘mockingbirds’ can result from racial prejudice. Maycomb’s highly defined social class system, in which blacks are considered to be lesser equals, is the reason for the persecution of Tom Robinson. Robinson’s persecution came not only because he was black, but because he broke one of Maycomb’s social mores by feeling sorry for and helping Mayella Ewell – ‘You felt sorry for her? You felt sorry’. The notion that a black could be in a position to feel sympathy for a white was abhorrent for Maycomb’s citizens and this is why they allowed and indeed endorsed the persecution of an innocent man. Tom Robinson’s death highlights the failings of