To Kill a Mockingbird 22 23 24 Summaries

Jem on pg 231 that is wasn’t right for Tom Robinson to be convicted of a crime that he did not commit, Jem asked his father is they could do away with the juries because he knows that there was no way the Tom Robinson should have been convicted of that crime, and it was because of the juries that he was sent to prison. On Page 240 Atticus says to his son Jem that “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black mans, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life”. Atticus said this to Jem because the society that they lived in was always going to treat ‘black’ people in

Atticus is guarding the jailhouse to make sure no one hurts Tom Robinson before his trial, when he is approached by Walter Cunningham and his fellow goons. Atticus shows his bravery by standing his ground for what he believes is right in front of his son. When Scout lashes out to her father’s side, Jem holds onto her and tries to stop her from interfering. Then Jem refuses to go home and stands up for his father’s side although the odds were against them, while trying to protect his sister from harm. In page 152, chapter 15, Scout says, “... but from the way he stood, Jem was not thinking of budging.” This shows us that Jem has matured from the boy who would do anything if dared, to a young man who can barricade his emotions and proceed with reason in difficult situations.

Atticus is a credible man, he has a lot of ethos, and when he says something this strong you should accept it. Jem is talking to Atticus about Tom’s trial, and how they convicted him on circumstantial evidence, he doesn't believe it's fair to convict on circumstantial evidence, Jem believes that for a person to be sentenced to the death penalty, there should be one or two witnesses to the crime. Atticus is usually a voice for hope but, plainly says racism is a fact of life. Atticus also believes that when a conflict comes down to race, men lose their heads and are no longer reasonable and rational. “Whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich, or how fine of a family he comes from, that man is trash “(295). Atticus defines 'white trash' as the men who as they grow older grow more bitter and cheat black men, the low-grade white man who takes advantage of the Negro’s ignorance. Atticus has lived a long time and has seen white men cheat and judge black man every day. This quote shows my theme because, after Tom Robinson's trial, Tom was clearly innocent, but because of the racist jury and their prejudice opinion, he was found guilty of rape. What Atticus means, is that no one should be judged or discriminated, for any reason, whether it is skin color, religion, or that person's background. If you judge other people, it doesn't show what kind of person they are but, what kind of person you

The unusually long time for the jury to come to its verdict, demonstrates the effectiveness of Atticus’ speech which motivated them to think about their views on race. He may not win the case but, Atticus succeeds in making an impact on the future of racism in Maycomb and succeeds in founding a place where one day people “will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. Although Tom is eventually proven guilty, Atticus’ persuasive speech makes an impact on the society by revealing Tom’s innocence and the multitude of prejudice taking place in their

He implies if one does not follow their conscience will, they will live overwhelmed by guilt. Here, the moral of human beings is threatened by the recurring subject of racism, as well as discrimination issues. Jem is an epitome of a corrupted person as he justifies that Atticus is wrong because everyone else thinks so. Nevertheless, he finds himself after the testimony is given. When it comes time for the trial, Jem follows it closely. Having grown up in the home of a lawyer, Jem understands the workings of the courtroom, besides its racial bias. Once the judge goes over the evidence, Jem becomes increasingly confident that Atticus won but his belief that Tom is innocent contrasts with what actually occurs: Tom is found guilty. While looking at Jem, Scout sees how his “shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them.” By comparing Jem’s reaction to a “stab,” Lee not only shows Jem receiving blows of devastation over the case and feeling physically attacked but also points to the broader attack on things that Jem thought were once true. This is something that causes him great emotional pain as he has a hard time coming to terms with general unfairness. Jem has counted on the strength of bigotry but in

However, Atticus knows since Tom is a black man he will not get a fair trail since the jury is all white and since people back then didn’t favor or teach color people this is why Atticus had to defend Tom which was a man who was wrongly accused for raping a white woman which her name was Mayella Ewell ; she was a very poor white woman the oldest of many children which was in her family .

He cried because it wasn’t fair that Tom should be convicted something he didn’t do anything but gave him death sentence. Hence Jem weeps because he knows an innocent man has just been convicted on racism which is exactly why Jem means he says” It ain’t right Atticus “(244).

During the process of the trial, Jem experiences his coming of age and lost innocence moment by opening his eyes to the racism he is constantly surrounded by. When Tom Robinson lost the trial, Jem instantly matured and realized how racism in Maycomb was the only reason Tom lost. After Tom was declared guilty, the kids walked with Atticus, “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right’” (Lee, 1960, p. 284). Throughout the entirety of the trial, Jem was blinded by his innocence and thought there was no possible way that Tom could lose the trial. It was the moment when the jury declared Tom Robinson guilty that Jem lost his innocence and started opening his eyes to the world. This quote illustrates how frustrated Jem was by the unfairness of the trial. Jem now understands the only reason Tom Robinson lost the trial was because of his skin color. Due to his young age, he had not yet succumb to the disease of Maycomb and realized racism is not right. Furthermore, when Tom Robinson lost the trial, Jem’s perspective of Maycomb changed Jem is left to understand the reality of people’s biased opinions. When talking to Miss Maudie, Jem described to her, “‘It’s like bein’ a caterpillar in a

Atticus is appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. She is a member of the Ewell family, who is looked down upon by Maycomb society and referred to as "white trash." Atticus knows that Tom has almost no chance because he is black and will be tried by an all white jury. Nevertheless, he wants to help him reveal the truth.

During this time, Atticus, who is a lawyer, takes on a very difficult case. He is defending Tom Robinson, who is an African American man being charged with raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. At the trial, Jem and Scout try to find seats, but they are all taken. Reverend Sykes, the reverend of the African American church, runs into Scout and Jem and tells them “There’s not a seat downstairs. Do you all reckon it’ll be alright if you all came to the balcony with me” (186)? The children happily take his offer and travel to the balcony where “Four negroes rose and gave them their front-row seats” (186). As time passes, Jem becomes very engaged in the trial. Scout says that “Jem seemed to be having a quiet fit. He was pounding the balcony rail softly, and once he whispered, “We’ve got him” (202). Jem is very confident that they have won the case, and thinks that Tom Robinson will not be convicted to be guilty. Later in the book, when they take a break from the trial, Jem

Jem’s entire perspective of the world is thrown into chaos so he retreats into a state of disillusionment. However, Scout, maintains her faith in humanity. Atticus elaborates by saying as you grow older; you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life. Lee uses this scene to show the reader that racism is learnt. Scout gradually emerging from her innocence to the realization that people have different outlooks on the world and that these often include prejudice and hate which have been obtained by harsh experiences. Lee intends to show the reader that innocence is precious and once experience marrs, you cannot return to innocence. When Scout meets Dolphus Raymond, she learns not to trust the stereotypes that society casts on people because you never really know a person until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Scout’s narration showcases her struggle with the realization that not everyone values integrity and morals.

Atticus decides to take on a highly controversial case in Maycomb, where Mayella Ewell, a 19 year old white female, accuses Tom Robinson, a black man in his thirties, of rapeing her. During the trial, Mayella, Bob, and the sheriff state that Robinson hit her on the right side of her face; however, Atticus contradicts the Ewell’s story by showing the jury that Tom Robinson only has one useful hand. Jem then whispers, ‘We’ve got him’” (Lee 202). Although, Maycomb’s society would never allow for Tom Robinson to win the trail, Jem’s innocent perspective enables him to believe that race does not come before the facts. Shortly after the trial, Jem says, “‘Doesn’t make it right. You can’t just convict a man on evidence like that-—you can’t’” (Lee 252). Jem displays an understanding of the racism and divisions in society within Maycomb in this quote. He knows that the conviction of Tom Robinson is bias and that the treatment of all blacks is unfair. Jem shows moral growth in this quote and has a more mature mindset about equality than most of the folks in Maycomb.

Tom Robinson’s case, in which we see in that time period how a white man’s word goes against a black’s, is perceived as unfair by Scout, Jem, Atticus, and many of their neighbors. As Atticus says to Jem, “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) This quote explains that there is great injustice and extortion for personal gain. This is disturbing in its own right; The fact that Atticus needs to even make a comment like that is disturbing in its own right, let alone that any person would do that to another, also tells Jem this: “So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process. Those are twelve reasonable men in everyday life, Tom’s jury, but you saw something come between them and reason. You saw the same thing that night in front of the jail. When that crew went away, they didn’t go as reasonable men, they went because we were there. There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads–they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.”(295) Even a man like Atticus, a sort of rebel in that time period, accepts that the system is

Jem is exposed to the racism and prejudice of the South through Tom Robinson’s trial, and it makes him question what he never thought twice about before. [insert lead-in] “‘...if the jury’s still out, you can wait with us. But I expect it’ll be over before you get back.’ ‘You think they’ll acquit him that fast?’ asked Jem. Atticus opened his mouth to answer, but shut it and then left us.” (p.277) Jem sees Tom Robinson’s trial through eyes untainted by prejudice and discrimination. To him, Tom is obviously innocent. Atticus, on the other hand, is older and more cynical. He knows about racial discrimination, he knows it strongly influences a person’s judgement, and he knows Tom will be found guilty. Jem realizes this when Tom Robinson is convicted. As a result, he learns that racism can cloud a person’s judgement to the point that they will convict an innocent man. Jem’s loss of innocence

Atticus is the town’s most respected lawyer. He is not wealthy, but he is well off in the community and is very kind towards everyone. As a single parent, he faces the world, raising his two children with his maid, Calpurnia, who experiences better conditions and responsibilities than other African Americans of her time, due to Atticus’ beliefs. He has a reputation for being an open-minded, fair man, and a unique personality that is overflowing with honesty. He has been assigned a case of defending a black man who is apparently accused of rape. Now Atticus is both loved and unloved by the townspeople. Since they live in the South during the 1930’s, Atticus gives a lot of advice to his children, Scout and Jem. Atticus tells Scout and Jem that they should not say anything about a person especially when they do not know that person. Atticus describes what he means in a quote “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around it”(Lee 39). Atticus defends a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a girl. Atticus has the confidence and the courage to defend Tom and prove that he is innocent. Scout does not believe that her father is nice enough or has the courage to defend Tom. Atticus proves that