Essay on Tom Robinson is Proved Guilty Before Trial

Tom Robinson is Proved Guilty Before Trial In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, the black man falsely convicted of rape, had absolutely no chance of a fair trial. There is proof of this in the time period in which it occurred as well as evidence from the novel itself. Tom Robinson had an unfair trial because it was his word against the Ewell’s, a white, trashy family. To Kill A Mockingbird took place in the 1930’s, a time that was enormously charged with racial tension. One example of this is the existence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Even though the KKK was in a time of decline in the 1930’s, it had been very prominent in the 1920’s and had still not completely died out. The KKK had rallies and†¦show more content†¦They would send these pictures out like postcards as a reminder of what happened to people when the befriended blacks or blacks, that went against what the mob thought was right. Lynchings almost always occurred when there was a trial that involved a black person that went against a white person. These lynchings were used by the mob to control the court system. The person on trial would not have the chance to be proven innocent if they were dead. The mob did not always get what they wanted. Sometimes the police would be able to keep the prisoners in a different county until their trial. In the case of the Scottsboro â€Å"Boys,† the prisoners were lucky enough to escape the being lynched when they were moved into Scottsboro. In this trial, nine young, black boys were charged with the rape of two white girls while on a train. This case was a major source of controversy in the 1930’s. â€Å"Despite testimony by doctors who had examined the women that no rape had occurred, the all- white jury convicted the nine, and all but the youngest, who was 12 years old were sentenced to death† (â€Å"Scottsboro†). The boys’ lawyer, Samuel Leibowitz, did not even get assigned to the case until the first day of the trial. â€Å"If he could show a jury that these nine boys were innocent, as the record indicated, the jury would surely free them. To Leibowitz, that was simple!† (Chalmers 35). However, it was not that simple. Many white citizens would not change their minds aboutShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Racism In To Kill A Mo ckingbird741 Words   |  3 Pagesand discrimination. In this book, Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman, which was something that he’s never done, even though all the evidence proved that he did not violate that white woman, Tom was judged guilty because he was a black man. Racism is presented throughout the entire book especially when Scout got teased by her family about Atticus taking Tom’s case, and the townspeoples perception about Atticus, as well as during the trial of Tom Robinson. Racism is presented in theRead MoreEssay Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird1463 Words   |  6 PagesMockingbird are affected by racial discrimination, whether they are the cause or not. Throughout the novel, three characters stand out as being affected by racial discrimination the most. These characters are Jean Louise â€Å"Scout† Finch, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson. Jean Louise Finch, known to Maycomb as Scout, is affected by racial discrimination in many ways throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Although most discrimination appears as white people against African American people, there is one case where theRead More Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay1367 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird In the early twentieth century, the United States was undergoing a dramatic social change. Slavery had been abolished decades before, but the southern states were still attempting to restrict social interaction among people of different races. In particular, blacks were subject to special Jim Crow laws which restricted their rights and attempted to keep the race inferior to whites. Even beyond these laws, however, blacks were feeling the pressure of prejudiceRead MoreAnalyze the trial scene and its relationship with the rest of the novel1535 Words   |  7 PagesAnalyse the trial scene and its relationship to the rest of the novel: The trial scene, which takes up several chapters of the book, can be seen as the climax of the story. This part of the book sums up some themes Harper lee refers to in the novel such as racial prejudice, morality, injustice and maturity. The trial is the backbone of the novel, and was an effective way to for the author to show that racism was present in the society of Maycomb and its relationship with the novel becomes apparentRead MoreEssay on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee665 Words   |  3 Pagesa prejudice towards women. Men believed that women were the weaker sex, and not equal to a man. A prime example of this is when the men believed they should protect their women from Tom Robinson because he allegedly raped a white woman. This is another reason the jury could have used to charge Tom Robinson as guilty. Not only could they do it for upholding their white supremacy; they could also say they were just protecting their women from a predator. The author portrays the women who have tea withRead More How does Harper Lee Manage to Draw Together the Stories of Boo Radley1133 Words   |  5 PagesHow does Harper Lee Manage to Draw Together the Stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson? Do you find her Way of doing this Effective? There is a strong literary motif running through Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are drawn together by the way they are both mockingbirds in their own way. Both men are on the outskirts of society and are misunderstood by the predominantly white population of Maycomb. In the first part of the novel, thereRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay1397 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the entire court case of Tom Robinson. Harper Lee writes: â€Å"I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: ‘Guity†¦ guilty†¦ guilty†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I peeked at Jem: his shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them (Lee 211). This quote demonstrates that Jem and Scout’s awareness of the true society around them begins to shape up into a more of an adult perspective. In the Tom Robinson trial, the jury makes the incorrect verdict of ruling him guilty, although all the evidence provesRead MoreIt s Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1013 Words   |  5 Pagesinnocence. Harper Lee portrays the theme that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird through Tom Robinson, Arthur Radley and Jeremy Atticus’ loss of innocence because they are symbolic mockingbirds. Firstly, Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he is an innocent man convicted of raping a white woman due to the colour of his skin which in turn leads to the loss of his innocence. Atticus was able to make a good defense for Tom by stating the fact that the right side of Mayella’s face had suffered severe damageRead MoreThe Court Case Of Marbury V. Plessy V Ferguson1119 Words   |  5 Pagessealed by the acting Secretary of State at the time, John Marshall. Although both of these actions were taken, the signatures were not delivered before the expiration of Adams’s term as president. President Thomas Jefferson refused to honor the commissions of President Adams because of the circumstances of the situation. When the court was brought to trial, it was found that William Marbury had a right to the commission and that his rights were being violated. This violation meant that the laws ofRead MoreStereotypes Then, Now and Later1396 Words   |  6 Pagesin our courts all men are created equal. â€Å"I’m no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system—that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant