Tonto Fistfight In Heaven Analysis

Regardless of how hard they try, certain people will never be able to succeed in society. Whether it’s because of how people of color are hired less often than whites, or how African Americans are disproportionately arrested for crimes they never committed, our modern society gives privilege to some and makes life extremely hard for others. This everyday theme can also be seen in many stories. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells the story of the trial of a black man falsely accused of rape, while The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie narrates the night of a Native American man as he reflects on his past and on his dreams, and the article “Are California Prisons Punishing Inmates Based on Race?” describes different …show more content…
Atticus finch, one of the few non-prejudiced people in town, defends him, and as the case goes on it becomes clear that Tom is innocent and the claims against him are blatant lies. While this may make one think that Tom would be let off, he is sentenced to death due to his town 's biased towards black people. While Tom is being questioned on why he helped the woman who accused him of rape, he says he felt sorry for her, and it is described that “The witness realized his mistake and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. But the damage was done. Below us, nobody liked Tom Robinson’s answer. Mr. Gilmer paused a long time to let it sink in.” (Lee 197). This quote shows when Tom’s case goes from improbable to win to impossible. While he had little chance to win in the first place because of his skin color, his fate is sealed once he says he pity 's a white woman, and therefore implies they are at least of equal standing. When Lee uses the words ‘sink in’ it shows just how grave the situation is. People use the term ‘sink in’ when horrible, even life-threatening things happen. This make the scene sound uneasy and as if it’s losing hope, even as if Tom’s been sent to his grave, which he soon will. This shows how he never had a fair chance; the moment he implied he was just as good as a white man, his fate was …show more content…
The article states that, “They’ve [prison authorities] gotten used to using it as a convenient shortcut, and prisoners continue to suffer just because of the color of their skin." This shows how even in today 's society there is still race based discrimination. When the article uses the word suffer it helps the reader sympathize with prisoners and realize just how harsh they prisons treatment of them is. Inmates feel trapped as some of them are stuck in their cells for long periods of time due to race based lockdowns. Many of them don’t bother trying to get prison privileges as they know they will be punished and judged for something they did not do anyway, and some even become agitated and more likely to be