Within Maycomb, the Finches carry large responsibility, yet this also affords them freedoms which the other members of the town do not have. Concerning responsibility, the Finches are supposed to act as a backbone for the town of Maycomb, and when other members have grievances they generally visit Atticus, for they know he is an honest man who represents the town. For instance, “Jean Louise said, ‘Don’t worry, Cal. Atticus’ll do his best.’ Calpurnia said, ‘I know he will, Miss Scout.…
This was not Tom's first time helping out Mayella with a chore. Tom has helped her out before but they hadn't had any problems. They try to accuse Tom of raping Mayella because in their time most people were racist. Atticus…
During Atticus’s beginning questions, he helps the courtroom understand Mayella’s situation in life. The picture that was presented was not pretty. Atticus presents this information to show the court that Mayella must lie and accuse Tom Robinson because she fears her father. When Mayella is asked to tell the court what happened, she gives a description that requires an attacker who can use both hands adequately.…
Bob Ewell, Mayella’s dad was pressing charges and hoped to give Tom the death sentence. After hearing the prosecution team's side, Atticus provided substantial evidence that this crime never happened, there was no doctor that was rushed to the scene, no one heard her yelling, and Tom clearly couldn't have done it since he never went in there without permission and he couldn't have choked her since one of his hand was useless because of a cotton gin accident. After 3 hours of debating, the jury finally chose the verdict that Tom was guilty. After the case, the jury did not have any reason why they declared Tom guilty, they just went on the fact that he was black. Another fact that supports my case is the quote “leaving post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him and threatened to kill him.…
On the other side of the story, one could see Tom Robinson as guilty. He is a very brawny man and for this reason it’s easy for the jury to make him out to be someone who could easily take advantage of her. They ignore his crippled hand because Mayella disguises it under her tears. Elaborating further, in the book when Atticus began to grill Mayella on the case, he was guiding her to what he believed to be the truth. He fired multiple questions at her, giving her a respectable amount of time to answer, and when she didn’t, he would ask her another.…
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay In the award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout Finch witness their father, Atticus Finch, try to defend an innocent black man against a white man's word in court. Today, this case goes without trouble, however, this book takes place in the 1930's in the very segregated town of Maycomb, Alabama. This trial challenges Atticus Finch's roles as a lawyer, a friend, and a father as he fights for justice throughout the book. Atticus owns the responsibility of defending Tom Robinson because of his duty as a lawyer.…
Mayella was called upon the stand to share her testimonies, then shortly after became defensive as she pointed at Atticus, stating, “Don’t want him doin’ me like he done Pap, tryin’ to make him out left-handed.” After being calmed down by Judge Taylor, she tells the courtroom that she was on her front porch doing “nothing” on the evening of November, 21. Mayella explains she needed assistance chopping a old chifferobe in her yard due to her lack of strength that day, so she sought the help of Tom Robinson, who happened to pass…
Tom has to be innocent because he couldn't have beaten the right side of Mayella's face with a disfigured left arm. He also wouldn't have been able to choke her with both hands. Unfortunately Tom is convicted because he is black, and goes to prison. Later Tom’s lawyer, Atticus Finch, comes home with the news of Tom's death. Atticus says, “He was running.…
I'm choosing Atticus loses, but he still gets thanked. When Atticus was chosen to defend Tom Robinson he took it seriously and went above and beyond what any other white lawyer would have done for a black client. He tried to prove Tom was innocent all the way until Tom's unfortunate death. When the jury found Tom guilty of raping Mayella Ewell Atticus kept trying and hoped for a high court to repeal the original court's decision. After the trail was over the African-American community thanks, Atticus by sending him tons of food.…
This skill allows him to be more understanding of people and must be a huge advantage in court. When in court for Tom, it is clear that “Atticus was trying to show… that Mr. Ewell could have beaten up Mayella. ”(238) After the trial, he understands why Mr. Ewell is so furious and deals with him properly despite how rude and disrespectful Mr. Ewell was. Atticus knows that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view. ”(Atticus n.p.)…
He is on trial for being an accused rapist, but the audience notices something about him, his left arm is crippled , Atticus is in the testimony of Mayella, he explains to the court “He got it caught in a cotton gin...when he (a) was boy...like bled to death… tore all the muscles from his bones”(page 249). Him telling this to the court shows that he is incapable of physically harming Mayella Ewell. Another example is when Scout, Jem and Dill are present at the case listening to the testimony of Tom Robinson . Scout realizes the reasoning for Mayella to have went below her skin color to feel a type of connection with someone ,the explanation is shown by Scout thinking “As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world”(page 250).…
Her loneliness compelled her towards a man who was the recipient of fierce hatred from the citizens of Maycomb, which led her, probably under the guidance of her father, to provide a false testimony in Tom’s case. Had Mayella grown up in a world other than the one her father dictated for her, she might have not felt the need to accuse Tom for committing a false crime. Tom knows the truth of Mayella’s desperate position and we can see it when he says, "Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more 'n the rest of 'em-" in Chapter 19. Atticus knows it too when he presses again and again for Mayella to admit to the jury that her father would violently beat her.…
Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, explores the role of heroes in unjust societies. The community of Maycomb, Alabama, the novel’s setting, is unjust, with inherent prejudice against many in the society. However, the character of Atticus Finch shows great heroism and fights the injustice that is prevalent throughout Maycomb, chiefly by electing to defend Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus Finch deserves distinction as the greatest moral hero of all time. He demonstrates heroism by his willingness to oppose tradition and institutionalized racism.…
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is based in a small town called Maycomb Alabama during the Depression. Atticus, the town lawyer, decides to take on this case dealing with a kind and humble black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a young girl names Mayella Ewell. Was justice served when Tom Robinson was found guilty of rape? Mayella, of the famous Ewell family known as the city’s “trash” claimed Tom raped her.…
To begin with, when Tom felt bad for Mayella the whole courtroom was shocked. To explain this in more detail, when Tom says, ““Yes suh, I felt right sorry for her”” (264), and then Scout thinks, “Below us nobody liked Tom Robinsons answer” (264). This means that although Tom Robinson might have more money, works harder, and is more respected in the black society, he’s still black, and that’s below any white person, and since the society thinks you can’t pity anyone higher than you, they got offended. In fact, when the court session was over, the jury and the audience knew Tom wasn’t guilty, but voted that he was. To prove this statement, during Atticus’ final statement he says, ““This case is as simple as black and white.””…