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Equal Justice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Justice. The dictionary definition of that word is "just behavior or treatment". In the 1960's when "To Kill A Mockingbird" was written blacks were still facing prejudice for being colored, even though the story takes place in the 1930's. They were stereotyped and not given a chance to show who they really were. Some people may think that justice is the same for everyone, in my eyes I think some people are shown more justice than others. We know that in our U.S constitution it says that all men are created equal so I strongly feel that if we all are created equal, shouldn't we get equal justice?I feel the amount of justice you receive is based off of who you are, and by that I mean are you rich or poor, white or black. In the book "To Kill …show more content…

That is because justice is not the same for everyone. For example, take Tom Robinson's case he is a black man accused of raping a white girl, and the jury is a group of white men . We know that no matter how hard Tom Robinson tries to prove he is not guilty the jury will go against him because of the color of his skin. So, no, justice is not the same for everyone and I don't think it will ever be. In today's world the only way we will achieve equal justice for everyone is when people stop placing themselves on pedestals and thinking that they are better than the next person. When that happens equal justice will be shown, no matter who you are, where you live, how much money you have, or the color of your skin. In the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" Atticus tells Jem and scout that "it is a sin to kill a mockingbird" and Miss Maudie also tells them that "mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy" (Lee 119). I think this applies to Tom Robinson because all he wanted to do was help Miss Mayella but instead got accused for something that never took place. This applies to justice because mockingbirds are treated the right way because they "make music", but when Tom does something nice for Mayella he isn't shown proper

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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson against all odds, but the racial prejudices at the time caused him to be found guilty and executed. Atticus at one time states, “our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.” This claim can be disproven because some defendants are still treated as second-class citizens compared to those with greater privilege and influence. Atticus’ statement that everyone is equal to the judicial system is incorrect because those who are privileged have more advantages and can avoid blame for their crimes. Many privileged individuals such as police officers can kill and beat unarmed black men and women based on “reasonable doubt” and are later freed of

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The United States prides itself on the principle of equality. In the Declaration of Independence, the very basis of the nation, it states "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Despite this promise, Maycomb county lacks the humanity and fairness that America promises. Not only do the whites of the county show obvious contempt for the blacks, but they are willing to go as far as to murder one, Tom Robinson, in cold blood, depriving him of the basic right promised by our great country. Tom deserves the appeal due to the biased jury, the insubstantial physical evidence given by Mayella, Mr. Ewell, and Heck Tate, and the

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All people are created equally, but all people are not treated equally. This statement is represented during the trial of Tom Robinson. Tom is black and black people rarely ever win trials because people are racist in the town of Maycomb. People are put into groups based on the Maycomb Caste System which is most often key divided by ethnic, racial, or financial lines. For example, the white upper class is represented by Atticus, while the poor black citizens are represented by Tom Robinson.

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To Kill a Mockingbird shows that while justice will always exist, it often isn’t distributed fairly. Harper Lee shows this in the book through Mr. Ewell and Mayella’s reason to accuse Tom Robinson, Atticus’s closing argument about how

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Through the trial she shows how the caste system impacts the outcome of trial. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee argues that a caste system corrupts the justice system because a caste system generates a blurred image of the truth that creates inequality. This caste system can be seen during Tom Robinson’s trial. Tom Robinson trial is about Tom a black man allegedly rapeing a white girl named Mayella Ewell.

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For example, a black defendant is four times more likely to be sentenced to death than a white defendant when a similar crime is committed. Additionally, a victim’s race is a key factor in determining whether or not the defendant gets the death penalty (Time). Why does the race of a defendant or victim matter in determining whether a life is taken? Does having darker skin really make you less of a person? The racial bias and discrimination in the United States is unbelievable.

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For example, it is correct to argue that people who kill white people are treated far worse than those who kill other races regardless of the offender’s own race. Between January 1977 and December 1995, 313 people were executed, 249 had murdered a white person. (Bedau, 2). This inability of capital punishment to show equality is one of its limiting factors.

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Ever since the 1930s, racism has been seen in all aspects of society. Simple things such as bathrooms, buses, school, and even court systems were all racist for years. In modern times, buildings are no longer segregated and racism is not as obvious as it was earlier, but racism is still seen in the court system. Whenever the defendant is on trial, they have a jury of their peers to advocate and vote fairly for them. However, white people have a more fair jury than people of color do.

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This behaviour is deemed as natural, and few people question the roles put in place, this is truly terrifying so we are lead to wonder if what we accept as normal is perhaps corrupt instead. Race is the dominant cause of inequality in To Kill A Mockingbird, thus Maycomb’s views on race heavily influence every aspect of life. Although racial inequality is clearly illustrated in the in the injustice, prejudice, discrimination and antagonism surrounding the Tom Robinson trial, it is also shown more subtly throughout the novel. In Chapter 25 Atticus Finch is quoted disclosing that the corrupt justice system is a direct cause of a racist society. “In our courts, when it 's a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Lee, 295).

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Because the jury did not favor black men, Tom Robinson did not receive a fair trial, although Atticus made a great case. Segregation directly disobeys the fourteenth amendment, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” Maycomb Alabama is where the story, To Kill a Mockingbird takes place. Tom Robinson’s trial out come was not based on factual evidence. Mayella was lying to the jury, while Tom was completely innocent.

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