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Examining Tom Robinson In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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In this passage in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, we see Mr.Gilmer cross-examining Tom Robinson. In his cross-examination, he is very obviously disrespectful to Tom Robinson, constantly calling him “Boy”. Scout, Jem, and Dill are all watching the trial on the courthouse balcony, but eventually Dill breaks out in crying and runs out of the courthouse with Scout following. When they are outside, they stumble upon Dolphus Raymond.

To understand this scene, you must understand some the context surrounding it. Dill is a friend of Jem and Scout who comes to where they live in the Summer. The court case happening is the result of a black man named Tom Robinson being falsely accused of rape. Dill explains after running out that he started crying because Mr.Gilmer was being so rude to Tom Robinson on the basis of his race, which Dill thought was wrong. …show more content…

During Gilmer’s cross-examination, the narrator states, ”For some reason Dill had started crying and couldn’t stop; quietly at first, then his sobs were heard by several people in the balcony”(265). This shows that Dill, who still has more innocence due to his lack of exposure to racism compared to Scout and Jem is upset enough to the point that he cries, and Scout doesn’t even understand why he’s so sad. When talking to Dolphus Raymond, Dolphus says, ”You aren’t thin-hided, it just makes you sick, doesn’t it?”(266). This quote shows that Dolphus understands that Dill can’t bear Mr.Gilmer and the evil in

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In the story To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, it displays how many racial issues occurred in the southern part of the country during the 1930’s. An example being when Tom Robinson who is a innocent black man who is being accused of assault against Mayella Ewell. At the courthouse, every witness stated that Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell on November 21st and punched her in her right eye. But, Tom Robinson can’t use his left arm so there was no possible way that Tom Robinson punched Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch attempts to prove Tom Robinson’s innocence by using strong, emotional appeals to convince the jury.

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Dill, unlike the people of Maycomb in the courthouse, realizes the cruelty and unfair treatment toward Tom Robinson. Dill says “I don’t care one speck. It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that—it just makes me sick.” (Pg 226).

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In To Kill A Mockingbird, Dill is horrified by the way Mr. Gilmer was talking to Tom Robinson during the trial, “‘It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that—it just makes me sick,’” (Lee 203). Dill understands that Tom is a human just like himself and Mr. Gilmer, and is sickened that Tom is being spoken to not like an equal, but being talked down upon. Mr. Gilmer is not trying to see Tom’s point of view, he is just assuming that he is guilty because he is black, which is unfair treatment.

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Mr. Gilmer would have said it’s the jury duty to convict Tom Robinson for what he has done. That Mayella will never know peace until Tom is hung for his crimes. That with Tom running free no women would be safe. He would want to play up the stereotypes of savage black man that can’t be trusted with white women, because that would hit home with the men on the jury. This tact Mr. Glimer hopes to distract them from the lack of facts.

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In part one, Scout has seen Jem’s snowman and comments on it, stating “Jem, I ain’t heard of a nigger snowman.” As snowmen are usually white, the word “nigger” contradicts the common appearance, indicating that she has been heavily influenced by the environment, thinking that it is normal to say this as it is heard many times. Later on in the novel, Dill, having heard the racist speech delivered by Mr Gilmer, had to leave. He “seemed to be all right that day, nothing wrong with him, but I guessed he hadn’t fully recovered from running away.” It becomes evident that the court has opened up old wounds once again, also signifying that the fate of Tom Robinson is sealed, since the court is served by an all-white jury and are heavily prejudiced.

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(Lee 266) This quote shows how Dill notices that Mr. Gilmer treats Tom Robinson poorly which Dill doesn't think is very right though, Scout says, Tom Robinson is just a Negro. Dill then responds that nobody deserves to be treated that way no matter how different they are. This matters because you shouldn’t just treat someone that way because of their race and someone shouldn’t do that because they could have misinterpreted them. At the end of the book, Atticus said, “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.”

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