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Examples Of Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

962 Words4 Pages

Benson Weaver
Mrs. Rollins
English 9-2
30 March 2023
Justice vs. Injustice In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a little girl, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, grows up in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama during the great depression. Scout has an older brother, Jem, who she often plays with. They have a friend, Dill, who comes to Maycomb in the summertime. One thing that always entertained and frightened them was the “Rain-rotted,” (9) Radley house, an uninviting house with, “closed doors,” (10) down the street from the Finch’s house, and one of its occupants Boo Radley and the mystery surrounding him, as he was never seen but had many stories circulating about him. The main conflict comes when Scout’s Father, Atticus, who is a lawyer, defends Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of rape by a white girl, …show more content…

Despite no hard evidence again him, only witnesses as any sort of evidence, he was found guilty. Throughout the book, Harper Lee develops the theme of justice vs injustice using diction in the court case, symbolism through Boo Radley, and irony. The courtroom is supposed to be, “the great levelers,” (233) and where “all men are created equal,” (233) however the jury, “couldn’t be fair if they tried.”(251) Atticus is defending Tom Robinson and fighting for justice. Lee shows this fight for justice against injustice using diction in the court case. The prosecutor several times refers to Tom Robinson as “boy,” (223) a term that is meant to be condescending and demeaning. This shows prejudice that leads to injustices in the courtroom. Furthermore, Lee uses derogatory terms to show how deeply ingrained racism is in the town and how it affects the way people are treated. In contrast, Atticus's language is often more measured and respectful. He speaks with a quiet authority, using words that convey his belief in the importance of showing respect, and being just. For example, when questioning witnesses, instead of

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He puts his leadership efforts on display to make a change in his community by defending a black man in court, which was often frowned upon in the 1900s: “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to win” (Lee 87). With this in mind, defending an African-American man in court shows that he does not care much for the ‘normal’ in society. As a result, an angry mob attempts to lynch Tom at the jailhouse, but Atticus stays put, sticking to his beliefs about a fair trial. Atticus’s defense of Tom Robinson represents his leadership and perseverance; most people disagreed with him and even knew the verdict before it was announced, but Atticus kept fighting diligently. An angry mob attempts to lynch Tom, but Atticus stays put, sticking to his beliefs about a fair trial.

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In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout and Jem Finch live in the small town known as Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Over time, Scout learns about the town’s true identity. She and Jem are forced to work for Mrs. Dubose, an old woman who seems to hate children. Accompanying this, Scout and Jem are stuck fearing the lunatic who only comes out from his rickety old home at night, Boo Radley. Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, was appointed as a lawyer to help defend Tom Robinson, a struggling black man who was framed for abusing Mayella Ewell.

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Scout learns about the prejudice the black community faces during Tom Robinson’s case. Tom is a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell and is ultimately given a guilty verdict. After news spread of Atticus being Tom’s lawyer, people around town began calling the Finch family derogatory names. This led to Scout understanding that society doesn’t respect the black community or even treat them as equals. They believed that Tom was guilty even before the trial just because he was black.

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Atticus most effectively uses emotionally charged language while being respectful in his final remarks to elicit emotions and sympathy to strengthen his facts to bring justice to Tom Robinson. Atticus identifies Tom’s human characteristics to garner sympathy from the jury. Throughout his final remarks on the case he uses certain words to make the audience see Tom as a human worthy of respect and justice. Here, Atticus provides the evidence where the court and jury have prejudice towards Tom.

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In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Injustice is carried out through the story proving it to be a significant theme. In Harper Lee’s novel,injustice is carried out by the Jury pronouncing Tom Robinson guilty,when he is innocent. When Scout shuts her eyes,Judge Taylor polls in the jury,which says “Guilty ...Guilty...Guilty”(282).Not only did he not rape her, he helped her. Tom simply helped her with the chiffarobe,so his verdict is unfair.

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In Harper Lee’s gothic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, protagonist Scout Finch and her family are introduced to racial inequity in the “tired old town” (5) of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout's father Atticus Finch, a lawyer, is given the task of defending a black man “{whose} name’s Tom Robinson” (86), who has been accused of rape, in court. During the trial, Scout and her brother Jem learn the appalling effects of racial prejudice and the iniquity of the world and the people in it. Tom Robinson is deemed guilty because of his race, despite all evidence proving his innocence. Lee utilizes literary techniques in the novel to further develop the theme of racial prejudice, such as Atticus’s encounter with Tim Johnson, Mrs. Dubose’s camellias, and her use

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So·cial jus·tice, noun, 1. justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. 2."individuality gives way to the struggle for social justice.” (Google Search). Social Justice is a term used to justify the equality in the world; equality of race, equality of gender, equality of religion, of age, of background; equality of all people not dependent on any outside factor, but of the people themselves.

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First, we see the legal system as a constant reminder of the racial injustice in this part of the world during this time. In this case, we see Atticus prove with much evidence that Tom Robinson is innocent. However, the jury decided to convict him anyway. This exposes the deep-seated prejudices of the town of Maycomb, as even though Tom is innocent, he is convicted. Throughout the case, Harper Lee exposes the flaws in the town and its court case.

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The character Atticus “In To Kill a Mockingbird” By Harper Lee is known for his unsee integrity and belief in the justice system. Atticus has to take on being a lawyer for Tom Robinson a black man who was accused of rape, Atticus is a reflection of a compassionate and committed Man. As the story unravels in “To kill a mockingbird,”. Attcuis has to face many challenges and obstacles as he defends tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape in a racist town named Maycomb despite the pressure from maycomb, Attcuis is still trying to defend Tom and is committed to justice and equality.

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Every day, there are good people that get hurt for actions they never committed, but because they are different they don't get treated the same way which makes them serve a punishment they never did. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there are a lot of different types of prejudice. Consequently, a lot of people suffer from it like Tom Robinson, who experiences racism and problems in the legal system which ended up in him being killed. During this novel, Tom Robinson is a really nice man who helps everyone and cares about others, but because of racism, he got his life taken away from him even if he is innocent. This is why this makes him the biggest victim of a Mockingbird.

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Kaitlin Natili Mrs. Schranz Academic English 9, Period 1 20 April 2023 To Kill A Mockingbird Theme Analysis A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means( Sallust Quotes). In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch’s response to conflict demonstrates that social justice is brought about through his educated, patient, and ethical mindset.

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Mr. Gilmer, the district attorney for Mayella Ewell, belittles Tom Robinson while he is cross-examining him. The district attorney constantly called Tom "...boy." (pg. 198) when he is a twenty-five-year-old man. Mr. Gilmer is making Tom feel unimportant because he is African-American and considered lower than the Ewells. Similarly, Rufus Buckley, the prosecutor in Carl Lees trial, was persecuting him and called him a name during the trial.

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As can be seen, Lee’s usage of Tom Robinson’s trial and the racial discrimination and prejudice seen throughout it helps reinforce the theme of social injustice throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Another encounter that the

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