“To Kill A Mockingbird,” a novel by Harper Lee novel tells the story of a 6-year-old named Scout, who’s living in the 19th century during a time of normalized racial discrimination. Harper Lee uses conflict of the Tom Robinson’s case and characterization of Tom Robinson, in order to represent and point out the idea of discrimination against people of color, can lead to social racial oppression in court in American society.
A characterization that’s important is Tom Robinson ( a black man). He’s portrayed as a generous man; “‘Were you paid for your services? “‘Not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell you’ll don't seem to help her none, and neither did the chilliun, and I knew she didn’t have no nickels to spare’”(256). Tom has been asked by Mayella to do the majority of her stuff, and Tom always been kind to do it for her. He’s been offered many times to take money from Mayella, but he always declined. The people that he worked for says he’s a nice man and didn’t cause any
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As characterized by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson was an innocent and hard working black man. “‘It couldn’t be worse Jack. The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells. The evidence boils down to you- did- I didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells?’” (117). Atticus knows the system is corrupt and points out the conflict at hand, and struggles to find hope in beating the white family that holds more power against a poor/kind black man. Atticus accepts the conflict in hand, telling Scout: “‘No honey… Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win’” (101). Atticus is not going down without a fight to defend a person of color, even if it to just try to make a little difference saying “no reason” for them to try to make a