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How Does Tom Robinson Symbolize The Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

It is common belief in Alabama, where the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place, that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel about the lives of twoy children living in the southern United States in the thirties, along with the racism and prejudice which occurred there. The trial of Tom Robinson, which could be compared to the infamous Scottsboro Trials, entails Tom being unfairly tried for rape. Tom Robinson bears the most resemblance to that of Harper Lee's figurative mockingbird, as he matches Mrs. Maudie’s depiction of a mockingbird almost faultlessly, and his conviction can be associated with killing a mockingbird. Some may say that Atticus could be Lee's mockingbird, but there is more evidence supporting the claim that Harper Lee intended for Tom to symbolize the bird. …show more content…

Maudie’s portrayal of a mockingbird almost identically. She explains that “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us...” (Lee 119). Tom Robinson resembles the mockingbird as there are certain details or qualities of the mockingbird, principally a constant innocence and inoffensiveness. As he expounds during the trial, Tom helps Mayella merely out of pity, doesn’t do anything to harm or affront anybody, and he works hard for Mr. Link Deas. Since Mr. and Ms. Ewell’s stories contradict each other in various instances, it’s safe to assume that Tom Robinson’s version of the story is the closest to

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Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is seen as a book embedded into the American public school education system with good reasons. To Kill a Mockingbird symbolizes innocence, classism, and racism. We look through all of these statements from an 8 year old girl nicknamed Scout as she grows up during the Great Deppression, When Scout was around 7 years old, a trial shook the little town of Maycomb when a 19 year old girl accused a black man named Tom Robinson of raping her. Being set in the 1930’s when segregation was a prominent factor in America, With little evidence and witnesses Tom Robinson was still found guilty and was sentenced to death by electrocution.

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This day August 26,1935 Tom Robinson was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell. She is a local Maycomb resident. However most of the “facts” in the case don’t make much sense,with the lack of evidence Tom Robinson could possibly be innocent. So what evidence presented did not add up the The first piece of evidence came from Sheriff Heck Tate Who said that Mayella’s

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164 Words | 1 Pages

Mayella Ewell, the prosecutor, blamed Tom Robinson, the defendant, of rape on the night of November 21, 1935 at Mayella’s home in Maycomb, Alabama. The trial brought up included Tom Robinson, Mayella and Robert Ewell, Heck Tate, and Atticus Finch. Heck Tate and Robert Ewell were the witnesses for Mayella’s side and Atticus was the lawyer to Tom Robinson. This was such an important trial, whether the event actually happened or not, because Tom is a black man and Mayella is a white woman. The evidence provided shows that Tom most likely did not rape or beat Mayella, but her father was the one who could have beat her.

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679 Words | 3 Pages

In To Kill a Mockingbird by harper Lee, despite of him having a public trial, Tom Robinson, an innocent man was proven guilty, also his trial that was completely and utterly unfair, one-sided, and even discriminatory. This novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama, a made up town. Robinson was working for the Ewell’s and one day Tom was invited into the house to fix a door. Tom Robinson was accused of raping and abusing a white woman, Mayella Ewell, when her father is the one who abused her. The jury had a lack of evidence to prove that Tom was guilty, and also ignored the evidence that proves his innocence.

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664 Words | 3 Pages

In Maycomb, Alabama they faced change. It is a dreary town without much action, then Mayella Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping her. I went to the trial and the result the jury handed out was the wrong decision. Mayella’s and her father, Bob’s testimonies were both false and staged. It was evident Bob was the one who raped her.

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In TKAM justice is not applied equally, especially regarding white and non-white, and adult and child. With white and non-white one of the main reasons Tom Robinson goes to court for rape is because that he is a black man testifying against a white family. Even though the evidence obviously points to Mayella trying to kiss Tom Robinson, Robinson is still considered guilty because of his ethnicity. This is extremely unfair and biased because he is obviously innocent, and being persecuted for no reason other than the fact that the judge and people in the town are racist. With adult and child, Atticus tries to keep his children from the court.

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Tom Robinson would have lived if it were not for the citizens of Maycomb. This situation is shown by the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which is set in the 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama. Tom was charged with raping a 19-year-old woman named Mayella Ewell. Through this trial, the different social standings of white and colored people make themselves known. Tom was given an unfair trial simply due to people’s beliefs that they are unwilling to change.

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Why Tom Robinson Is A Mockingbird "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Lee 90).

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484 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird the author Harper Lee creates a strong theme showing how two of the main characters represent the innocence of a mockingbird. The two characters that are portrayed as sinners are accused of by men who are blinded by pride to the point where lives are taken. The virtue of Tom Robinson is displayed throughout the course of this story. For example, a witness from the audience at Tom Robinson’s trial speaks out and announces, “I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now.

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In this paragraph I will be questioning the Ewells’ reasoning for lying. While reading the court scenes, I got the feeling that Mayella and Bob had separate motives for trying to convict Tom. There are quite a few reasons that Bob would want Tom Robinson convicted. His most demanding motive would have to be the need to cover up the fact that he abuses his children.

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In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird is a metaphor for Tom Robinson. While mockingbirds are discussed in the novel as literal birds that harmlessly sing and entertain, Lee clearly uses the mockingbird to symbolize Tom Robinson. One reason that supports this idea is a Robinson is a innocent man who tried to help someone but then was convicted of rape. Another reason that supports the metaphor is Tom, the innocent songbird, was put on trial for his life and was convicted guilty. This inhuman action of murdering an innocent and harmless man who wanted to help is like the killing of a harmless songbird.both are innocent, and both murders are wrong.

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1915 Words | 8 Pages

The Symbol of Killing a Mockingbird The book To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, Shows many examples throughout the characters of the book that symbolize Mockingbirds and how. Tom Robinson, one of the symbols of a mockingbird, was a black man who was falsely accused of raping a young girl. Even though the defending evidence was much more factual than the evidence against him he was found guilty and shot 17 times. Another symbol of a Mockingbird is the character Arthur “Boo” Radley who was isolated in his house for most of his this but is still judged by the people of Maycomb.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Argumentative Essay Racial equality and discrimination is a founding issue that has been spread throughout every part of the world, To Kill A Mockingbird was written and published by Harper Lee in 1960, this time was dominated by civil rights protests and some of the first hippie movements following the crushing reality of the Vietnam War, the 60s also saw the struggle against segregation and racial equality. It is no surprise that the extreme political conflict affecting her life and world would greatly impact her writing and influence how she perceived the world during the writing of To Kill a Mockingbird. the influence of the fight for racial inequality is shown greatly in her book as she depicts the everyday life

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732 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the term mockingbird symbolizes innocence in a person. In the novel it focuses on the fact that innocence, represented by the mockingbird, can be wrongfully harmed. There are two characters: Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley that are supposed to represent the mockingbird. In the novel, Tom Robinson is the best example of a mockingbird because he is prosecuted for a crime he did not commit. Also, he was judged unfairly based on the color of his skin in his trial.

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’”(pg 187). This evidence shows that Mayella had nothing to say because she knew that she was caught lying and he showed the jury that they were lying. Therefore the Ewell family is not telling the truth in every response and is more likely Tom is not

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