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Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Justice is served by those who see the good in humanity. Imagine living in a world where everywhere you go, you are ridiculed by others, being put down, having racial slurs spat at you just because you are different. Racism and discrimination continue to be a significant problem in today’s world, let's backtrack to the 1900’s, where racism was very common. It’s wrong when you are not able to apply for a job or go somewhere because of your race, dealing with each others differences has become a waste of time and has become an ignorant act.(dosomething.org)
Racism seems like a nightmare that just keeps appearing and never wants to leave, it only leaves you with a never ending fear. There will always be that one group of people who will not accept …show more content…

Another example is the trial of Tom Robinson from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Tom Robinson the defendant, is a father and a great person. He is accused falsely of rape by Mayella Ewell a poor white 19 year old teenager who lives with her younger siblings and drunk father. Tom Robinson a black man who lived near the Ewells walked every day by their home on his way to and back from work, both Mayella and Tom strike a conversation. Tom always helped Mayella do things outside of the house because he pities her. Atticus Finch is Tom Robinson's lawyer. The main problem of this accusation is that there was some hidden information and events from the story. During the trial. Four witnesses took the stand and said their own side of the story the witnesses were: Sheriff Heck Tate, Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell, and Tom Robinson. The sheriff is the one who had seen Mayella and had also made sure to let the judge know that they did not get any medical check ups once they had found out what had happened, as he says in his own words,” It wasn't necessary, Mr. Finch. She was mighty banged up. Something sho' happened, it was obvious”. (Ch. 16) Harper Lee. Another testimony that was slightly off was with Sheriff Heck Tate, when they ask him which side was beaten the most, he seemed to not know the answer …show more content…

When Tom was younger, he had caught his left hand in a cotton gin and had his muscles ripped apart. Atticus needs to prove that Bob Ewell is left-handed because Mayella had been hit on her right side. When he writes his name, the jury sees that he is left-handed and was therefore probably the one to hit Mayella and not Tom Robinson Previous testimony of Bob Ewell showed that he was left handed this caused a huge amount of murmuring to go around court.Bob Ewell and Mayella were angered by the fact that they were accusing him/her father rather than Tom. "I got somethin' to say an' then I ain't gonna say no more. That ni**er yonder took advantage of me an' if you fine fancy gentlemen don't wanta do nothin' about it then you're all yellow stinkin' cowards, stinkin' cowards, the lot of you. Your fancy airs don't come to nothin'—your ma'amin' and Miss Mayellerin' don't come to nothin', Mr. Finch-" (18.167) Harper Lee. Mayella is angered by the fact that they are not believing what she has said. Atticus needed answer so he decided to ask Mayella about the relationship between her and her father."I mean, is he good to you, is he easy to get along with? "He does tollable, 'cept when—"..."Except when he's drinking?" asked Atticus so gently that Mayella nodded.” Harper Lee. Next Atticus questions Tom Robinson about the incident

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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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481 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus also asked Mayella “Do you love your father Miss? Mayella”(Lee 245) and she answered him with “He does tollable ‘cept when” (Lee 245). The last two pieces of evidence are, “My paw’s never touched a hair o’my head in my life” (Lee 246). Finally, when Atticus asks Mayella, she asks Tom inside the fence and she says “I did not, I certainly did not”(Lee 246-247) and when asked again she says, “I mighta, there were several niggas around” (Lee 246-247).

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500 Words | 2 Pages

The trial started off with the first witness Sheriff Heck Tate. Horace Gilmer, the prosecutor, started off with the questions. He asked what had happened on the night November 21. Mr. Tate said he was leaving his office when Mr. Ewell came “very excited”, he told him that some black man had raped his girl.

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614 Words | 3 Pages

Showing us that she would have been hit with a left hand, as Tom's left hand doesn't work, unlike Bob Ewells, signing his name with his left hand. It is also shown when Atticus is speaking about the jury, “A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up” (Lee 8). The jury is known to run the court, and what the jury has on their mind will counteract the case. As it is in the book, the jury is made up of racist country men that believe Tom is guilty whether he's proven innocent or not, no matter the points that have been brought up by Atticus showing Tom's innocence. Atticus also uses the rhetorical term pathos in his statement.

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698 Words | 3 Pages

(Lee 185). Heck’s credibility was extremely low, as I and the other reporters around me could see. Also, Mr. Finch made an interesting point in saying that he never called a doctor, which was perplexing given Mayella’s condition after Tom had beaten her. I believed that Tom was innocent at this point, but I needed a bit more to confirm

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977 Words | 4 Pages

The African-American community of Maycomb respects Atticus for doing his best with what he is given and for treating everyone with respect. Scout may not realize at first why she must stand up while her father is leaving, but since she is sitting with the community of African-Americans, she quickly realizes that it is a sign of respect, and it makes the audience feel proud. On the contrary, Mayella Ewell makes a remark that can lead the audience into thinking a variety of things, one of which is terrifying. While Tom Robinson is giving his testimony and explaining what happened while he was in the Ewell house, he states, “She says what her papa do to her don’t count,” (260). Someone could read this and think that her father is raping her, which is very alarming.

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778 Words | 4 Pages

Since Mayella was punched on the right side of her face, it meant the abuser was left-handed. Furthermore, Tom Robinson lacks the ability to lead with his left hand because he does not possess a left hand. This also disproves Mayella’s claim that Tom Robinson had choked her with both hands. Atticus is intelligent in figuring out the fact that Mr. Ewell was left-handed because it gave the court spectators a reason to believe the real criminal was Bob Ewell. Atticus continues to defend Tom Robinson’s innocence by finding evidence to prove Bob Ewell was guilty.

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181 Words | 1 Pages

Tom Robinson’s trial began with Heck Tate as the prosecution's first witness. Tate, a venerable man, did not act like a truant - he answered all of the questions to the best of his ability. On the other hand, Bob Ewell, a thin man with crepey skin, displayed a level of impertinence with his obstreperous philippics against Tom Robinson punctuating his testimony. Judge Taylor and Atticus, however, proved him to be an asinine liar, and Bob Ewell ended his testimony with an impotent tirade about how being left-handed had nothing to do with the case. Mayella Ewell was the next witness, and her testimony proved that beneath the veneer, she was the loneliest person in Maycomb.

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687 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus believes every man is equal in the courtroom including the people who do wrong including Mayella and Mayella’s

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424 Words | 2 Pages

Ewell takes a stand to defend Mayella in the courtroom when Atticus starts to realize that Mr. Ewell could’ve been guilty for Mayella’s rape. Atticus tries to prove that Mr. Ewell is guilty by intentionally asking Mayella questions, but Mayella refuses to prove that Mr. Ewell is guilty and responds to this saying “I got somethin’ to say an’ then I ain’t gonna say no more. That nigger yonder took advantage of me.. “ (Lee 251). This quote symbolizes the judgement that Mayella made on Tom Robinson to prove that he’s guilty.

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1070 Words | 5 Pages

Atticus speaks to Mayella Ewell kindly. Atticus questions Mayella, but first asks her some background questions to show the jury what kind of family she comes from. At first, Mayella takes exception to Atticus calling her "Miss Mayella," and the judge has to explain that Atticus is imply being polite. “Won’t answer a word you say long as you keep on mockin‘ me,” she said. “Ma’am?”

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721 Words | 3 Pages

Being fortunate enough to afford education, Atticus not only possess the “necessary intellect and unwavering morality” (20), but he is a renowned lawyer who understands that his skills should be put to better use than to encourage the exploitation of Negroes from the “negligence of unscrupulous racists” (3). In doing so, he understands the extra precaution needed to avoid “the storm of persecution” (4), and this personification manifests the growing hatred directed towards Atticus as the Maycomb community divides greatly enough to distinguish two groups of people that are for or against the actions of Atticus. Despite the incoming threats, Atticus ignores their efforts to stop him because he personally knows what it’s like to “be licked by low grade men” (16), and knowing what it’s like, he doesn’t favor the opinions of the majority over his own conscience which can be quite daunting. But unlike Hamlet who just prates about how he should just commit suicide, Atticus sees “through it no matter what” (27) because he already has a preconceived notion that he would fail so that he doesn’t go into grief if he

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370 Words | 2 Pages

Tom was not hesitant to take time out of his day to contribute to the life of another, helping someone who he knew was in need. Afterall, Mayella came from a shattered home with an alcoholic father that was hardly ever providing for his children. When discussing the fact that Mr. Ewell was able to hunt out of season, Atticus stated, “‘It’s against the law, all right,’ said my father, ‘and it’s certainly bad, but when a man spends his relief checks on green

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1001 Words | 5 Pages

Atticus replies, “Don’t be foolish, Heck. This is Maycomb (pg.160).” This instance promotes to the audience’s Atticus’s willingness to protect Tom from the lynching mob, regardless of his own and family’s safety to uphold his standards and values, of integrity and acting in an ethical manner. He concluded “before I can live with other folks, I have got to live with myself

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1370 Words | 6 Pages

Atticus then advertised to the jury how Bob Ewell was left-handed by making him write his name. The evidence was in Tom’s favor; nevertheless, the jury knew that Tom should have been innocent, as Atticus told

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