Significance Of Tom Robinson Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

The twentieth century was filled with racial problems. However in the south racial tensions seemed to be consistently growing. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes what it would be like to grow up in the 1930’s in Maycomb Alabama. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson’s court case shows that the racial tensions in Maycomb Alabama were very extreme. Tom Robinson was put on trial and proven guilty for the raping of Mayella Ewell. However there was no hard evidence that proved Mr. Robinson was guilty. Actually Atticus made it very clear that Bob Ewell was the only one guilty of anything. During the trial Atticus states “We do know in part what Mr. Ewell did: he did what any God-fearing, persevering, respectable white

There truly was only two “teams”, and everyone was forced to pick a side. The first side consisted of those who were white and hated the blacks. Whereas the second side consisted of those who were either black, or whites who were unprejudiced. The whites who supported the blacks were often ridiculed. Miss Dubose was screaming at the kids and said, “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers” (105). It is a possibility that many white people knew deep down that Tom was innocent, but they were afraid to say anything. Maycomb is a small town filled with gossip, and they probably did not want to ruin their reputation. Another example of racial differences was seating in the court. During the court case the whites got to sit on the first floor, and the blacks had to sit upstairs or stand. “Looka there, now. he said irritably, as the black people surged upstairs. The old men ahead of them would take most of the standing room. We were out of luck and it was my fault, Jem informed me” (166). This is just an example of one of the many privileges that the whites got instead of the blacks. The court trial of Tom Robinson shined a light on the monstrosities of