The Community's Role In To Kill A Mockingbird

The community in the town of Maycomb in To kill a Mockingbird had a big role in killing Tom Robinson and leading to the point where he had to run away from the town because they accused him of having raped a girl named Mayella. He was shamed for being a black person then he was accused of a big crime then the town was very angry about the fact of a white person was raped by a black person. In their society, the black race was shamed on and looked down on for their skin color and they were treated like trash for it. The people of Maycomb accused Tom Robinson of rape, but even with a great lawyer, he was still found guilty of rape. The society they live in looks down on the black community and shame them for everything they do and say. Some

Mayella told her father that Tom had raped her and her father said he saw him do it as stated here “He had told them what happened, he’d say it, again and again, a— which he did. Nothing Atticus asked him after that shook his story, that he’d looked through the window, then ran the (Negro) off, then ran for the sheriff. Atticus finally dismissed him” (Lee 180). He was a witness, but a biased witness because he was related and a racist. Bob said he saw Tom do it, but he could not remember the details of what happened to his daughter. Bob just wanted him to be put in jail because he does not like the fact that his daughter likes a black man. Bob knew he could easily blame Tom because the society they lived in did not treat black people with respect or treat them like human beings in general so he decided to blame Tom even though he knew that Mayella was

“She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterward” (Lee 207). Mayella knew how black people were looked at she tempted and tricked tom into coming into the house to fix something and she tried to kiss him. She should have talked to him before jumping on him and kissing him, if she told Tom how she felt this could have been avoided and Tom could possibly still be