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Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Many believe he got a square deal, he did get a trial. The court system is perfect they say when in fact it is run by prejudice. Everyone on the jury believes that blacks are inferior to whites. It is a principle of white southern hood, it had started ever since the Dutch brought over African slaves to trade in Jamestown, Virginia, 1619. I believe Tom Robinson is innocent and wasn’t given a fair chance to defend himself.
Because of that, Underwood's opinion states, it was unjust to kill him. Using this theory, both Tom Robinson’s and the
But before I digress any further, I believe that Tom Robinson had been dealt with an unfair trial in TKAM, which is largely due to the heavy amounts of bias within the jury, although he was allowed to hold a public trial. The root of unruly judgement is known as bias. For instance in Ch. 16, the jury had men dressed in the Cunningham’s formal wear, hinting that the men whom tried to kill the defendant Tom the night before, was in the jury. This just further proves my thoughts, because those that hate you, and or dislike you, will judge you with false accusations.
A major event in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird arises when Tom Robinson was shot in the back 17 harsh times, even though it was extremely unnecessary. Tom Robinson was climbing a fence while only having one arm to use, it would have stopped him by just giving a light tug, however he had been shot
There are multiple reasons why a jury could find him not guilty, as long as they are not racist and prejudiced. The reasons being, Tom Robinson was lame in his left arm and there is no medical evidence of the crime taking place. The first reason Tom could be found not guilty is because he was lame in his left arm. On page 254 in the book, it states, “ He guided his arm to the Bible and his rubber-like left hand sought contact with the black binding.” This means that he could not use his left arm.
Lastly, the outcomes of both Robinson’s and Stinney’s convictions would be very different in a modern day courtroom due to the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the 14th Amendment. In 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that it was cruel and unusual punishment to execute someone convicted of murder that was under the age of eighteen (Juveniles and the death penalty). Although inmates do not have the same constitutional rights as free citizens, this same clause would have applied to Tom Robinson and his rights while in jail (Prisoner Rights). While modern day laws allow the shooting of a fleeing unarmed inmate, there are many stipulations to this law. Today’s officers would have to prove that there was an immediate threat to do so.
According to the book To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, I believe Tom Robinson is innocent. The crime that Tom Robinson is getting charged for is that he had raped Mayella Ewell. There are many reasons of why I believe Tom Robinson is not guilty. For instance, Tom Robinson’s left arm was not strong enough nor working, so he didn’t have the strength to do what Mr. Ewell and Mayella said he did. One reason why it is believed that Mayella was raped was because she had said, “I said come here nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me” (Lee 241).
Discrimination is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird in numerous ways. Racism and prejudice are shown when the jury makes the ruling to convict Tom Robinson as guilty, despite all of the evidence to prove his innocence; Scout is known for being a tomboy. The lessons about discrimination that Scout learns throughout the novel are applicable to all types of prejudice, Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem Finch, is judged for defending Tom Robinson, an innocent man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a low class teenage girl. Since most of the community is racist, Tom Robinson’s case is very hard for Atticus to defend. They do not believe a white man should be defending a black man.
Scout explains Mr. Underwood's intentions as: "Mr. Underwood didn’t talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand. Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children …" (323). This proves that even racists like Mr. Underwood do not approve of shooting a man like Tom Robinson, who is obviously
White men were trying to prove the fact of the natural inferiority of the African American race, terming them as unreasonable beings. The jury could not be able to look past race and praise the integrity of Tom and practiced the opposite of prejudice. If Tom Robinson had a higher social status, say such as a NFL player, the result of the trial would be entirely
Responsibility for Tom’s Death You should believe that the cause of Tom Robinson’s death is because of the actions of those in his community. Tom Robinson is a physically disabled black man in To Kill A Mockingbird accused of raping a white 19-year-old girl, Mayella Ewell. Tom is disabled because of an accident when he was younger, causing his left arm to be completely useless. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s.
Tom Robinson was an innocent man falsely accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and despite the evidence supporting him he was still found and guilty and was sentenced to the death penalty. He is one of if
During the 1930s the south was still raging with racism, and the thought of a black man raping a white woman lead to no further investigation whether it was true or false, he was simply sentenced to death. Atticus Finch, Toms adept lawyer, believed Soulfly in equality and justice for all and was more than happy to defend Tom Robinson with all his heart no matter his race. The Finch family felt very different than the majority of people in Maycomb Alabama. When Tom Robinson has accused the entirety of the town flocked to the courthouse to view the trial. Some with hopes for justice and liberty but most unapologetically hoping for an unfair sentence.
In my opinion that is truly unfair. It makes sense as to why Atticus decided to defend Tom Robinson. He continuously tries to find the good in everyone and believes that the black community contains good people. Atticus had mentioned to his brother, Jack, that Tom was innocent but “doomed”. It was impossible
Because the jury did not favor black men, Tom Robinson did not receive a fair trial, although Atticus made a great case. Segregation directly disobeys the fourteenth amendment, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” Maycomb Alabama is where the story, To Kill a Mockingbird takes place. Tom Robinson’s trial out come was not based on factual evidence. Mayella was lying to the jury, while Tom was completely innocent.