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Tom Robinson Trial Essay

814 Words4 Pages

The worst case scenario after getting convicted of a crime you didn't even commit would be having your whole community pit against you leaving you with no way out. This is how it was for Mr. Tom Robinson In the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Tom was convicted of a crime that he didn't commit and didn't even have a chance of winning due to the racism afoot. The events that transpired towards Tom Robinson was the fault of the community surrounding him; In past trials when it was a black man put against a white man the white man always won and quickly, however, others may argue he “had it coming” because he pitied Mayella Ewell.
In the past, it never took much time for a jury to come to a decision when it was a black man vs. a white man. In chapter 23 after the trial had happened and Tom was found guilty Jem and Atticus have this conversation, “Tom's jury sho’ made up its mind in a hurry,’ Jem shuddered. Atticus's fingers went to his pocketwatch, ‘No it …show more content…

Jem gets the impression that Mr. Glimer believes Tom is innocent and says, “He's not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don't fret we’ve won it,’ he said wisely. ‘Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we’ve heard-’ ‘Now don't you be so confident Mr. Jem, I ain't ever seen a jury decide in the favor of a colored man over a white man…” (Lee 211). However much anyone thinks Tom was innocent he was never going to be set free. It could be the clearest case to ever exist, but the jury would have never decreed him innocent. The community which is responsible for the decision is too racist to see with a clear mind. However, if Tom had been convicted of this up North where the community was working toward a less racist future maybe he could have had a different ending to his story, but there are no maybes here. The truth is the community is at the fault for where Tom is now.

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In Lee’s book, it is shown through the innocence of a child that Tom Robinson is not guilty, and that the jury convicted him for no reason other than their own prejudiced values and pressure from other prejudiced townspeople. After the outcome of the trial a young boy named Jem questions “How could they, how could they do it?” and his father answers. “I don't know but they did, they’ve done it before tonight, and they will probably do it again.”(Lee 215).

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