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Tom Robinson Trial Essay

471 Words2 Pages

Kyree Basnight David Norman English 1 Honors 13 May 2024 To Kill A Mockingbird Essay In To Kill a Mockingbird Jem once said, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time. . . it's because he wants to stay inside." Lee 227). The. As Jem loses his innocence surrounding his town, his eyes are now opened up to reveal a whole new world. It was not only the events in the courtroom that day that led him to his fate, but the events that followed as well. Jem has been living in a type of haze over his thinking of the legal system. However, in August of 1935 Jem had to deal with the haze being lifted, and the truth being seen. Both Tom Robinson's trial and the aftermath following contribute to a large part of Jem's loss of innocence. The trial of Tom Robinson serves as a catalyst for Jem’s new point of view of the world, and highlights the harsh realities he failed to see before: …show more content…

Initially viewing the legal system standing for nothing other than both the truth and justice, Jem witnessed firsthand the deep-rooted prejudices and systematic flaws that plagued the courtroom during Mr. Robinson’s trial. Despite Atticus Finch’s best efforts to defend Tom with both integrity and compassion, the verdict reveals the inherent bias of the jury, leading to what Jem believes to be Tom’s wrongful conviction. The miscarriage of justice shatters Jem’s idealistic beliefs, forcing him to confront the harsh truth that fairness and equality do not always prevail in the face of deep-seated racism. Jem’s loss of innocence becomes palpable as he grapples with the harsh realities of racism and injustice. There are

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