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Tom Robinson's Death Essay

626 Words3 Pages

“You did the crime, now you do the time,” this age old adage is currently being used to describe Tom Robinson and the case against him; however, Tom will no longer serve time, considering that police officers murdered him when he attempted to flee from prison. A legion of people believes that Tom Robinson’s actions ultimately led to his demise, and that he is just another worthless human. In actuality, the father of the accuser, Bob Ewell, was the cause of Tom’s death. Maycomb’s most reclusive citizen saw an opportunity to capitalize on the town’s racist nature, and gain a few seconds in the limelight. Furthermore, this newly found fame would provide a stark difference from his everyday life of being the town’s most hated resident, and hopefully …show more content…

Mayella is being coerced into living a lonely and secluded lifestyle, ultimately causing her to crave any and all attention given to her. When Tom began to help Mayella with her everyday chores, it made her feel as if she was in the spotlight. During Mr. Finch’s cross-examination of Mayella, he broaches the subject of her social life, and when he asks her who her friends are, she replies in questioning manner and has no knowledge of the term “friends” (183). Additionally, Bob Ewell’s selfishness drove him to do whatever it takes to leave the lowest class of citizen in Maycomb. However, instead of working for this goal, Bob Ewell took the easy way out, and accused a black man of raping his daughter. In doing so, the upper class white citizens of Maycomb would endorse Bob and his case against Tom Robinson. However, even when Bob accomplished his goal of joining the higher social class in Maycomb, he eventually returned to his usual self. A local citizen and daughter of Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, said “He was the only man I have ever heard of that was fired from the WPA for laziness. I suppose his brief burst of fame brought a briefer burst of industry” (248). His attempts to throw an innocent black man in jail succeeded, however, he ultimately still failed as a

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