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What Does Tom Robinson Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Who is a symbol of a Mockingbird and what does a Mockingbird symbolize? Tom Robinson from Harper Lee's novel To Kill A MockingBird symbolizes a Mockingbird. The bird represents innocents and it does no harm to others. Mr. Robinson symbolized the Mockingbird because he was fated to death even when he was innocent. Also, Tom is disabled and is unable to use his left hand and arm. Mr. Robinson faces racism within the court and in town. Tom Robinson was fated to death even when he had lots of evidence proving his innocence. On page 323 it states, “ Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” This shows everyone already made up their mind about Tom without listening to the evidence and Tom never even had a chance of surviving. Also, on page 323 the text says, “but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case.” Even though Atticus is the best lawyer in town he could not convince the people of Maycomb of the innocents …show more content…

Robinson was disabled and could not use his left hand nor arm. On page 254 we can see how useless his hand is when the text says, “As he raised his right hand the useless one slipped off the Bible and hit the clerks table.” We see how he can’t control his hand. Another detail is when the text says, “It was her right eye.” This shows that the person who beat up and took advantage of Mayella had to punch her with his left hand, which couldn’t have been Mr. Tom Robinson. When Reverend Sykes whispers to Scout and Jem and says,”He got caught in a cotton gin, caught it in Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when he was a boy … like to bled to death … tore all the muscles loose from his bones-” This shows in detail how Tom became disabled and how and why he can no longer use his arm. Mr. Robinson’s left hand was disabled when he was just a boy and now he can no longer use it. Mayella's right side of her face was beat up so someone punched her with the left hand. These details help prove the innocence of Tom

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553 Words | 3 Pages

Oh yes that would make it her right. It was her right eye, Mr. Finch (Lee 192). This evidence shows that Mayella had all the bruises on the right side of her body which means Tom Robinson would have to use his left arm, but his left arm was useless because he got it caught in a cotton gin. BASIS OF GUILT On November 21, 1935, Tom Robinson was accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell because Sheriff Heck Tate had a poor investigation of the case.

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1028 Words | 5 Pages

During the trial, Atticus reveals that, “Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely,”(Lee). Mayella and her father claimed the abuser to be Tom Robinson. As Mayella had been beaten mostly on her left side, Atticus mentioned that Mayella’s father “swore out a warrant, no doubt signing it with his left hand,”(Lee). By showing Mayella’s father’s dominant hand, the newfound information that he was possibly guilty entered the jury’s minds, yet Tom Robinson was still a suspect. To defend Tom, Atticus said that, “Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses-his right,”(Lee).

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134 Words | 1 Pages

Since that day, Tom has been unable to use his left arm. Not only was he unable to beat Ms. Ewell on her right side, but there is more evidence to prove that Mr. Robinson was not guilty.

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458 Words | 2 Pages

“Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…he swore a warrant, no doubt signing with his left hand, and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses, his right hand.” This dialogue shows beyond a doubt that Tom is innocent by using factual evidence. Atticus takes advantage of the absence of factual evidence to support

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649 Words | 3 Pages

Of course, she blames Robinson for the act, despite the inconsistent certitude that his left arm was eviscerated in a cotton mill during a calamitous accident suffered during his childhood. This startling attestation is furthermore enunciated when Atticus utilizes delayed sentence in the following declaration: “Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses—his right hand,”(Lee 273). By highlighting Tom’s crippled state in such a melodramatic fashion, Atticus not only establishes the now nearly irrefutable notion of Robinson’s innocence, but also garners sympathy from the jury for his client, both of which are essential factors in his

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945 Words | 4 Pages

The Introduction Good afternoon, my name is Noah Oberfeld, and it’s my honor and privilege to represent The State of Maycomb and be the prosecutor for this case. On Aug 26, 1936, the defendant Atticus Finch failed to defend Tom Robinson because of his dereliction of duty. At the end of this case, and after you have heard the evidence, we are sure you will determine that Atticus Finch is guilty of his charge. The Theme and Theory

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764 Words | 4 Pages

(232). This is significant because this imagery allows us as readers and also allows the jury to truly picture a man beating Mayella with their left hand. He also uses the strong word “savagely” allowing us to realize how badly she was beaten. Although, as we read through the court case we got informed that Tom robinson can not use his left hand because it is permanently injured from an accident in the past, but Bob Ewell is left handed and Atticus believes he believes he beat Mayella his own daughter because he was drunk. In the end, the imagery provided allows us to see so much on how Tom Robinson is innocent but in the end the jury still goes on to announce him guilty, and that will be because he is

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526 Words | 3 Pages

Most of the whites are racist to the blacks but there is a little racist in colored people too because one time Jem and Scout were heading to a colored church and some old grumpy mean lady came by and told them they weren’t allowed in the negro church. In my opinion I think that Tom Robinson isn’t guilty because he looks like an honest and nice looking man, I don’t go on the white side because Mayella is probably the one who is lying all this time just because he is black, and also he said “ I was scared because I didn’t want to go to jail and end up in court like I am in now”. Now the only difficulties I had for believing Tom Robinson was that when Mr Gilmer said he was given thirty days once for disorderly conduct, he might of or might of not raped the women but the expressions he was showing made me believe him because he looks like a very good and honest man. The themes of poverty is a seven year old boy named Dill who has no family and is poor, Atticus finds Dill late at night under her bed, it is really sad that back then people didn’t help the poor or even care

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679 Words | 3 Pages

The Mockingbirds in To Kill a Mockingbird A symbol is something that represents or suggests something else. In To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there are many symbols, but the main one is the mockingbird, a thing that does nothing but good. In To Kill a Mockingbird the mockingbird symbol is used to represent the characters of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a Black person living in Maycomb County.

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426 Words | 2 Pages

Mockingbirds symbolize the goodness, innocence, and beauty in people. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are considered mockingbirds since they have done nothing wrong and are innocent but are either metaphorically or literally killed. To start off, Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he did nothing wrong to Miss Mayella Ewell and was convicted of

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1453 Words | 6 Pages

Tom Robinson had all of the evidence in the world to prove his innocence, but he didn’t stand a chance with society stacked against him. Atticus had hoped that by pursuing his dream he would change the society for the better. He put his hope and trust in the very men that caused many of the problems of his Maycomb society. “Now I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this man to his family. In the name of God, do your duty.”

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1719 Words | 7 Pages

The trial is a clear-cut case that should not have even made it to court, as Atticus says. The only reason the case makes it to trial is the fact that it is an African American versus a white woman. In Atticus’ closing statement, he speaks briefly about the state not producing a single piece of physical evidence that could convict Tom Robinson, as the only physical evidence that can be held against Tom Robinson is the bruise marks Mayella received. This still does not correlate with Mr. Robinson because not only is he not left-handed, but he also has an arm that is lifeless. “...but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with only good hand he possesses—his right hand.”

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1915 Words | 8 Pages

The Symbol of Killing a Mockingbird The book To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, Shows many examples throughout the characters of the book that symbolize Mockingbirds and how. Tom Robinson, one of the symbols of a mockingbird, was a black man who was falsely accused of raping a young girl. Even though the defending evidence was much more factual than the evidence against him he was found guilty and shot 17 times. Another symbol of a Mockingbird is the character Arthur “Boo” Radley who was isolated in his house for most of his this but is still judged by the people of Maycomb.

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866 Words | 4 Pages

First, Tom Robinson should have been found not guilty because he was right handed. Mayella the victim, was punched in the face on the night of the crime. On page 235, Mr. Heck Tate stated that Mayella had a black eye on her right eye

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392 Words | 2 Pages

Expanding on the theme of the preceding verse related to making a show of piety, this verse compares mere lip service in remembrance of the Beloved without the involvement of the heart and mind, coupled with a load of sins carried by the individual, to a broken boat, which will never reach ashore safely. One of the consistently repeated messages of this work pertains to the futility in the pursuit and attainment of the Beloved through lip service. The first line of this verse embodies this message, just as a number other preceding verses convey a similar message – verses one, three, fifty-eight and sixty-eight. The word bhār, which literally means, ‘weight’, ‘load’, ‘burden’ in Gujarati, refers to the sins and transgressions committed by an individual.

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