What Does Tom Robinson Symbolize Racial Injustice

In the community where race can predetermine someone's fate, there is a man who symbolizes racial injustice. The name of the man is Tom Robinson. He was accused of raping a girl named Mayella Ewell. The reality of the story is that Mayella was a lonely girl who wanted attention because her father never gave her any. Tom followed his kind and gentle heart and decided to help this girl, but before he knew it, she turned on him and accused him of raping her, even though it was Mayella who tried to take advantage of Tom. The town Tom Robinson resided in was filled with racism as the community falsely accused him of rape and tried to kill him because of this. Although prejudiced, Tom could have chosen not to enter the house of a white woman. The

The mob was against Tom Robinson, greatly hating him because of what Mayella had said about him. Fortunately, Mr. Cunningham was part of the mob. He was a feeble man who had to pay people for items from his farm instead of money because he could not afford them. When Jem, Scout, and Dill show up at the jail, Scout reminds Mr. Cunningham of his entailment and how he paid Atticus for it. This embarrasses Mr. Cunningham, and the mob eventually leaves. Later, when Tom Robinson’s case was over, Jem and Atticus were conversing. Atticus says: “You might like to know that there was one fellow who took considerable wearing down - in the beginning he was rarin’ for an outright acquittal.” “‘Who?’ Jem was astonished.” “It’s not for me to say, but I’ll tell you this much. He was one of your Old Sarum friends.” “One of the Cunninghams?” Jem helped (Lee 253-254). In this conversation, Jem realizes that Mr. Cunningham is one of the men on the jury. After what Scout had said to Mr. Cunningham at the jail, she and the Finches had earned his respect. Mr. Cunningham had not been accidentally chosen to be on the

He was charged with rape and given the death sentence. Atticus had tried his hardest to fight for Tom because he knew he was an innocent man. When Tom was sentenced, he urged patience, believing in a successful appeal. One night, Atticus stormed into the house, and nobody knew why. Aunt Alexandra asked what was wrong, and he said: “Tom’s dead. They shot him,” said Atticus. He was running. It was during their exercise period. They said he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing over. Right in front of them -” “Didn’t they try to stop him? Didn’t they give him any warning?” Aunt Alexandra’s voice shook. “Oh yes, the guards called him to stop. They fired a few shots in the air, then killed. They got him just as he went over the fence. They said if he’d had two good arms he’d have made it, he was moving that fast. Seventeen bullet holes in him.” (Lee 269-270) Tom was impatient and tried to escape prison, and because of this, it backfired on him and got him killed. The mind’s of the people in the community Tom Robinson lived in were disarranged, but Tom could have prevented his death. This was proved when Tom stated that he was