Who Was Responsible For Tom Robinson's Death Essay

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the people of Maycomb County have certain views as to who laid responsible for Tom Robinson’s death. Differing values among different characters heavily affect their opinions. Lee’s incorporation of traditional southern values and character dialogue provide the reader with details that help to detect Harper Lee’s view on who was responsible for Tom’s death, views supporting hers, and views contradicting hers. Lee’s judgment on who was responsible for Tom’s death was depicted through the character Atticus. By making the choice to allow Atticus to take Robinson’s case, she gave him a chance for innocence, for she was aware of his innocence. Atticus’s views were displayed throughout the story through

For example, he treated his African American cook, Calpurnia, with as much respect as he would any other person. His consideration and care to African Americans contradict many of the views that belonged to the other people of Maycomb. So, who he thought laid responsible (and Harper Lee) was not the popular opinion. Before he went to bed after a disappointing trial he said, “I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep. Good night”(216). This quote explains how Atticus has contradicting views to those of traditional southern values and understands that only children weep because they have not yet matured enough to manifest racism as their elders do and that if the values passed down to children remain the same, the white man will always view African Americans the same. After hearing the news of Robinson’s death he spoke to Aunt

Jem was mature enough to then start to create his independent values, which were complementary to Atticus’s and Harper Lee’s. During the case of Tom Robinson, Jem said, “Doesn’t make it right...You just can’t convict a man on evidence like that—you can’t” (224). Showing that he views this case based on fact, not opinion. After the verdict turned up guilty, Jem cried on the way home. After the death of Tom Robinson Jem was also heavily affected. One night, Scout attempted to kill a roly-poly which had made its way into their house, but Jem scowled and said she couldn’t hurt it because “...they don’t bother you” (242). Jem would not allow Scout to kill the bug due to its innocent nature, which heavily relates to Jem’s anger of Tom Robinson’s death with his innocence. Therefore, Jem puts the blame upon the jury’s guilty