Why Is Tom Robinson Innocent In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird”(119). In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, without a doubt portrays the perfect example of a mockingbird. Tom Robinson is the sole mockingbird for three reasons. Tom Robinson was a black young man; a nice man who was always happy to help people. He was innocent however he was accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. A crime that cost him his life. These reasons are what makes Tom the best example of a mockingbird along with the fact that Tom was a representation of the black community as a whole and the fact that he was a victim of racial

That already says very much about him. No matter how much of a blessed soul he had, he was always going to be judged by the color of his skin. The color of his skin was seen as inferior during that time to the superior white plebians of the town. And all black folk of the community were seen as one in the same; as bad people who were not to be engaged with. So, Tom Robinson was a victim of racial prejudice and was fallen into a category and stereotype. Even though everyone is entitled to a fair trial, because of the color of his skin he was never going to have one, and everyone knew that, including Atticus. Thus, Atticus tried to sway the jury, trying to prey on their inner prejudice. In his closing arguments, Atticus says “The witnesses of the state… have presented themselves to you… confident that you would go along with the assumption- the evil assumption- that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral

Tom Robinson was a kind man with a kind soul. Even with his own problems he still had room in his heart to help out others. To put things in perspective, Tom Robinson was a victim of racial prejudices, he was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit which was ultimately the death of him. He was shot 17 times for a crime he had no connections with. Although this story takes place in the 1930s, almost over 90 years ago, this is still a problem today, and that’s the saddest part. Police brutality is a problem today. Black men cannot walk down the street without being seen as suspicious. That is a problem. Black men cannot even sit in a cafe and wait, without having the police called on them. That is a problem. These are problems that people had to worry about long ago, yet somehow with the laws, it seems to creep back into the everyday lives of some. Sure, an argument could be made to say society has come a long way, but does that really mean anything if these problems, still exist