- Published: September 30, 2022
- Updated: September 30, 2022
- University / College: Harvard University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 34
Yesterday at around 11pm, Tom Robinson who had been accused by Bob Ewell of raping his daughter, Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson has been charged for rape. The court case took place at the Maycomb County Courthouse and enormous crowd of people, both white and blacks, turned up to observe the trial. The prosecutor was Mr. Gilmer and the defence laywer was Atticus Finch. The case was presided over by Judge Taylor and a hand-picked jury. The result of the trial ended in favors of the plaintiffs, the Ewell family. The rape took place on the evening of November 22nd last year, near the Maycomb town garbage dump.
Maycomb Ewells had lived behind the town garbage dump for years which were once a Negro hut. Bob Ewell, the father of Mayella Ewell, survived on relief cheques to make ends meet. Mayella Ewell had two or three years of education and was the oldest of all the children in the Ewell family. Her mother had unfortunately passed away a long time ago and the children were in the care of their father Bob Ewell. According to Mayella Ewell report, she was certain that Tom Robinson had raped her. On the evening of November 22, Mayella said she was standing on the front porch of her house.
She told the mixed crowd that there was this old chiffarobe in the yard. Mayella was sure that Tom Robinson had taken advantage of her she said again. As a defence to the accusation, Tom Robinson was asked to stand. It was shown to all that Tom Robinson left hand is 12 inches shorter than his right as his left arm was caught in a yarn gin since young. The blame of Tom Robinson raping Mayella Ewell had came into serious question as it was implied by Atticus, the defendant, that it was unlikely for a person hurt in his left able to hurt Mayella’s right eye.
There is the possibility of Bob Ewell hurting his own daughter instead of Tom Robinson as he is left-handed. When Mayella was questioned by the defence lawyer as to whether Tom or her father injured her, there was no response from her she stayed silent. The defendant, Tom Robinson, had a very unusual side of the story. He said he had known Mayella Ewell for a while as he had to go by the Ewell’s house every day to go to work. Based on his statement, he said that he had gone into the house to help Mayella fix or assist her out “ lots of times”. He did work like chopping and kindling for Mayella.
She offered him a nickel but he said he declined. Apparently, Mayella asked him to fix the door hinges as she said it was loose. When Tom was at work, Mayella would kiss and hug him Tom. The children usually in the house went to eat ice-cream bought by Mayella so were not present. This totally contradicts Mayella and her father’s side of the story. Next, Mr. Bob Ewell had seen this from the window, spotted her and gave her a serious heated look at Mayella, mentioning he would murder her. Mayella started to look worried in the court house she looks like she’s sweating.
Nevertheless, after the jury had listened to both sides of the story, Tom Robinson was charged with the crime of raping Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is now in anticipation of the death penalty in the Maycomb jail; Tom Robinson is now saying his goodbyes. To Kill a Mockingbird Essay ” It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do nothing but make music for us to enjoy. ” This was quoted from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a creative novelist. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a young girl named Jean-Louise Finch, her brother Jeremy Finch and many other characters.
Jean- Louise is nick-named Scout and Jeremy is nick-named Jem. Their father Atticus , who was a lawyer, had been given a case to handle and did not have any choice but to receive it and work his best for his client. The case was about an African man, named Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman. Throughout the story the reader sees how Scout and Jem are afraid of Boo because they think he is a monster and try to tease him. They try to play tricks on Boo. Later in the novel they are no longer afraid of him and are no longer interested in teasing him.
To begin with, an example of their maturity is how they view people. When Scout and Jem see how Tom Robinson is treated just because he is black, they begin to understand the meaning of prejudice. No one comes to help Tom Robinson except their father who defends him when Tom is accused of raping a white woman. Scout watches the trial and believes that he will be found innocent. Instead, Tom Robinson is found guilty. Her disappointment in the verdict makes Scout question the idea of justice. ” Who in this town did one thing to help Tom Robinson, just who? (215) Scout and Jem had believe that their father was not like any other fathers in school. They see him as an old man who can’t do anything. However, when a mad dog appears on the street, Atticus, their farther, kills that dog with one shot. They are surprised to learn that he is the best shot in the town. They’re attitude towards their father has changed. This is a sign of maturity. ” The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap. He didn’t know what hit him. ” (96) ” Jem became vaguely articulate, ‘ you see him, Scout?
You see him just stand there? All of a sudden he just relaxed all over. it looked like that gun was a part of him… and he did it so quick, like… I hafta to aim for ten minutes fore I can hit something,… ’”(97) Secondly. Another incident which shows Scout’s maturing is when she overhears her teacher saying that it is a good thing Tom Robinson was convicted because the black were getting too ” high and mighty. ” This disturbs scout very much because the teacher is always telling them about democracy and the persecution of Jews yet it is OK to persecute the blacks.
Scout wonder how her teacher could be so contradictory. The last incident which brings Scout to adulthood is when she and Jem are brought safely home from their attacker by boo. She finally has the courage to stand on the Radley porch, and the kids are no longer afraid of Boo Radley. They now understand him. In conclusion, Scout and Jem mature during the duration of the novel by watching the events happen around them. They learn to examine the institutions around them more closely and to accept people as they are.