“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird,” Atticus Finch cautioned, which symbolizes Tom Robinson’s innocence and misinterpretation in To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson is a misunderstood character in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Some people see Tom Robinson as a liar who raped Mayella Ewell, while others see Tom Robinson as an innocent hard-working man. The people who see him as a guilty man believe the word of the witnesses that try and prove his guilt throughout the entire court case. Many people view Tom Robinson as a black man who took advantage of an innocent white girl. Mayella Ewell, the girl who accused Tom Robinson of raping her, explains what she wants people to think what happened between Tom and her, “I went in the house to get him the nickel and I turned around an’ ‘fore I knew it he was on me. He got me round the neck, cussin’ me an’ sayin’ dirt” (Lee 180). Furthermore, Mayella’s father Bob Ewell, when asked about Tom Robinson and his daughter Mayella says, “Well, Mayella was raisin’ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and run as fast as I could but I run into th’ fence, but when I get disentangled I run up to th’ window and I seen, I seen that n-word yonder ruttin’ on my …show more content…
During the court case, Link Deas, the man Tom Robinson works for rose from his seat and announced, “I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me for eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’ trouble outa him. Not a speck” (Lee 195). Also, others had physical evidence which they believed why Tom was innocent. As Atticus states, “She was white, and she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable. She kissed a black man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards” (Lee
Tom Robinson, a familiar name in the MAycomb community, and not for the good reasons unfortunatley. Mayella Ewells is charginng Tom of rape and beating her, which are false accusations. He was completely innocent and not gulity. Tom was found guilty simply because of the color of his skin. He was later taken to prison were Tom was shot to death seventeentimes “ I guess Tom was tired of white mens chances and preferred to take his own. “ Atticus knew and understood that Tom would have no more hope left after all he has been through. All he was trying to do was help someone whom was inneed of help. While mockingbirds do nothing to bother others, Tom tries to escape the bird cage he is blindsided by seventeen bullets realizing that there is no way out.
Tom Robinson’s character exemplifies the mockingbird because he is a black man who is denied justice based on racial prejudice. After Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of rape, there is no way for him to be judged fairly because the narrow-minded, white townspeople are unable to get past their prejudices towards blacks. At his trial, Tom’s lawyer, Atticus, argues,
Tom Robinson is a well respected, kind black guy who was defended by Atticus Finch against the charge that he raped Mayella Ewell. Atticus knew that Tom would never stand a chance to win the case because of the dark skin tone he had, but atticus also knows that Tom was innocent and that he must defend him.
On the other hand, Tom Robinson could also be the symbolic “mockingbird”. For instance, while examining Toms behavior, Scout realizes that, “Tom Robinson 's manners were as good as Atticus 's.” and say’s, “Until my father explained it to me later, I did not understand the subtlety of Tom 's predicament: he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run” (Lee 197) This belief indicates that Tom is a very polite gentleman who is innocent. Being a man of color, he ran that night as self defence, not because he did something wrong. He did not want to hurt Mayella, as the gentleman he is, but in such circumstances he was forced to do so. Therefore, during the trial, he does not claim that mayella is a liar, instead he says, “I say she’s mistaken in her mind”. (Lee 167) He is a gentleman and an innocent man who doesn 't mean any harm. Also, while explaining about Tom’s death, ‘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...”(Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel by Harper Lee. In the story, the kids have two main focuses in the town, but as they focus on one person another problem arises. As the story continues, the children learn valuable life lessons that help change their mindset towards people. One of those characters is Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Although the jury says he is guilty, he is completely innocent.
In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, I believe that Tom Robinson is innocent. I believe that this man is not guilty because of all of the evidence and information that was provided. Also, the amount of respect that Tom Robinson had in the courtroom towards everyone and his overall character. You can tell that in the information provided that something is off in the stories and it was proved with so of the information that we gained from the characters. With Tom Robinson being so respectful and truthful in the court, it’s hard to imagine that he would ever commit a crime like that, compare to how Mayella and Bob Ewell were acting in the courtroom.
Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird. In Harper Lees’ book To Kill a Mocking Bird, she tells the story of a girl names Scout and her father, Atticus, who is defending an African American man. Tom is being accused of raping a young white girl, Mayella. Her father, Bob Ewell, is an alcoholic, Maycomb is not fond of black people. Because Tom was innocent and he should be created equally.
When Tom Robinson admitted that he helped Mayella Ewell with odd jobs around her house because he felt sorry for her, he was taken negatively by the jury and spectators at court, who could not believe that a black man could ever feel sorry for a white woman. Mr. Gilmer, Bob Ewell’s lawyer, even said incredulously, “You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?” (Lee 264). The people of Maycomb could not believe that a Tom Robinson would go out of his way to help a white woman for free, as they all had a negative picture of black men in their mind that they deemed absolute. By offering to help Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson defied the Jim Crow laws set in place by acting like, he, a black man, was above Mayella, a white woman.
According to Bob Ewell, he witnessed what happened and made Tom so scared that he ran away. All of the white people already know who is going to win, based on the preference of skin color, so Atticus, the lawyer of Tom, decides to state his opinion of the unfair trial. “I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time with you to remind you that this case is not a difficult one, it requires no minute sifting of complicated facts, but it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. To begin with, this case should have never come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). From the trial, we can infer from Atticus’ points that Tom Robinson is innocent. But since he is black, he doesn’t receive a fair trial and the jury just sides with Mayella Ewell even though the evidence that Atticus points out, clearly reveals that Bob Ewell actually harassed his daughter. “Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are
Tom Robinson is another mockingbird figure. He was a genuinely caring person who is destroyed by his willingness to help Mayella Ewell. Just like a mockingbird, Robinson never hurt anyone. Yet, he was also persecuted by society for his kindness and his race. Tom Robinson was killed because of his kindness and the color of his skin; “ a harmless songbird that was shot down by a senseless hunter.” Lee uses the character of Tom as a mockingbird figure to express the innocence of the mockingbird and exhibit the narrow-mindedness and biased opinions of the towns folk.
In her book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts a gritty, Southern town, filled with racism, dishonesty, and criticism. Thomas Robinson, however, is one of a few who strive to live morally. Despite the persecution he faces because of his race, Tom still forgives and shows kindness to those around him. In a town where criticism and dishonesty thrive, Robinson has nothing to hide. Even though others treat him like rubbish and try to make his life miserable, Tom shows generosity to everyone who might need a helping hand.
Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he was innocent of the crime that Mayella said he committed. During Tom Robinson's testimony he said, “ …. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more than the rest of em- …” (page 197) This showed us Tom's character , he simply wanted to help her out of the own kindness of his heart. The local journalist reflected on Tom’s death written in his editorial by referring to it as the, “Senseless slaughter of songbirds...Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson ,but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom
The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is an American classic and has been a staple in high schools for many years. The main storyline that this novel follows is of Scout, a young girl, living in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. It follows the case of Tom Robinson, an African American man, and how he was accused and convicted of rape. In prison, Tom was shot and killed because he was said to have tried to escape. While Mayella is the one who is saying that Tom raped her, the real person who should be to blame is her abusive father. As is quite apparent, Bob Ewell is the person who is most responsible for the death of Tom Robinson.
It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird “shoot all the bluejays you want, but it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”. This quote is said by Atticus who is a lawyer that defends an innocent black man for being accused of raping a white women. To kill a mockingbird is set in the 1930s in Maycomb alabama where there was prejudices. This story is not just about racism but implies a deeper meaning, the mockingbird has a strong message and holds an important metaphorical meaning. The mockingbird is portrayed as a innocent fragile songbird that symbolizes innocence but is killed by men. Tom Robinson symbolizes an innocent fragile songbird because he does no harm to society, his voice is ignored by almost everyone, and he gets shot and killed just like an innocent fragile songbird.
It is a Sin to Kill Tom Robinson"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That's why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird." (90) This quote is stated by Miss Maudie, underscoring the point of view of Atticus, who is a lawyer given an uphill job of substantiating a black man's innocence who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewells. To Kill a Mockingbird is an inspirational and thought provoking story that is the first and the only novel written by Harper Lee. The basic time setting of the novel is in the 1930s during the Great Depression, in the fictional town of Maycomb Alabama, where prejudice