On the witness stand Tom Robinson's curtesy as well as explanation of events leads the reader and jury to believe in his innocence. On November 21 of last year in the book To Kill a Mocking Bird, Tom Robinson is said to have raped Mayella Ewell. On the witness stand Tom Robinson explains what happened that day, "And she says, 'Naw, I got somethin' for you to do in the house'... the next thing I knows she-she'd grabbed me round the legs... she hugged me round the waist... She reached up an' kissed me 'side of th' face... She says 'Kiss me back, nigger... I was runnin' so fast I didn't know what happened." (258-260) Throughout his testimony Tom Robinson states that he had no intention of, and did not, hurt or take advantage of her, he was just trying to help her with some small jobs around the house as he often does. The way he tells it, Mayella was the one trying to advance on him. The jury will believe his version of events because the way Tom Robinson tells it, by bringing in that he has done certain small jobs for her before turns it into a more "real life" situation in the fact that it didn't just happen that the one time Mayella Ewell asked Tom to do something he went and took advantage of her. Scout realizes that "Tom Robinson's manners were as good as Atticus's." (260) This gives him an advantage because the way you present yourself on the witness stand and in the court room has an affect on how the jury views you and right now the jury views Tom Robinson as a polite young black man.
Do you think Tom Robinson will be ruled innocent or guilty? Why do you think Mayella blamed Tom Robinson for taking advantage of her if he never did? Do you think there is a connection between Mayella and her flowers?
Tom Robinson will be ruled guilty. Tom has said his side of what happened on November 21 of last year, but so has Mr. Ewell, Mrs. Ewell, and Mayella Ewell. As whites are favored, the three family members all have the same concept in each of their stories, which is Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell. This concept has got to the jury and with this in mind, what was brought up was that Tom Robinson had been in jail for 30 nights. This was because of disorderly conduct and Tom Robinson had hurt another man. Harper Lee shows that Tom Robinson is a "good person" by helping Mr. Link Deas. Harper Lee also shows that Tom Robinson hurt a stranger and anyone who does that, has no fear in hurting anyone else, such as Mayella Ewell. On a different note, there is only ONE of Tom Robinson backing up his story, as there is THREE Ewells backing up the same story.
ReplyDeleteThese reasons are why I believe Tom Robinson will be proved guilty. No matter how well Atticus does, or how hard he tries, the case will always favor the Ewell's over Tom Robinson.
I think that Mayella Ewell tried to take advantage of Tom Robinson because she is lonely. Mayella has no friends and "she was even lonelier than Boo Radley" (256). Tom was basically the only person who would acknowledge her as he walked by her house. His action of tipping his hat towards her made her feel special that someone noticed her for once. Mr. Robinson really has no chance of being innocent because he is in the town of Maycomb which is racist and discriminative against blacks. I don't think that there is a connection between Mayella and her flowers.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think should happen next in this book to further characterize Mayella Ewell and or Tom Robinson? Why?
First off I think that Tom Robinson will be innocent! Mayella blamed Tom because she is a poor white person and has nothing else to do with her life besides order people around and be lonely. I think to further characterize Mayella Ewell, Harper Lee will add a part when Mayella will be talking to her father and something is either said or seen that shows Mr. Ewell is an abusive person towards his daughter. This gossip will bounce around the town until someone important hears it and Mr. Ewell will go straight to jail.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Mayella Ewell is so lonely?
I agree that Tom Robinson presents himself in a way that leads the reader to believe he is innocent. He speaks as if he only knows the truth and nothing else. I believe that Mayella accused Tom of raping her because she felt embarrassed of what she did. She did not want others to find out that she wanted to have sex with a black man so she lied and said she was raped.
ReplyDeleteIs Mayella lying about the rape? If she is, when will she admit to it.
I believe that Tom Robinson is innocent, however will be ruled guilty. This is because the chances of Tom Robinson winning this case are very slim, because he is black. Even Atticus knew this before the trial began. "Atticus are we going to win it?" "No honey." "Then, why?" "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us to try not to win." Atticus tells his daughter (101). However, if Tom Robinson was a white man, do you think the chances of winning would be bigger?
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Mayella Ewell is lonely, but I doubt she will admit to lying. During the trial, Mayella admits that her father is good to her, unless he is drinking. However, she is very hesitant when Atticus asks if her father has ever beaten her. I think that Mayella knows the outcome of telling the real truth in the trial, which is her father (if he is drinking) might actually beat her. Because losing to someone black back then, and was proven to be lying would be really embarrassing for the Ewells. What do you think the Ewell's motive to winning this case is?
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DeleteAlthough it is true that Atticus admitted that "We were licked a hundred years before we started," (101) Atticus's argument is one that may sway the jury away from racism, and into a truly just decision. As we have seen, Dill was already affected by the court case, "It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that-it just makes me sick." (226) Harper Lee included this section of the book to show that what was happening to blacks during that time was unfair, and some people were beginning to realize it. This case with Tom Robinson has become much more than just a rape accusation, it has become the decision of whether the truth is stronger than the hate directed toward blacks. As this court case continues to play out, we will see more of how everyone in Maycomb may begin to see the errors of their ways. This case will open the eyes of the whites to see how utterly unjust they have been to negroes. This will change the way people live in Maycomb forever.
ReplyDeleteWill the jury really be moved enough by Atticus's defense to rule Tom Robinson innocent? How does Dill's "sickness" allow Harper Lee to further characterize him? How will the population of Maycomb respond to the outcome of the case?
I feel that the court case can be seen in different ways. The way I see the court case is the racism in the town and how the people and covered by their own ignorance. Atticus is the one light in the town getting rid of this he has a hard job to do because the world he is living in right now treats blacks as second class people. In the court case the Ewell stand as the dirt of the town, even though these people are treated well by no one, but Atticus they still dislike the blacks. I feel that Tom Robinson is being framed just so the Ewells can get some respect. I feel that Atticus sees that this scum of the town dislikes blacks and thinks that he has a lot work to do, but if he wins this case he will succeed and show the town blacks are not bad.
ReplyDeleteDo you feel the Ewells are the trash of the town? Why? Do you feel bad for Mayella? Why?
I strongly believe Tom Robinson. His story is believable because when Atticus asked her if she had any friends she thought that he was mocking her. When she see's Tom Robinson which she does on a daily basis she asks her to do "chores" for her. He does these chores for her because it is a nice thing to do. The day of the rape Tom states that it was a usually day and that Mayella "the victim" asked him to break a large dresser. As he was about to break the dresser she essentially threw herself on him/grabbed his legs. Then she kissed him on the cheek. Tom not knowing how to respond stood their until Mr. Ewell had some demeaning slurs towards his daughter and that's when Tom ran as fast as he could home. I believe his story and his story seems to make the most sense and it also seems reasonable. Also it would have been difficult for Tom Robinson to rape her because his left arm is a foot shorter than his right arm. Do you think Tom Robinson is doing enough to prove his case to be found innocent.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Tom Robinson is doing enough to prove his case to be found innocent.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the jury will be moved enough to rule Tom Robinson innocent. This is purely because they haven't seen how horrible racism is in the grand scheme of things. They haven't been exposed to any other options in their lifetimes. Even if there is enough evidence supporting Tom, they know that Tom himself is unsure of what he's saying and will purely base their decision off of racism. Dill's "sickness" shows that he is the most independent and sensitive of the three children because he stands out and forms his own opinion. I think the population of Maycomb will be fine with the outcome except for a select few who will speak out against it. The town just doesn't know any better.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Dill will try to talk to Atticus after the case or will he keep his views to himself? Do you think Dill will be able to convince Scout to agree with him?
Contrary to what Charlie said, I believe that the jury will have a innocent verdict. Atticus blatantly showed that it was all a hoax to cover up the fact that her father beat her for kissing a black man. While Mayella was on trial Atticus stumped her with questions that had to do with how she got hurt in the face. Even through racism it is clear that Tom Robinson is not guilty.
DeleteI also believe that Dill will attempt to speak to Atticus. As Charlie says, Dill is the "most independent and sensitive of the three children because he stands out and forms his own opinion." I believe that since Dill doesn't quite go with the crowd, he will go against the fact that they were watching the case from above so that Atticus wouldn't see them, and try to talk to Atticus. While Scout is also rather childish like Dill, after all the incidents with Boo Radley, I do not think that Scout will push her luck and agree with Dill.
Do you think that Tom Robinson's case will come back with a guilty verdict because of his race?
The Ewells took Tom Robinson to court because Mr. Ewells wanted to lock up Tom Robinson for being kissed by his daughter, Mayella. In his eyes he took advantage of his daughter and persuaded her into kissing her, so he reacts furious and hits his daughter because she kissed him and then wants revenge on Tom Robinson so he makes up a story about it. This isn't what really happened but it might seem like this in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteTom Robinson will be found guilty, no matter the evidence to the contrary. Tom himself knows that he is in deep trouble regardless of his crimes, or lack thereof. He says, "If you was (sic) a n***** like me, you'd be scared too." (261) Tom ran because he knew that in a southern town like Maycomb, a majority of people are so set in their ways that even cold, hard, facts won't change their opinions. It is because of these reasons that Tom will be found guilty, even with all of the evidence that Atticus has complied in his defense.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Tom Robinson will not be found guilty, but many in town will believe that he is. I believe that he is not guilty and will not be charged guilty, but Tom Robinson will uprise controversy through town because of his his race and gender, people will most likely think that he is guilty of raping Mayella and choose to take her side.
ReplyDeleteI think Mayella Ewell blamed Tom Robinson for taking advantage of her when he never did because she was embarrassed. At this time and in this society, it was frowned upon for a white girl like Mayella to want to be with a black man, such as Tom. When Tom Robinson rejected her, and her father walked in, I assume that they both went in full denial mode. Mr. Ewell would have hoped that Mayella would follow these unwritten rules in the society, and so in order to maintain their reputation, he decided to blame it on Tom Robinson, who clearly did nothing. I believe that Tom Robinson will be found guilty, although he is not, because of the way the society works. At this point in time, everyone would assume that any black man would be thrilled to be involved with a white woman, and so most of the people in the courtroom probably think that Tom Robinson is lying. With this, most of the Maycomb people are racist, and discriminate against black men, which make his chances of being found innocent even slimmer.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think Tom Robinson’s chances of being found innocent would have altered if he were white and the Ewells were black?
I think that Tom Robinson will be ruled guilty because a white woman accused him and he is black. Any other decade after the 1960's, a black man would have been given a fair trial. This book however, took place in the South in the 1930's. During this time, black people were treated very badly as if they are animals. This trial ties back into the title "To Kill a Mockingbird". Tom Robinson is a mockingbird.
ReplyDelete