Marquis Forbes
April 30 2014
F Block
To Kill a Mockingbird Rough Draft
Its a sin to kill a mockingbird
Many African Americans were wrongly persecuted for crimes they did not commit
because they were looked down upon by society. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird
portrays how life was in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Harper Lee’s novel has many
themes but the two that impacts the characters the most are racism and injustice among African
Americans in Maycomb. An innocent African American man named Tom Robinson is accused
of raping a Caucasian female named Mayella Ewell and is put on trial. In To Kill a
Mockingbird, Harper Lee portrays Tom Robinson as a mockingbird because he doesn’t raise
havoc in the community, he just provides for his family and tries to help people. The
mockingbird is a bird that only pleases people; it sings a pleasant song and then flies away. The
symbolism extends the innocent souls in the book who are misunderstood. They try to do good
things and are punished for it. Just like killing a mockingbird, hurting these men is a sin.
Tom Robinson is a African American male who was considered to be a mockingbird and was
wrongly persecuted.
To begin with, Tom Robinson is a 25 year old African American male who lives in
Maycomb, Alabama. During this time African American males were regarded as second class
citizens. During the 1930’s African Americans had no rights and was treated unfairly because
they was considered to be less than human.
First Tom Robinson is a father who provides for his wife Helen Robinson and their three
children by going to work everyday for Mr. Link Deas. Tom Robinson is a role model in the
Maycomb community because he is always trying to help out people. This is apparent when Mr.
Link Deas rose from the audience and announced: “I just want the whole lot of you to know one
thing right now. That boy's worked for me eight years an' I ain't had a speck o'trouble outa him.
Not a speck.”
Next, Tom Robinson is considered honest, dedicated, hardworker and a church going family man
who is well respected by the people around him. This makes Tom Robinson a target for
Mayella Ewell.
. "He seemed to be a respectable Negro, and a respectable negro would never go up into
somebody's yard of his own violation” (Lee 212). This quote shows Tom Robinson was never
looked upon as someone who would go inside of someone's house without the okay from the
owner.
Lastly when he is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the town’s impression of him
changes dramatically. He is feared and is made to feel as if he is guilty. Tom Robinson is aware
that it is his word against Mayella Ewell's in the trial and this contributes to his lack of faith in
justice being served. Going into the trial Atticus knew the result.“This case is as simple as black
and white”( Lee 271).The case is as simple as black and white means the whole case revolves
around racism. From the start, it was clear that it was blacks vs. whites, and in the end, the whites
won simply because the accused was black. It is apparent that Tom Robinson’s fate is not in his
hands but in the hands.
First of all, Tom Robinson is considered to be a mockingbird in the Maycomb
community because he is an innocent African American who never hurts anyone, never does
anything wrong or to causes trouble. All he tried to do was attempt to help a Caucasian woman
named Mayella Ewell. A mockingbird is a symbol that represents Tom Robinson's character
because he contributes to the society without expecting any recognition or reward.
First, Tom Robinson is a mockingbird is because he is an African American man in a racist
society. Tom is already a victim of segregation and racism because of his color ;now with a rape
charge he is a victim of violence. Before the trial a group of men tried to lynch Tom Robinson.
“That evening a mob went to the jail to lynch Tom Robinson, and it looked as if they would toss
Atticus aside if they had to”( Lee).Another way Tom Robinson is a mockingbird is because he
has a physical disability. Tom's crippled arm leaves him a weaker man physically, and it serves
as the proof that he was incapable of committing the act of which he was accused.“Tom
Robinson reached around, ran his fingers under his left arm and lifted it. He guided his arm to the
Bible and his rubber-like left hand sought contact with the black binding. As he raised his right
hand, the useless one slipped off the Bible and hit the clerk's table.”The last way Tom Robinson
is a mockingbird is because he was an easy target simply by nature a African American man
accused of laying hands on a Caucasian woman in the South at the time would never get a jury of
his peers, and his word would count for almost nothing against a Caucasian in court. Tom
Robinson was also one of the few people who helped Mayella whenever he was around and she
needed a hand. Tom Robinson sees what a miserable life Mayella has responsible for seven
younger siblings who are less than cooperative, a drunken father, poverty, no education, no
friends. “She’d call me in, suh. Seemed like every time I passed yonder she’d have some little
somethin’ for me to do” Overall Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he is an innocent man
held on trial for a crime he did not commit. Tom Robinson did nothing but please people and
Mayella turned around and shot the mockingbird by falsely accusing him of rape knowing what
the townspeople would do to him because of her claim.
Lastly Tom Robinson was persecuted in many ways one by the townspeople because they
tried to hang him so Toms life was constantly in jeopardy. Another way Tom was persecuted is
he was sentenced to prison leaving his wife and kids behind. Atticus Finch Tom Robinson's
lawyer had to prevent people from hurting Tom. Atticus went to go stay outside the jail that night
because Tom Robinson was staying in the jail. The mob of Caucasian , unfamiliar men came to
the jail and told Atticus to move away from the jail house door. He refuses. These men were
most likely a lynch mob coming to hurt Tom Robinson. Scout jumps out and tell the men to
leave her father alone. She notices Walter Cunningham in the crowd and she go's up to him and
tells Mr. Cunningham to tell his son that she said hi. Because of Scouts disruption, the mob
leaves and Atticus and Tom Robinson were saved. It is important to note that Tom Robinson
could not have committed the crime he is accused of because he is physically disable this proves
Tom is innocent. Tom Robinson was still found guilty even though the evidence proved he was
innocent. The defendant story was very contracting and unlikely. The jury decides that Tom
Robinson is guilty. It is obvious it was not him who beat Mayella, but they accused him because
of his race. "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 was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell
opened her mouth and screamed."In Addition Tom Robinson was torn away from his family
which he provided for by going to work. Not only does the Robinson family lose their father they
also lose a source of income. Tom Robinson family has to live without a positive African
American role model.“If I hear one more peep outta my girl Helen about not bein' able to walk
this road I'll have you in jail before sundown!” Mr. Link Deas takes the safety and security
including financial security of the Robinsons under his wing and provides Helen with a job.
Finally Tom Robinson was shot 17 times while trying to escape from prison. Tom lawyer was in
the process of fighting for an appeal but Tom got tired of having his fate in other peoples hand so
he risked his life by running away. "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” Overall Tom Robinson case sheds light on racism and
injustice among African Americans in the 1930’s. Tom Robinson was an example of what
happens all the time in small towns like Maycomb.
In conclusion Tom Robinson represents the mockingbird because he is innocent and
doesn't bother anyone similar to the mockingbird itself. Tom Robinson was a physically disabled
man with a wife and kids who he provided for. Robinson was an easy Target for Mayella Ewell
simply because of the color of Robinson skin. Not only was Robinson an innocent man who
went to prison he was an innocent man who died because people couldn't look past the color of
his skin and see he was like everybody else a normal human being. Tom Robinson was an
innocent African American man who was punished because of the color of his skin in the
Maycomb community Tom is considered as a mockingbird. Racism and injustice is a major
problem across America that still continues today in the modern day.