I found a couple of the chapters after my last post very dull, so I've decided to pick up a few chapters after my last post starting with the beginning of the trial. In the town a Maycomb, a black man, Tom Robinson, was accused of raping a woman. Atticus is called in to defend him, and the trial is intense. Many witnesses were called in, all of them being white, which I found ironic. In my opinion, the jury was biased, as they took sides because of the color of their skin. As I read on I soon realize that during these times, there were many racial tensions.
Mayella was supposedly the victim of Tom. She testified against him. "'All right. He choked you, he hit you, then he raped you, that right?' 'You're a strong girl, what were you doing all the time, just standing there?' 'I told' ja I hollered'n fought-'... 'All right, why didn't you run?' I-he slung ne down. That's what he did, he slung me down'n got on top of me' 'You were screaming all this time?' 'I certainly was.' 'Then why didn't the other children hear you? Where were they? At the dump?' No answer. 'Why didn't your screams make them come running? The dump's closer than the woods isn't it? No answer. (pg.250) It's obvious that the people who testified didn't have any real evidence. Any accusations that made could not be backed up with evidence. Although their testimonies were countered by Atticus the jury still took the sides with Ewell because he was white.
In the end of the trial, there was no justice served in my opinion and the jury ruled Tom as guilty. He went to jail and later tried to escape, but was short seventeen times. I found this unacceptable, near the end karma was served as Ewell was stabbed by Boo Radley because he was trying to protect Jem and Scout from danger. I felt so much better when some justice was served. Atticus decides to leave Boo's name of it, and call it as if it were an accident.
I find this very interesting because no one really had any evidence. Everyone seemed to side with Mayella because of the beliefs the people have had for such a long time. They do not want to do anything out of the normal because they do not want to be gossipped about. It seemed that most people were more afraid of their social status than saving a man's life.
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