How it all went down... Blog post #4

     In TKAM (To kill a mockingbird) , their was a trial for Tom Robinson. He was put on trial because he was being accused of raping Mayella Ewells. Now remembering the times and the way things were set up, an important fact to know is that Mayella is white, Tom Robinson is black.
   
     As in shows in the text, Mr. Tate was giving "evidence" as to what Mayella said about "incident". Mr. Tate and Judge Taylor were talking. Mr. Tate said "Found her on the floor in the middle of the front room, one on the right as you go in. She was pretty well beat up, but I heaved her to her feet and she washed her face in a bucket in corner and she said she was alright. I asked her who hurt her and she said it was Tom Robinson---"

     This was Mr. Tate stating what "Mayella told him". Think about the scenario and the timing. Tom Robinson is a black male, older, while Mayella is a white young girl. Based on the system of things at the time, regardless of the evidence given, Tom would've been found guilty anyways. The way the circumstances are set up, race and age, struggles would have to be faced to even slightly change the possibility of Tom having a second chance. These measures were taken, however, they didn't really make a difference for Tom.

     Also in the text, Tom Robinson was clearly charged with the rape of Mayella Ewells and went to jail. On page 183, Mayella told her side of the story. She said "so he come in the yard,an' I went in the house to get him a nickel and I turned around an' fore I knew it, he was on me." Mayella, being white and a 19-year-old, wins the case.

     In this case, I feel that Tom should've been given a second chance on trial, and not been immediately sent to prison. With the evidence provided by Atticus, it makes since for Tom to be give another opportunity. but that's not how the system is/was set up.

     

     The picture above explains it all. As it is known, in the news, one problem is the killing of the black population, mainly males. In TKAM, when Tom was send to prison, he tried to escape during the free time they were given outside. He made a run for it. In this day and age, things have changed, but I feel that this racism problem has failed to cease, but the amount of racism towards people has increased. These situations are different as far as timing, but very similar in the ways of what truly happens.

     In conclusion, I feel that times are so similar, and may never truly change. The past has an affect on the future in my eyes, and this just so happens to prove my point.

~Lezi M. Truesdale