Oppression post 2- The Scottsboro trials a clear reflection on To Kill a Mockingbird
SPOILER ALERT! This quote talks about the end of the book so if you haven'r read there or don't want to know what happens scroll past this and come back to it around chapter 25
"How could this be so, I wondered, as I read Mr. Underwood's editorial. Senseless killing—Tom had been given due process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood's meaning became clear: 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." -Jean Louise Finch That quote is one of the most powerful quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird. This shows how the racism had pre-dictated the trial and pre-dictated the fate of Tom Robinson before the trail even became. It was decided the moment Mayella Ewell said a black man raped her, the white jury couldn't be swayed no matter how innocent he was. This was so true seen out the Jim Crow laws and of course the Scottsboro trials. The Scottsboro trials led to nine black boys being charged with rape. There was no evidence and medical evidence was found that showed evidence proving its falseness. How could this happen? How could this overwhelming evidence lead to these boys charging? Well of course the souths oppression and racism lead to this pre-decided trial which is the same that happened with Tom Robinson. Right when the white women accused the black men their was no need for a trial, it was already pre-decided. In both these cases there was an all white jury and the black men were wrongly convicted. This oppression was constant and lots of times undocumented. In the Scottsboro trials we only remember it because it made its way to the Supreme court leading to laws forcing at least one African American on the jury. To Kill a Mockingbird reminds us of the unrecorded defeats of racism. To Kill a Mockingbird is a exact mirror of these trials but also show a different angle of the mirror. Its shows oppressions unrecorded and how valuable it is to remember how many cases, lynches and all white juries that occurred in the south so we can gaze back at the reflection of the past and learn to defeat the oppression of the present.
(Left) Scene with Tom and Atticus from movie adaption of To Kill a Mockingbird
(Left) Scottsboro boy Haywood Patterson with Lawyer Samuel Lebiowitz
(Left) News story of Scottsboro conviction
I totally agree. While I was reading about the Scottsboro trials I found that same medical evidence that would've totally changed the verdict had there been no racism involved. I understand all of the stereotyping and prejudice that was prevalent during these times but I still don't understand how people could be so cold and mean to normal innocent people. The pictures you used really added to the effect of your blog. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about all of this. I think it's just sad that with no evidence of the rape even happening, just because of Tom Robinson's color of skin was it. Also btw the thing with the white border/outline of the words is still there and where you tried to fix it with the red shows.
ReplyDeleteThey are doing the right thing by trying to do what is right and help someone who is being accused of rape and they are innocent
ReplyDelete