Oppression

Oppression

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The Jury Was Pretty Racist

The infamous trial of Tom Robinson.

To summarize, it went something like this:

Heck Tate:
Bob called me because "some [n-word]'d raped his girl," (223) and when I got there, I found her beaten up on the floor. She said Tom raped her.
Bob Ewell:
I was coming home from the woods with kindling when I heard Mayella screaming. So, I dropped my kindling and ran to the house. When I got there, I saw "that black [n-word] yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" (231). I went in and Tom fled form the scene. Also, at the trial, I wrote my name and it turns out that I'm left handed.
Mayella Ewell:
I was on the porch while my dad was in the woods getting kindling. He asked me to chop up a chiffarobe, but I didn't feel strong enough so I offered Tom a nickel to do it for me. When I went into the house to get a nickel, I turned around and he (as in Tom Robinson) attacked me. "I fought'n'hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me agin an' agin--" (241). Then I fainted and woke up with my dad standing over me. My wounds were located on the right side of my body.
Tom Robinson:
I walk past the Ewell home every day on my way home from work, and sometimes Mayella asks me to do quick chores for her. I did them for free, but I never went onto their property without an invitation. On this evening, Mayella was on the porch and asked me to help her with something. When I asked where the kids were, she said they were out for ice cream. She asked me to get something off of the chiffarobe and after that she hugged and tried to kiss me. I got away from her and as I left I heard Bob yell "you god-damn whore, I'll kill ya," (260). Also, I have a limp left arm, because it got caught in a cotton processing machine when I was younger.
Then the jury deliberates and finds Tom guilty of raping Mayella.

The jury should have found Tom innocent, because CLEARLY he was innocent. First of all, how would he have choked her and beat her at the same time with only one arm? Oh yeah, he can't. And even if they slid past that obvious piece of evidence, he would not have been able to inflict that much damage on Mayella's right side without the use of his left arm. Things literally do not add up. Secondly, this evidence clearly points toward Bob. Bob is left handed which means that he could inflict those wounds upon Mayella, plus he drinks and that leads to violence.

If the jury examined the evidence and testimonies, they would've found Tom to be innocent, however that would be proving that blacks can be right when whites are wrong, and their society just can't handle that. If Tom was a white man, the trial would've gone differently, and that shows oppression towards blacks in this community. The entire jury was white, so that definitely contributed to the verdict being what it was. So I just have one question for the jury:


1 comment:

  1. Lauren, great juxtaposition of quotes and appropriate sarcasm. Very true about the hand/bruise argument. I wonder why whites, who had power at that time, could not allow themselves to set a person free who is not white? It seems that even the white person viewed worst in society had dominion over one of the best in the black community. Confusion. (BTW - the Chandler Bing picture is perfection.)

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