Tom Robinson says that on the day of the rape he was invited into the Ewell's house by Mayella Ewell. She invited him in so he could fix the front door because it was off of its hinge. Tom went on to say that it was fine and didn't need fixing so Mayella told Tom to retrieve something off the top of the chiffarobe. Tom says that when he turned around to reach the top of the chiffarobe Mayella grabbed him and that he didn't rape her.
Harper Lee makes Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell have completely different takes of November 21. Tom doesn't only deny that he raped Mayella he says that she was the one who raped him. By composing these two completely different sides, Harper Lee makes the jury decide who they trust more. It is obvious that the jury made up of white farmers who live in Alabama in the 1930's will believe the white girl and not the black man. Also Atticus says to Scout that he knows he will lose the case. In conclusion, the jury will believe Mayella and not Tom because Mayella is a white girl, while Tom is a black man.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Do you think having more witnesses helps the prosecution? Who do you believe(Mayella or Tom)...why? Who do you think the jury will believe/ what do you think the verdict will be? Why do you think Harper Lee has Mayella and Tom disagree on little things like: she didn't usually ask Tom for any help? Do you see any similarities between this and "Monster" or "Getting Away with Murder" (if you read it for history)?
Yes, I think that having more witnesses is going to help the case. However it would be hard for people to believe a Negro man, just because everyone is siding with the Ewell's. Therefor if the Judge deems Tom Robinson innocent, that could spark a major mob scene. Also, I think that Tom Robinson is easier to believe because he is consistent in what he tells the Judge. However Mayella is always telling a different story. I think that the Jury will most likely believe Mayella because they a prejudiced towards Negro people. However if Atticus can find a striking piece of evidence, then they will most likely vote for the innocence of Tom Robinson.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Mayella is showing inconsistencies between her testimonies? Who do you think has the most truthful story?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBooks and movies in court scene setting are always very interesting for the audience because they are aloud to see the different views and reenactments of the events that took place. Harper Lee is now letting the readers decide which testimony they believe and is supporting either one with different facts and observations. Of course since it is through the eyes of Scout, it is slightly bias toward Mr. Robinson since Atticus is defending him. But as the case goes on, Harper Lee is sure to unravel some more evidence to prove either side of the story which will either get Tom Robinson off the hook or in more trouble. What new Testimonies will Harper Lee use to progress the trial? Who else could have an impact?
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the all-white jury will choose the white, Mayella Ewell to be innocent and the black, Tom Robinson to be guilty. Putting the prejudice behind, based on the information given by many witnesses, it is difficult to determine who is innocent and who is guilty. Mayella appears guilty when Scout points out that Mayella is frequently changing her story as Atticus asks her more and more questions. On the contrary, Mayella also seems to be innocent, specifically when Scout talks about her as feeling lonely and constantly being pre-judged by the community of Maycomb. In addition Tom Robinson’s guilt or innocence is un-clear. Scout shares to the reader how Tom is African American and is treated unfairly as a result, making Tom seem innocent, yet at times in the trial Tom appears to be guilty. For instance when Mr. Gilmer questions Tom it is convincing that Tom might be guilty because even though he is crippled in his left arm he is very strong, and could easily rape Mayella Ewell. Overall in Tom Robinson’s case, Scout’s unreliable narrating convinces the reader.
ReplyDeleteHow would the court case be portrayed if Jem was the narrator? Do you think Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell are equally guilty? Why or why not?
Having more witnesses will not help the prosecution because the prosecution is trying to prove the supposed criminal (in this case Tom Robinson) guilty. Even though it is possible that Mayella is lying, she stated the point that Tom Robinson did sexually harass her, which is the point they're trying to get across. I believe Tom because when Atticus was asking Mayella questions she seemed hesitant to say that Tom did harass her, which could mean that she is not telling the truth. Tom did not show any sign of lying when he was on the witness stand. "Tom denied it three times in one breath, but quietly, with no hint of whining in his voice, and I found myself believing him in spite of his protesting too much" (Lee, 257).
ReplyDeleteBesides of Atticus saying that Tom was going to be found guilty, I don't think it is very obvious yet whether they will find Tom guilty or innocent. There has been no point in the trial so far where Harper Lee hints that the jury thinks that Tom is lying or if he is going to be guilty. I think Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell are both not guilty, and Bob Ewell is the person that is guilty. According to what Tom said he left the house as soon has he heard Mr. Ewell yell at him. Also Mayella couldn't remember if Tom had hit her in the face right away, which shows that it was most likely somebody else who had hit her in the face. In this case it would be Mr. Ewell because he was the only other person who had seen the incident with Mayella and Tom.
Who do you think beat Mayella? How do you think Tom's testimony will impact the outcome of the trial? Will the jury believe Tom or Mayella?
I think that Tom is innocent, but that since this is a racist white town, he will still be found guilty. I think this because Mayella has so much doubt in herself that she doesn't even know what to say, or when to say it. This is a large problem in the town of Maycomb, because everyone is so racist that they are willing to put someone in jail for a very long time when he isn't even guilty of committing the crime he was accused of. Having so many witnesses doesn't always help the prosecution, or defense. Not only is this portrayed by the way that Atticus only has one witness, but also because having all of the witnesses actually hurt the Prosecution. The prosecution was hurt, because Mayella created so much doubt that even she doesn't know what happened. Throughout the trial portion of this book, I have definitely noticed many similarities between "Getting Away With Murder," and "To Kill A Mockingbird." The main similarity I've noticed in these two novels is the racial prejudice. Just because Emmett and Tom are black, neither of them are going to have a fair trial.
ReplyDelete