Sarah Berardelli

Mr. McConnell
English 9
1/19/17
To Kill a Mockingbird Trial
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during the 1930s, in Maycomb County Alabama.
During this time segregation played a big part in day to day life. Now people were trying to
recover from the great depression meaning that people had very little money. The community
and the court in Maycomb are very devote that Tom Robinson is guilty, but hearing the full story
and explaining the universe of obligation this could change the way the common folk interpreters
the county laws.
During the 1930s, the jury in court were white which did not make it simple for an
African American to be charged as not guilty. White people only see African Americans as
harmful and a threat. As Harper Lee wrote, that all Negros lie, that all Negros are basically
immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one
associates with minds of their caliber. (273). With these predictions about African Americans, it
made it a challenge for one to be charged as not guilty. Atticus was starting to believe that there
would be some people in the jury that would argue the case and try to change these Jim Crow
Laws. Once the jury came back from their discussion, Judge Taylor was to read over the
decisions and had seen that Maycombs jury did not change their racists rules. Harper Lee
wrote,Judge Taylor was polling the jury: Guilty. . . guilty. . . guilty. . .guilty. . . (282).

My verdict is that Tom Robinson is not guilty. I decisively believe this because of the
difference in the way that Mayella Ewell explains the night of November twenty first and the
way that Tom Robinson explains the night. While Mayella Ewell was speaking in court she was
complaining that Atticus Finch was asking the same questions. Also, she would pause at times or
switch her responses to the questions as if she had forgotten what had happened the night of
November twenty first. Harper Lee wrote, Tell us one more, please, what happened? I
toldja what happened. (249). This quotes one of the many times that Mayella started to argue
with Mr. Finch about his questions.
Maycombs universe of obligation could have affected the verdict if the people in the
community were not seen as lower than others. In Maycomb County, African American men and
women were looked down upon, but white men, women, and children were looked at as higher
than others. For example, the Ewells are considered upper class because they are white. If people
in Maycomb were not racists Tom Robinson could have had a chance of being charged as not
guilty.
Overall, Tom Robinson should not be classified as guilty and should be allowed to stay at
home with his family like all the other folks. Bob Ewell should be looked at passed his skin color
and mainly focused on the crime he had committed. These are my final thoughts on the
Maycomb rules and verdicts.