What does Tom Robinson suggest happened on the day of the rape? Do you think the jury will believe his version of events? Explain why you think this. - Ramirez

What does Tom Robinson suggest happened on the day of the rape?
Do you think the jury will believe his version of events? Explain why you think this.



   Tom Robinson’s version of events was very different from what Mayella said. Tom said “ Why yes suh, I’d tip m’hat
when I’d go by, and one day she asked me to come inside the fence and bust up a chiffarobe for her.’’ ( Lee, 217) Tom clearly said this happened last spring, not on November 21st
when Mayella says she was raped. Tom also states “ She reached up an’ kissed me’ side of th’ face. She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger.
She says what her papa do to her don’t count. She says, ‘kiss me back, nigger.’
I say Miss Mayella lemme outta here an’ tried to run but she got her back to the door an’ I’ da had to push her.” (Lee, 221)
This shows us that Mayella is lying based on Tom’s side of the story.
Tom also tells the judge and the jury that Mr. Ewell hollered at Mayella through the window, because of this he got scared.
He explains since he is a Black man he was worried that he would be accused of doing something and having to go to court just like now so that is why he ran.
He didn’t want to be in the middle of this. I also believe that Tom was worried that Mr. Ewell would try to kill him for getting caught with his daughter who forced herself on him. 

    I do not believe that the jury will believe Tom, even though he has a very believable story and he cannot use his left hand which shows he obviously cannot be the man who did this.
I think the jury will not believe him because it is an all-white jury, at this time race, was a very big thing in the United States.
Especially in the deep south like Maycomb. It is very hard for a Black man to be believed when he ran away from the scene even though he ran with good reason.
This chapter shows Scout’s growth because she is finally understanding the court case.
Since this book is written in Scout’s point of view she seems to understand why Mr. Gilmer is asking so many questions and being kind of rude when talking to Tom,
she explained this to Dill. She says “ Dill that’s his job.” This is a short response but shows that she understands how a lawyer's job
and shows she has grown because of this case and she has shown growth in many different ways throughout the chapters getting up to this point.


Do you think Tom is telling the truth? Explain.
Why do you think Mayella lied according to Tom?
Why do you think Dill got so upset?





Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 26, 2019 at 4:47 PM

    Dill got emotional towards the end of chapter nineteen because of how Mr. Gilmer was treating Thomas Robinson on the stage. At the beginning of chapter eighteen Mayella takes the stand to testify and is very emotional throughout her whole appearance on stage. Mr. Gilmer confront hers and talks to her in a very sweet voice and is positive towards her. It isn’t until Robinson takes the stand when this all changes. At first, Atticus defends him, and then it is Mr. Gilmer’s turn to question him. Gilmer speaks in a very rude, racist, and bias tone to Robinson because he is black which makes him the most responsible for this case. Dill observes this and starts crying and then runs out other building. Scout follows him, and when they are about to leave they hear a voice of Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Mr. Raymond is agreeing that just because Robinson is black it makes him sick that Gilmer treats him differently.

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  2. leilabpSeptember 26, 2019 at 7:17 PM

    Tom is very obviously telling the truth, but it would take seeing through racism and lies for most of the white people in town to believe it. Tom, a hard-working family man with a kind heart, describes how he felt bad for Mayella because she had to do all the work around her house. Thanks to Atticus' gentle questioning about Mayella's relationship with anybody else, we find out that Mayella is very lonely, so it makes sense why she would turn to the first person who is kind to her. I think that when her father found out, she was punished. I believe that now is a very desperate time for the Ewells and they needed the money, and therefore forced Mayella to lie in court. This shows the change between towns in Maycomb and the difference when dealing desperate times. I think that Harper Lee puts Mayella in this novel because it shows how innocence can fade in these dire times. I don't think that Mayella never wanted to do this, but I do believe that she is loyal enough that she would do anything to help her younger siblings. The court case is helping to bring Scout out of her side of town, where she doesn't have to see anything more complicated than a rabid dog, to someone's perspective who has been through a lot of hardship.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2019 at 9:20 AM

    As Tom is a very polite young man he is telling the truth. Even though he is getting accused for something he did not do he is staying calm and polite. He is a hard working man who cares about his family and people who are kind to him. I believe the jury can see this by the way he acts in court, he is very polite and honest. Tom says that on the day of rape Mayella asked Tom to go inside and cut up a chifforabe. Tom did so since he is a polite man. Tom went in and states that she jumped on him. He then says he tried not to fight back and then ran. I believe that the court will understand his side of the story since Maya has always been a lonely girl and might want some company.

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2019 at 9:32 AM

    The trial is going on and Mayella and Tom both gave their stories. Maryella says that Tom Robinson raped her while Tom says it’s the opposite and that Maryella actually forcefully kissed him. I believe Tom is telling the truth because during the trial he spoke very respectfully and didn’t hesitate. He told the truth each time they asked him questions and repeated the same answer when they asked him the same question. He is a hard-working truthful gentlemen who helped the Ewell family for free, he is not lying. Maryella lied to hide the fact that she kissed a black man because she knows her dad would be disappointed and everyone else would look at her differently. She forcefully kissed Tom which makes her look even worse, that’s why she lied. Dill got upset because he didn’t like how rude Mr. Gilmer was treating Tom when asking the questions. Mr. Gilmer had no reason to treat Tom with disrespect because Tom had been respectful the whole time.

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