Libby Stofko

Mr. McConnell
Review of Literature
1/21/17
Trial Analysis Essay
In To Kill A Mockingbird a black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a
white girl named Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinsons accusation is rumored not to be true by most
people in Maycomb, but they do not do anything to stop the jurys verdict. The Universe of
Obligation in Maycomb presumes blacks guilty of all crimes of which they are accused. Tom is
accused of the crime, therefore he is assumed to be guilty simply because of his skin color.
However, Mayellas father, Bob Ewell, is believed to be the one that raped her. Due to the
Universe of Obligation in Maycomb the jurys verdict could have been affected, because in
Maycomb black people are not accepted where as white women and children are the most
protected people in Maycomb. The jurys verdict was troubled, because of how Tom and Mayella
are viewed.
The jurys verdict stated that Tom Robinson was guilty of raping Mayella Ewell. In
Mayellas testimony she states that she said, I said come here, nigger, and bust up a chiffarobe
for me, I got a nickel for you. (Lee 241). This is what leads Tom to Mayellas house. According
to Mayella she had went to get him a nickel, and when she turned around to go give the nickel to
him he stated beating her. Since Tom is black that played a role in the jurys verdict, he was
charged with being guilty of raping Mayella Ewell.

In the case Tom was charged with being guilty of rape, but he had both sides of the case
on his side. The information that Heck Tate, the sheriff, gave in his testimony stated that Mayella
was bruised on the right side of her face. make it her right (Lee 225) he said. This means that it
could not be Tom because, Toms left hand got messed up as a kid and is unusable. Mayellas
story did not line up enough with everything that happened in Toms testimony. Toms testimony
made more sense than Mayellas. He said, So I done what she told me an I was just reachin
when the next I knows she-shed grabbed me round the legs, grabbed me round th legs, Mr.
Finch. She scared me so bad I hopped down an turned the chair over-that was the only thing,
only furniture, sturbed in that room (Lee 259). He didnt hurt her she made things up because
he had rejected her affection.
The Universe of Obligation in Maycomb affect how everyone in Maycomb is seen. Toms
trial was judged off the fact that he is black. Because he is black to the judge hehad to be the
defendant in this case. Atticus was judged because of his representing of Tom. His family was
talked about and not accepted as much as they had been before the case.
Due to the Universe of Obligation in Maycomb the jurys verdict could have been
affected, because in Maycomb black people are not accepted where as white women and children
are the most protected people in Maycomb. The jurys verdict was troubled, because of how Tom
and Mayella are viewed.