It is ironic how Tom says Mayella is mistaken in her mind when all the previous witnesses's overviews of the case line up. Heck Tate, Mr. Ewell and Mayella all say Tom did rape Mayella, but when it is Tom's turn to talk he tells a completely different scenario. If Tom is to be believed and Mayella did hug and kiss Tom first, then Mayella should be the one on trial. When Atticus asks if Mayella ever let Tom in the fence before Mayella says, "I did not. I certainly did not" (Lee 246). On the other hand, Tom said that he had entered the fence frequently upon Mayella's request to do her favors. This kind of difference is not one that can be mistaken as Tom says Mayella did. One of these two witnesses must be lying. "To the next ten questions, as Mr. Gilmer reviewed Mayella's version of events, the witness's steady answer was that she was mistaken in her mind" (Lee 264). This is significant because it increasingly shows how "mistaken" Mayella is becoming if what Tom says is true. Harper Lee includes this because whoever is "mistaken" or clearly lying, should be the one on trial. In conclusion, if what Tom said is true, then Mayella is not mistaken but lying and should be the one on trial.
Who do you think is telling the truth: Mayella or Tom?
I believe that Tom is telling the truth. His story is the most clear, and he does not hesitate in answering as Mayella often does. However, I think that there is one part of Tom's story where he is not telling the truth; this is when he says that Mayella was mistaken in her mind about the night of November 21. I think that Tom is trying to prove that he is innocent, but at the same time he is trying not to get Mayella in trouble. I believe Tom when he says "'Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-'" (Lee 264) because he has shown that he respects her and feels sorry for her because she is obviously lonely. Tom knows that what she did wasn't right, but he understands her loneliness and feels sorry for her. He has not tried to blame her because he has empathy for her; being African American, he faces discrimination and often feels lonely, similar to how the Ewells face discrimination from other white people, which causes Mayella to feel lonely. Overall, I believe that Tom is a trustworthy man who will not try to get people he cares about blamed for something that was not a true crime.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Charlotte that Tom is telling the truth. Although I think this, I also expect that the jury will decide that Tom is guilty and that Mayella is telling the truth. This is because the majority of the population is not in favor of black people, and will side with Mayella, in spite of what the witnesses have said. For example, when Tom says that Mayella was the one to first do the hugging and kissing, Judge Taylor bangs the gravel extremely loudly. He does this because the thought of Mayella; a white person, starting the rape of a black person, is unthinkable. All in all, I believe that Tom is telling the truth, and that he is an honest man.
ReplyDeleteI think Tom is telling the truth. He spoke clearly, and didn't take time to plot his answers. Mayella took time to form answers, and could have changed to fit the situation. When Atticus asked if she had ever been beaten, he had to repeat the question, and when he asked is he good to you, she can't even respond. I think this means she is hiding something. The court should carefully review Mr. Ewell's testimony, as it could be unreliable.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Tom Robinson is supposed to be judged by a group of his peers, and should be tried as an innocent man until proven guilty, despite race, the baise that overcomes much of Maycomb makes that ideal almost impossible. Because Tom Robinson is already seen as guilty simply because of the color of his skin, it means that he can't speak as freely as a white person, nor can he accuse a white person as if they're equals. Therefore, I think that although the evidence of Tom's arm and the fact that Mr. Ewell is known to abuse his daughter proves he is an innocent man, the jury may not feel that the evidence makes up for his skin color, which they believe is an injustice on its own.
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