Personal Response to Trial

While reading chapters 17-22, I began to realize how deep racism and prejudice ran. I knew that racism existed back then, but I didn't realize how deep it ran. I didn't know people had the audacity to actually condemn a man's life. It's a shame because it was clearly proven that Tom was innocent, but the jury was blinded by their own selfish beliefs. Atticus was able to prove Tom's innocence, and the jury knew it but they were to afraid to admit it. It is really unfair for them to do this just because they had to live up to what the rest of the citizens of Maycomb wanted them to do.

Evidence to support that Tom was innocent was that a man that is left handed is the one who beat Mayella. Tom is right handed because his left hand was injured as a kid. Mayella's father is left handed. Another piece of evidence is just the expressions on Tom's face. It was obvious that he was telling the truth, it was the jury's selfish decision to say he was guilty because of his colored skin. I learned that there was no such thing as a fair trial back then. If you were white, you one the case. If you black you inevitably lost. This was no way fair, and it's a shame to say this was all taking place in our American History.

Christian Reda

Making a Personal Response

The event that struck me the most deeply was the moment Tom Robinson was convicted of sexually assaulting Mayella Ewell, even after evidence was provided to prove the contrary. The reason being is because during their time period, the jury could not possibly accept a black man’s words against a white man’s words as a result of racial discrimination. Prior to the trial, we were first introduced to the case when John Taylor appointed Atticus to execute the assignment. During the trial, African Americans were segregated and positioned in the upper balcony, Mr. Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney, was acrimonious when questioning Tom Robinson, and the jury’s decision to sentence Tom Robinson to prison all led me to the realization that the jury was willing to deny a black man his freedom as a result of his skin color. This also tells me that prejudice consumes their conscience, preventing them from reasoning logically.

During their time period, prejudice prevailed in the United States as more African Americans entered the area. The thought of African Americans benefiting from society as a result of freedom gained by the Constitution angered white people. During their time period, whites were unable to accept African Americans as human beings. Thomas Jefferson one said that all men are created equal, just as Atticus stated during the trial. Disappointment consumed my heart as the jury condemned Tom Robinson to prison, even after Atticus proved his innocence. I have learned that a man can suffer anguish emotionally as a result of prejudice. I have also learned that during their time period, white men were not tolerable of African Americans and that they were willing to strip a black man of his freedom in order to satisfy their personal desires.

Personal Response

What struck me deeply as I read chapters 17-22 is prejudice. In today's world we don't have as much prejudice as we used to in the 1900's. Prejudice in the 1900's was discussing to me because in this book a colored man named Tom Robinson was not guilty but just because the jury was prejudice they said Tom Robinson is guilty. I knew from the jump start that they were going to say Tom was guilty because he is colored. This was so unfair because his lawyer (Atticus) did everything he could to prove that Tom was innocent which he was.

All the evidence Atticus gave to the jury on how Tom couldn't of hit the girl he is being of cursed of rapping and beating up because he can't use his left hand and who ever hit the girl had to be left handed. I know everyone in that court room knew Tom was innocent but they didn't want to say he is innocent because he is colored. Also, while I was reading these chapters I learned justice back then was not judged as they are today with how much evidence and who is actually guilty or not. Back then they just judged on who they liked more. If you were colored you are guilty from the start of the trial.

Alexis Cordero

Making a Personal Response

In chapters 17-22 in "To Kill a Mockingbird", the thing that struck me the most was the prejudice. Tom Robinson was accused and convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, but Atticus clearly proved Tom Robinson to be innocent. Atticus in his last statement proves to the jury that there is no evidence pointing to Tom Robinson and the only thing that the court had against Tom were the testimonies that were given by Heck Tate, Mr. Ewell, and Mayella Ewell. Atticus gave the trial his best effort to win the case for Tom, but he didn't win and it just proved to everyone that Maycomb is prejudice and made them out to be a bunch of idiots. If one person in Maycomb thinks a black man or woman is guilty of a crime then everyone else in the town thinks they are too.

The main reason why Tom couldn't have been guilty of raping and beating Mayella is when Tom was a boy all of his muscles in his arm were torn out from a cotton gin and Atticus tried to make Tom catch a glass with his left hand, but his arm is useless. When you punch you throw across your body not straight and if Tom is right handed then obviously he couldn't have beat Mayella since the left side of her face was beaten up. Prejudice completely changes a person and everyone is prone to it. Even as children you are prone to it and being prejudice can blind a person with how bad a disease it is.

Making a Personal Response

TKAM is a novel based on prejudice. Prejudice is not right. Even though Atticus was appointed to do this case and had no chose I feel as though if he did have a choice he still would stand up for Tom Robinson's rights. Atticus could have simply gave no interest and he didn't have to try his hardest but, he did. Atticus proved that Maycomb is PREJUDICE. He made Maycomb look as though they were bunch of idiots.

The event that proved to me that Tom Robinson was innocent was when Atticus told him to stand and he told Tom to catch the glass. Tom caught the glass with his right hand. Atticus told him to catch it again but this time with his left. Tom couldn't do it. The reason behind why Tom couldn't catch the glass with his left hand was because when he was twelve he got his arm stuck in a cotton gin. The cotton gin tore all of his muscles. His left arm is now useless. Another event about the trial that also has proven to me that Tom was not guilty was when Atticus told Mr.Ewell to write his name on a sheet of paper. It was a coincidence that Mr.Ewell was left handed and Mayella's right eye was blacked. When someone punches they punch across not straight. To me, Tom Robinson is innocent.

Simone P.

Making a Personal Response

Both the prejudice and justice are despicable in Chapter 17-22. However, the prejudice is what struck me the most deeply. Atticus, to the best of his ability, proves Tom Robinson innocent. He points out, in his last statement, that there was no evidence presented to indicate that Tom Robinson was guilty, only testimonies. It is all true, Tom Robinson is innocent and there is nothing in existence that can prove him otherwise... except for the words of white individuals. It is also true that Tom Robinson is a negro, therefore according to prejudice, he is guilty if at least one person who is white believe so.

Honestly speaking, I have not learned a single thing. I am aware that prejudice is a great plague in this world. Prejudice was always an issue throughout history and will forever to be so since time has no end. As a human of foreign descent in America, I am prone to prejudice. Prejudice causes one to become blind without losing eyesight, deaf without losing hearing, and mute without losing speech. Prejudice afflicts the mind with a cancer incurable.

Making a Personal Respone

The thing that struck me the most about the justice was the way people lied in the court room. Even when Atticus had a bunch of evidence to prove tom Robinson innocent. When he did prove him innocent the jury still said he was guilty even when he really was not. The reason they said he was guilty was because the people in maycomb are so prejudice that it didn't matter. Even the judge know he was innocent you tell by his face and the way he slammed the door plus they were under oath. the event that led me to this was that the way white people in this book/movie treated black people. Tom Robinson testimony sounded truth and he did not mix it up or get confused. Mayella did mix her story up a few times and she confused her self that is why I did not believe her. I learned that people were extremely racist in the past and still are today I like that it's not right.

Making a personal Response

The thing that struck me the most is when the whole jury in to kill a mockingbird did not believe Tom Robinson was telling the truth. But they believed mayella even though she did not tell the truth and her story didn't even make any since because she kept changing the subject. But atticus really defended Tom Robinson and I would have gave atticus a lot of respect to.This book shows a lot about how prejudice people were back then and I think that it was wrong because everybody is created equal and every man should have the rights to do whatever white men did. It also taught me a lot about how people get a lot of respect when they help.

What I basically learned in this novel is that sometimes it can be harsh to be convicted of a crime that you never did. All Tom Robinson wanted to do before Mayella tried to kiss Tom Robinson was be a nice and helpful man. Why couldn't the ewells just tell the truth about Mayella started this whole thing. And Mr.Link Deas was nice enough to try and help Tom Robinson.

Making a personal response

When Tom Robinson was tried for something he didn't do and lost and that struck me the most deeply about prejudice as I read chapters 17 -22. I feel that it was unfair how Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell when he didn't and how prejudice the jury was. The jury was completely blinded from prejudice that they couldn't see the evidence that was presented. Even though Atticus proved Tom Robinson innocent the jury's verdict was still guilty. An important piece of evidence was that Tom could not use his left hand because of an accident when he was young but Mayella was beaten mostly on the right side of her face and it was proven that Bob Ewell Mayella's father was left handed so that was proven that Tom Robinson was innocent. And even Judge Taylor was disgusted, in the movie to kill a mockingbird Judge Taylor slammed the door when he left the room.

I learned that racism is not right but sometimes racism can overcome logic. By that I mean racism can control you if you let it.

Making a Personal Response

In chapter 17-22 in "To Kill a Mockingbird", I was struck by how widespread prejudice is in Maycomb and how it can blind people from the truth. Even though Tom Robinson's innocence was as clear as water, the jury still convicted him. What was even more strucking was how Atticus delivered a heart-moving speech to the jury to tell them the importance of justice in a courtroom. I was awed by Atticus's speech, especially the scene where he explained that not everyone is created equal in the level of intelligence but a court can make everyone equal. I also realized how importance justice is. It must be served in a courtroom equally because if not, innocent people like Tom Robinson can be falsely convicted. Another event that was strucking was when the jury annouced that Tom Robinson is guilty. I could not believe how deep prejudice is because it had blinded the whole courtroom, even though people sitting there knew the truth.
From the trial, I have learned how important it is for justice to be served because baseless accusations, accompanied by prejudice, makes innocent people having to go through something he or she has not done.