Matthew Zavolta

Mr. McConnell
January 27, 2017
English 9
Trial Analysis Essay
Justice can be served through action or trial, but was justice served in To Kill a
Mockingbird? Tom Robinson did not have a fair trial and in the book, it said that there should not
have been a trial because of his race (Lee 271). Race has a big impact in the result of the decision
by the jury. The verdict the verdict should have been non- biased because, based on what Tom
Robinson had to say was more credible compared to the other testimonies. For example, when
Mayella Ewell had a bruise on her right eye because she said he hit her, Tom Robinson left arm
got caught in a cotton gin so he couldnt have hit someone on the right side of someones face
(Lee 260). In my essay, there will be a comparison of my opinion on the case of Tom Robinson
with the evidence collected because of Universe of Obligation. The Jurys verdict is effected by
Universe of Obligation through race. While my verdict is innocent, but in To Kill a Mockingbird,
he is guilty.
The Jurys verdict is guilty because of his race. The jury thought they could not convict a
white female over a black male. In Maycomb, back then that was not a thing, people thought all
black males were predators. That is why when Mayella tells the jury that Tom Robinson rapped
her, they believed her. The jury thought that there is a white family that is furious about this
black male rapping their daughter, we should convict Tom Robinson to rape. Another reason is if
Tom Robinson was innocent the jury could get stalked down and even killed for what they have

done. Heck Tate also help that Tom Robinson was guilty. He said, On the night of November
twenty- first Mr. Ewell came in very excited (Lee 223). He also said, Some niggerd raped his
girl and he didnt call a doctor (Lee 223). Had a black eye comin, make it her right eye(Lee
225). The jury had of got most of their evidence off of Heck Tate because he was the only
accurate one who was against Tom Robinson. The jury may of thought that Mayella and Bob
Ewell information was credible but theirs was not.
My verdict is innocent because of how credible his information was. Tom Robinson is
good in the way he speaks, he says sir after each sentence. He says, It occurred to me that in
their own way, Tom Robinsons manners were as good as Atticuss (Lee 260). When Bob Ewell
and Mayella speak, they stutter and change their mind about what they said. Mayella says, She
says that she doesnt remember if he hit her, then she changed her mind and said that he hit her
(Lee 248). That explains that someone is telling her to say that. Mayellas right eye was bruised
because she said that he hit her even though Tom Robinsons arm got caught in a cotton gin so he
couldnt have hit someone on the right side of someones face (Lee 260).
The Universe of Obligation affected the trial by Tom Robinsons race. The jury could not
have convicted a white person over a black person, that is how it worked back then. People in
Maycomb thought all blacks were useless and rappers. Universe of Obligation changed the
whole trial. If Tom Robinson was white, he would have been innocent. Even when Tom
Robinson gave the most credible information, the jury just could not do it. The reason this was a
case because of his race. White people in Maycomb wanted to get rid of the blacks so the white
community could be dominate over them. If black men kept getting convicted of rape, they can
get all they black males killed and they would not be there anymore.

With the evidence collected because of Universe of Obligation. The jurys verdict is
effected by Universe of Obligation through race. While my verdict is innocent, but in To Kill a
Mockingbird, he is guilty. The only reason Tom Robinson was guilty was because of his race and
if Tom Robinson was white it was more likely of him to be innocent.