Tom Robinson
Written by David, Elma, Herman, Makda, Scott
People will have different opinions before reading this, but after reading this character analysis on Tom Robinson, it will change what you think of Tom Robinson. He is the one who is willing to help others when they need it. Tom is also the one who went into court for a crime, but with the odds against him. Most importantly he is the one who brought out Boo Radley to life from the shadows. Tom Robinson is a foil, a kind person, and also someone who went into a trial.
Tom Robinson is a foil of Boo Radley because of how both of them were described negatively in the book. For example in the story, Scout got into a fight with a classmate named Cecil about her dad defending a black man. Scout comes home and talks to her father about the court case and finds out the name of the black man -- Tom Robinson. Scout thinks that just because someone is black and others say you should not defend a black man you should not, from the quote “‘If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it?” (Lee 75). What Jem thought of Boo Radley was “he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hand were bloodstained--if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off”” (13). From what it looks like here is both of these people are getting described because of their first appearance and impression. Here another quote from the story, “‘How could they do it, how could they?’” (213). Here Jem has a totally different perspective than what Scout thinks of Tom, but this is after the trial when Tom is guilty. Jem thinks that call was uncalled for. He thinks that Tom is not guilty because of the evidence proven at court. Evidence that could have got Jem to his thinking of Tom being innocent was, one of where Tom was talking about how he couldn’t move one of his arms because of an accident. How this foils Boo Radley is that Boo had something that affected him too which was his shyness throughout the book.
Tom Robinson is a kind person. In the middle of the story it talks about how Tom is a kind person. He helps Mayella whenever she needed it (197). One time that it talked about how kind Tom is, when in the end of book, Scout got to know Tom a better than before and comes out saying to his dad that Tom was a kind and nice guy (281). How Tom helps Mayella is that he fixes a door and chifferobe for her. He feels sorry for her and kindly helps her no matter what needs to be fixed. Tom being so kind to a white person surprised others because usually black people are not so kind and caring for a white person like Mayella. Tom helps Mayella without hesitation because he knows that no one is available to help Mayella and he feels bad about that. Tom is doing what is right because you should not just leave someone hanging if they need help and you are available to help that person. The main emotion in this is Tom is feeling sorry for Mayella that no one is helping her. On the other hand, others view him as a guy who committed a crime of raping Mayella and physically harassing her (185). Since this got turned into a court case, there is always conflict an included with this.
Tom Robinson in the story during his trial is a character versus society conflict because usually the white people would side with the white and the black people would side with the black people. In this case, the jury is all white people that believe Tom is guilty. They believe that Tom is guilty for his crime of raping and harassing Mayella. Using the evidence provided, Tom has to try and prove that he is innocent in this crime and should be free. During this time, there is tons of segregation going on. In this case, it is a black versus white, or Tom Robinson versus the whites (203). Most of the whites are going to be siding with the whites no matter what type of evidence is presented. They know that black people like Tom is going to lose. Even though Atticus’s evidence was pretty solid, it will not change the fact that the jury, who consist of white people, will change their relationship with the blacks and make it a fair trial. During the time of the book, it was the time of 1930’s when segregation and racism was happening. When it did come to the jury to decide if Tom is guilty or not, the whole jury thought Tom was guilty even though the evidence provided was good enough to say Tom is innocent (211). In the end, Tom lost the battle against society because of his color.
Tom Robinson is a foil, a kind person, and experiences conflict against the society. Tom was kind enough to help someone like Mayella who needed help. Even though he is thought as a kind person, a kind person like Tom goes into a court situation where he is arrested for raping and harassing Mayella. In this court case, it is Tom versus society because Tom has to prove himself that even though he is black, he did not do the crimes presented. Therefore, Tom is a foil, but a kind person, while being in a conflict where it is him verses the society.
Tom Robinson is a foil of Boo Radley because of how both of them were described negatively in the book. For example in the story, Scout got into a fight with a classmate named Cecil about her dad defending a black man. Scout comes home and talks to her father about the court case and finds out the name of the black man -- Tom Robinson. Scout thinks that just because someone is black and others say you should not defend a black man you should not, from the quote “‘If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it?” (Lee 75). What Jem thought of Boo Radley was “he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hand were bloodstained--if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off”” (13). From what it looks like here is both of these people are getting described because of their first appearance and impression. Here another quote from the story, “‘How could they do it, how could they?’” (213). Here Jem has a totally different perspective than what Scout thinks of Tom, but this is after the trial when Tom is guilty. Jem thinks that call was uncalled for. He thinks that Tom is not guilty because of the evidence proven at court. Evidence that could have got Jem to his thinking of Tom being innocent was, one of where Tom was talking about how he couldn’t move one of his arms because of an accident. How this foils Boo Radley is that Boo had something that affected him too which was his shyness throughout the book.
Tom Robinson is a kind person. In the middle of the story it talks about how Tom is a kind person. He helps Mayella whenever she needed it (197). One time that it talked about how kind Tom is, when in the end of book, Scout got to know Tom a better than before and comes out saying to his dad that Tom was a kind and nice guy (281). How Tom helps Mayella is that he fixes a door and chifferobe for her. He feels sorry for her and kindly helps her no matter what needs to be fixed. Tom being so kind to a white person surprised others because usually black people are not so kind and caring for a white person like Mayella. Tom helps Mayella without hesitation because he knows that no one is available to help Mayella and he feels bad about that. Tom is doing what is right because you should not just leave someone hanging if they need help and you are available to help that person. The main emotion in this is Tom is feeling sorry for Mayella that no one is helping her. On the other hand, others view him as a guy who committed a crime of raping Mayella and physically harassing her (185). Since this got turned into a court case, there is always conflict an included with this.
Tom Robinson in the story during his trial is a character versus society conflict because usually the white people would side with the white and the black people would side with the black people. In this case, the jury is all white people that believe Tom is guilty. They believe that Tom is guilty for his crime of raping and harassing Mayella. Using the evidence provided, Tom has to try and prove that he is innocent in this crime and should be free. During this time, there is tons of segregation going on. In this case, it is a black versus white, or Tom Robinson versus the whites (203). Most of the whites are going to be siding with the whites no matter what type of evidence is presented. They know that black people like Tom is going to lose. Even though Atticus’s evidence was pretty solid, it will not change the fact that the jury, who consist of white people, will change their relationship with the blacks and make it a fair trial. During the time of the book, it was the time of 1930’s when segregation and racism was happening. When it did come to the jury to decide if Tom is guilty or not, the whole jury thought Tom was guilty even though the evidence provided was good enough to say Tom is innocent (211). In the end, Tom lost the battle against society because of his color.
Tom Robinson is a foil, a kind person, and experiences conflict against the society. Tom was kind enough to help someone like Mayella who needed help. Even though he is thought as a kind person, a kind person like Tom goes into a court situation where he is arrested for raping and harassing Mayella. In this court case, it is Tom versus society because Tom has to prove himself that even though he is black, he did not do the crimes presented. Therefore, Tom is a foil, but a kind person, while being in a conflict where it is him verses the society.