Tom Robinson

Tom sees what a miserable life Mayella has: responsible for seven younger siblings who are less than cooperative, a drunken father, poverty, no education, no friends.

In order to feel sorry for someone, one must believe that s/he is somehow better off than that person. Tom is clearly better off than Mayella--he has a nice family, a decent home, a job, friends, and a community. Mayella has none of those.

Tom knows that Mayella has no choice but to continue being dishonest. He realizes that and the narrator (scout) realizes that she is not used to being spoken to with respect when Atticus referrs to her as ma'am she feels insulted)

OK English 9 class. Here's your chance to share what you've learned about the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The topic of this discussion is Tom Robinson. We've just finished reading the chapter that discusses his death. How does his death relate to the title of the novel. Discuss his treatment and the lesson you personally learn from it. This will count as your journal and bell ringer grade for the day. You are to respond in complete sentences. Grammar and spelling count. This is NOT a text message. You will use appropriate language and be respectful to one another. Have fun. See what dialogue you can stir up in cyber space.

I have learned alot about To Kill A Mockingbird. I have learned that if a black person get treated wrongly they will get in trouble because back then everone hated the blacks and treated them like dirt. Tom tryed to run from prison because he was wrongly proven gilty and he got shoot when he was trying to run from prison. However, now if you kill a Mockingbird you can get thrown in jail and get charged for a lot of money. Because they said mockingbirds are good bird dont do anything wrong just like Tom Robinson. Thats what i have learned about Tom and To Kill A Mockingbird.

I have learned alot. Life ain't fair. People were also racist.Tom wasn't guilty, so Tom was sent to prison. When Tom was wrongly accused of raping a white girl. So Tom knows he did'nt do anything wrong. Tom tries to exscape prison and ended up getting shot! You could'nt kill a mockingbird, or you would get charged for alot of money or just get sent to jail.

The only thing I know about Tom Robinson is that he's a black man that's been accused of raping a white woman. I've learned that people would rather convict an innocent black man, than a guilty white man. That's pretty messed up.

You make some really relevant comments, Zach. Make sure to proof your responses before posting them (a couple a minor issues...tried...guilty, etc). Thanks for your input.

tom didn't do anything to hurt anyone but the court convicted him of raping the girl, he was sent to prison and tried escaping they shot him like 18 times because he's black!

I agree Darion. He was a honest, hard working, and good person and because he was black in the south in the 1930's he was automatically guilty. Make sure to use capital letters, punctuation, and spell out your words. This is NOT a text message.

tom robinson?.. well he was acussed of rapping a white girl. it didnt help bacause tom was a black guy. And back then when this story is taking place, blacks and whites didnt really get along. and tom knows that he didnt do anything wrong...but people still acussed him of it.

You've summed up the attitude of the south in the 30's to a tee, Cherish. Good observation.

well to me tom was really a nice guy really respected n he told the truth. then all tom does is help others out without them even giving him anything. then some white lady comes out of no where then he gets sent to prison to die because of his color this isnt justice. So this just tell me that life is not always fair and also that where not in the real world yet so be prepared.

You're right Janelle. I wouldn't so far as to say "nobody" liked blacks. Atticus and a number of other people in the community treated them with kindness and respect.

I learned that back in the old days when everyone was racist they would send an innocent person to prison just because he was black. When he Tom Robinson got sent to prison he tryed to escape and got shot. Then he died. Very sad.

I totally agree Eugene. Tom was not guilty and he and probably event he jury that convicted him knew it. He just got scared and ran and ended up dead. He truly symbolizes the mockingbird you mentioned.

Mr. Tom Robinson was like a honest and respected black man. Then a white lady had come out of no where and accused him for raping her. But than it was the dad that been raping her. So the Mr. Robinson was sent to prison for something that he didn't do. And when he tried to escape from prison he had gotten shot and Mr. Robinson had died.

You're right, Marissa. He was beat before the trial even started. I think many of the people alive then (who probably even sat on Tom's jury) would have remembered the days of slavery and were probably somewhat bitter. They, or more likely, their family lost a free labor pool and now they had to pay their help. Make sure to write using appropriate mechanics. This is not a text. You need to use capital letters, punctuation and correct spelling. Thanks for your input.

i learned alot bout to kill a mockinbird. I have learned that peopele are racist

I learned about To Kill A Mockingbird. i have learned that balcks were treated diffrently from the whites..and the thought that Tom raped mayella..just cause tom was black they believed mayella and sent Tom to prison and he tryed to run from there but he had been shot and now i know how badly black people were treated diffrent ly from whites. Thats what i learned about How To Kill A Mockingbird

People were racist.Tom wasn't guilty, so Tom was sent to prison. When Tom was wrongly accused of raping a white girl. So Tom knows he didn't do anything wrong. Tom tries to exscape prison and ended up getting shot! You couldn'tt kill a mockingbird, or you would get charged for alot of money or just get sent to jail.

Tyresha, make sure to proof read your responses and make sure that you use proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation. What you say, is true, though. Tom was guilty the minute Mayella decided to lie and accuse him.

I have learned a lot of things! This is one thing that I have learned; that Tom Robinson is black, and blacks were treated really messed up back in the day, but the whites got most of the attention...Well, the good attention anyway. I have learned a lot about this book named "To Kill A Mockingbird" now knowing that Tom was acused of raping a girl named Mayella and is now doing time for it but later got shot trying to escape from prison...Hmmm, doesn't this seem a little more racist than it should be? Because its a black man getting shot trying to escape prison! The shooting part sounds like Tupac and the escaping from prison seems like any old desprate black! That made me sound racist, so I'm going to stop now...Did I get my journal and bell ringer points?

ALSO, the whole thing of the title of the book is related to the story that he is innocent and mockingbirds dont do anything but sing and have people enjoy their music that comes out of their beak!

Life is not fair plain and simple! Especially back in the, what was it 1930's, if you were black you was going to be treated wrong. I have learned something and it is what I said at the beginning. So just deal with it and live your life.