Comparing Lee's Tom Robinson Case and the Emmett Till Case
Alisha Oberg
Edited by Mai Do
While Lee's Tom Robinson case holds similarities to the Scottsboro case of 1931, it is also similar to the Emmett Till case. Both cases involve sexual advances on women. In the Tom Robinson case, a woman was asked to “‘identify the man who raped her.' [by] Atticus. ‘[She does], [and identifies] him right [there].’” (Lee 185). The women from both cases were white. “‘[Mayella is] white, and she tempted [an African American]’” (Lee 204). To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the South, and “[the Finch Family is made of] Southerners” (Lee 3). Tom Robinson's case is heard in Maycomb, the town where the Finch family lives. Similarly, the Emmett Till case was heard in the South as well. When Scout and Jem are looking for a seat in the courtroom, they see that “there [is not] a seat left [in the courtroom] (Lee 164), just as how the courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi was crowded with people watching the trial of the two that murdered Emmett Till. The juries of both cases are composed of white men, and in To Kill a Mockingbird, particularly “sunburned [and] lanky ... farmers” (Lee 164). In the 1930’s, the South was known for it’s agriculture and racial issues. The jurors of Tom Robinson's trial are farmers and the case is heard in a Southern town, and so due to social attitudes there is not an African American on the jury. Also due to racism are the deaths of Tom Robinson and Emmett Till. In To Kill a Mockingbird, a white man, namely “‘[the] prison guard [shoots Tom]’” (Lee 235).
Sources:
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1960. Print.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy. Dir. Daniel Anker and Barak Goodman. By Barak Goodman and Kay Boyle. Perf. Andre Braugher. Cowboy Pictures, 2001. Film.
The Murder of Emmett Till. Dir. Stanley Nelson. By Marcia A. Smith. Perf. Andre Braugher. PBS American Experience, 2003. DVD.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1960. Print.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy. Dir. Daniel Anker and Barak Goodman. By Barak Goodman and Kay Boyle. Perf. Andre Braugher. Cowboy Pictures, 2001. Film.
The Murder of Emmett Till. Dir. Stanley Nelson. By Marcia A. Smith. Perf. Andre Braugher. PBS American Experience, 2003. DVD.