Thomas Kunz

Mr. McConnell
English 9
1/27 /17
Trial Analysis Essay
In to Kill a Mockingbird, the main story is about the trial of a Negro resident, Tom Robinson accused of
raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. The results of the trial are that Tom Robinson is found guilty. I
believe based on the evidence collected and presented at the trial that Tom Robinson should have been
found not guilty. The story takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama where there is a Universe of
Obligation that likely affected the jurys verdict. I will explain how that is possible.
The jury verdict was guilty because of how they treat people that are colored. This means that
even with all the evidence that Atticus provided the jury still found Tom Robinson guilty, because of how
blacks were treated in 1933 in Maycomb County, Alabama. At one point during the trail Tom Robinson
testifies that he felt sorry for Mayella saying Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try moren
the rest of em-.(Lee 264) Atticus did a great job presenting the evidence that the Ewell family was quite
dysfunctional and that Mayella was abused by her father, Bob Ewell, but the jury still came back with a
guilty verdict.
I think Tom Robinson should have been found not guilty because they did not tell the entire story.
When Tom Robinson was on the stand he showed that he and Mayella had a relationship that her father
would not have approved of. The Ewell family was really white trash. They were disrespectful, for
example when Mr. Ewell spits tobacco on Atticus. Another example, is that they dont have to go school
except for the first day. It seems like the regular rules do not apply to them for example, Mr. Bob Ewell,
was permitted to hunt and trap out of season.(Lee 41).

Maycombs Universe of Obligation effected the trial because the Ewells are on the inside and
Tom Robison is on the outside looking in. The Ewells are on the inside, so the jury will protect them no
matter what they do or if they get in trouble they will not blame them, the blame will go on the other
person. In Maycomb County in 1933 the center of the Universe of Obligation was white women and
white children, they were the people that the town would always protect. Colored men were on the very
edge of the Universe of Obligation, they were never protected and treated very poorly. Atticuss closing
during the trial expands on this.
To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the south during the 1930s. Colored people were not respected at
all. Tom Robinson is found guilty by an all-white jury of men from Maycomb County. Alabama. The
main reason he was found guilty was the concept of the Universe of Obligation. White women and
children were the center of that universe. Although the evidence presented a different story he was still
convicted based on the color of his skin.