Examples Of The Death Penalty In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The novel To Kill A Mockingbird has similar issues that we deal with in today's world, but shows at a less intense level through young Scouts eyes. One of the issues present is capital punishment or better known as the death penalty. In the novel, we don't really get the whole idea of it and its impacts since Scout doesn't completely understand it. Initially the death penalty was used for even minor offenses like stealing grapes, killing chickens,and trading with Indians. Although it was never outlawed, the cases to cause it greatly decreased over the years to only some first degree murders and other major offenses. People believe that death is much worse than being sentenced to a life in prison. In colonial times one of the biggest debates was whether to abolish capital punishment or not. Some settlers believed that it actually increased the crime rate instead of decrease it. Thirty-one states currently enforce the death penalty, including Alabama, where To Kill A Mockingbird takes place. We know that Tom was going to get the death penalty because Atticus says ¨ Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told.¨ (Lee, 195) Crimes that can result in the death penalty are espionage, treason, death resulting from aircraft hijacking, and some first degree murders. Currently in 19 states …show more content…
If we analyze when Tom gets shot and killed, we can infer that he figured he had nothing to lose because he was going to be sentenced. He also thought this because he was black so he had no chance in his case because blacks and whites were not treated equally in the courts even if they were supposed to be. In conclusion, there was valuable evidence for Tom and none against but the people who could truly see his innocence in the jury were outnumbered by the racist individuals who saw his dark skin as a

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, like many others of its genre is strongly influenced by the ideas of its author. With this book, Lee has represented her commentaries with symbols or metaphors– although these can sometimes be overlooked too easily in a lengthy novel. The characters she has employed to convey or be subjected to these ideas are referred to as, “the mockingbirds” of the book. Her ideas of who they are and how they should be treated are manifested in this lesson to the…

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Atticus Finch Morals

“More than half of death row exonerates are Black. Of the 185 people exonerated from death row since 1973, about 53% are Black, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Historically, the death penalty has been disproportionately applied to Black people in the U.S., and they are still overrepresented on death row. Today, the states that sentence the most people to death are those that once carried out the most lynchings.” (Daniele Selby). Tom Robinson, like the Scottsboro boy, was falsely…

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Similarities Between Scottsboro Boys And To Kill A Mockingbird

boys. In their case they face judgement, unfair treatment, and an unfair sentence. Many author wrote books about them or close to their story, Harper Lee who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird had a similar case. In the novel Tom Robison is accuse of rape and sentence to life imprisonment. The trails of Scottsboro Boys and To Kill a Mockingbird had characters that displayed similarities. Also, both cases were affected by racism. On March 24, 1931 the alleged victims; Ruby Bates age 17 and Victoria Price age…

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Scosburo 9 To Kill A Mockingbird

idea of equality in the legal system in churches and schools. But in the 1930s, they were so opposed to that idea that they would kill an innocent man based on his skin. The Scosburo 9 case is a good example. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, there is the tale of Tom Roberson. It is an unfair case based on someone's skin color. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the 1930s had problems treating people of different races. It is illustrated…

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Murder Classification Essay

Murder can be classified in several ways. There are the more severe cases such as first and second degree murder, which were intentional and usually planned ahead of time, and often result in the death penalty or life in prison. There are also involuntary manslaughter and self defense cases, which are less drastic and not planned ahead. Despite self defense being intentional, it is only performed when the person being attacked has a serious chance of losing their life. We as Americans rely on our…

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Mercy In To Kill A Mockingbird

compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it’s within one’s power to punish or harm. Throughout this semester of English we have studied four units that have some sort of this theme. There will be examples of these instances from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, To Kill a Mockingbird, Defiance, and The Merchant of Venice. Mercy is shown in all kinds of ways. Each story and topic has a form of it. In the first book we read, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior…

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Race Relation To Kill A Mockingbird

country continues to strive for unity. Even though cases such as Tom Robinson’s trial in To Kill a Mockingbird, the Scottsboro Boys Trials, and the Emmett Till Murder Trial all occurred in the 20th century. These race-related crimes continue in today’s society such as with William Blackie, a Native American, who in 2006, was brutally beaten by three caucasian youth. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a trial occurs in…

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To Kill A Mockingbird Society Analysis

People also allow themselves to be shaped by giving in to the desire of wanting to fit in along with other people. Mayella Ewell of To Kill a Mockingbird, Victoria Price, and Ruby Gates were influenced by their society and gave into other people’s ideologies, making them victims of their society. The three girls, fictional and non-fictional, were not only…

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Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

issue that affects all groups of people around the world. Although this problem is still present today, we have come a long way since the 1930s. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout, a young white girl from Alabama, recounts her childhood years, a series of events concluding in a racism-fueled hate crime that almost kills her and her brother, Jem. Because of this and other developments, she must come to the blunt realization that her town, Maycomb, is extremely racist and unwilling…

Words 1407 - Pages 6