Mr. Gilmer questioned Tom Robinson on the witness stand. He asked him why he came into the Ewell's yard to do odd jobs. Tom insisted that he only wanted to help Mayella because she seemed to do everything on her own. She looked after the children and the house as the oldest daughter, with her mother long since dead. Mr. Gilmer pressed for more information. He further asked why Tom would spend his time helping Mayella when he had his own chores at home. Tom admitted that he felt sorry for Mayella.
This statement shocked Mr. Gilmer. He interrupted Tom:
"You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling. (To Kill a Mockingbird, chapter 19)
Immediately Tom knew that he should not have uttered those words. It was unheard of in Maycomb for a black man to pity a white woman. Scout, who was sitting up in the balcony, realized that "the damage was done. Below [her], nobody liked Tom Robinson's answer."
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