It is very courageous of Tom Robinson to even testify in court, as he is in a racist southern town in the 1930s. It wasn't customary at this time for African-Americans to think that they could defend themselves, as many were harmed or even lynched when they tried to stand up for themselves.
In Chapter 19, Tom tells the story of what happened between him and Mayella Ewell when he is testifying in court. He says, "She reached up an‘ kissed me ’side of th‘ face. She says she never kissed a grown man... She says what her papa do to her don’t count" (page numbers vary by edition). This statement is very daring on several counts. First, Tom admits that a white woman tried to kiss him. Physical contact between whites and African-American people was highly charged in the south at this time, and it was strictly forbidden. The truth is very dangerous for the jury to hear, but Tom tells it anyway, knowing that it will likely mean he is convicted. In making this statement, he also reveals that Mayella's father has been abusing her. It was not customary at this time for people to speak about sexual or physical abuse, and it was even more daring for an African-American person to accuse a white man of abusing his daughter. Therefore, this statement is courageous for several reasons.
Later, when the prosecutor is asking Tom Robinson why he helped Mayella Ewell, Tom says, “I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em—” (page numbers vary by edition). It is courageous of Tom to admit that he felt pity for a white woman, as it was almost forbidden for an African-American person to admit to feeling sorry for a white person at that time.
No comments:
Post a Comment