When Tom stands up, the court sees that
his left arm is very short and basically useless
: His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side.
What does the court discover about Tom Robinson when he is asked to stand up what does this suggest?
When Atticus asks Tom to stand up so Mayella can get a good look at him, we discover
that there is no way Tom is guilty
. Tom Robinson's powerful shoulders rippled under his thin shirt. He rose to his feet and stood with his right hand on the back of his chair.
What do people in the courtroom notice when Tom Robinson stands?
Ewell himself could've beaten Mayella. … Atticus asks Tom to stand up so that Mayella may identify him; as he does, Scout notices
that Tom's left arm is withered and useless
— he could not have committed the crime in the way it was described. The state rests its case. Atticus calls only one witness — Tom Robinson.
What happens when Tom tries to stand up?
What happens when Tom tries to stand up?
Someone tries to shoot him. Everyone sees his disabled left arm
.
What does Atticus want to show the court by having Tom Robinson stand up?
Atticus makes Tom Robinson stand up to display
his handicap to the court
, which completely refutes Mayella's entire testimony. A man with only one good arm could not have choked Mayella around the throat and left the marks encircling her neck.
What is mayella afraid of when she first gets on the witness stand?
Mayella claims to be
scared of Atticus
, and she is right to be scared of him, as Atticus has the power to expose her as a poor white woman who has attempted to seduce a black man.
Why is Mr Link Deas thrown out of court?
Link Deas is expelled from the courtroom
for speaking up for Tom Robinson without being under oath
. Much of the book concerns the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of rape by a nineteen year old white girl named Mayella Ewell.
What are some signs that Scout is growing up?
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout shows signs of maturing and growing up by appealing
to Mr. Cunningham's interests at the jail
, recognizing the hypocrisy of Miss Gates, showing concern for Jem and Atticus, accepting that Jem is growing up, and showing respect to and empathizing with Boo Radley.
What does mayella say when he asks her if her father ever beat her?
When asked if her father has ever hit her, she says, “
My paw's never touched a hair o' my head in my life
.” … His left arm is a foot shorter than his right, and his hand is small and shriveled, rendering Mayella's claim that Tom was the one who beat her pretty unlikely, if not impossible.
What does mayella want Tom to chop?
Mayella says that Mr. Ewell had asked her to chop up a “chiffarobe” (dresser) for firewood, but she asked Tom to do it for
a nickel
instead. She went inside to get the money and he choked her and raped her.
What evidence indicates that Ewell himself beat up mayella?
There is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by
someone who led almost exclusively with his left
. And Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses, his right. I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state.
How did Tom feel towards mayella?
How does Tom feel about Mayella?
He loves her. He hates her
. He feels sorry for her.
How did Atticus prove Tom was innocent?
How did Atticus prove Tom was innocent? Atticus then shows the jury that Tom is handicapped and his left arm is completely useless. In Atticus's closing remarks, he proves Tom's innocence by
mentioning the lack of medical evidence
, the Ewells' conflicting testimonies, and Tom's obvious handicap.
Why did Atticus take the case when he didn't believe they would win?
Atticus took the case
because he needed the money
. Tom Robinson asked for Atticus's representation.
Who does Atticus say killed Ewell?
Atticus does believe that
Jem
killed Bob Ewell. He tells Sheriff Tate that Scout said that Jem got up and yanked Ewell off her, and “he [Jem] probably took Ewell's knife somehow in the dark. . . .” When the sheriff cuts Atticus off and says, “Jem never stabbed Bob Ewell,” Atticus thanks him but adds, “Heck . . .
Why did Atticus shoot the dog?
In Chapter 11, Atticus shoots a mad (rabid) dog in the street. … In a larger symbolic sense, the dog, because
it has rabies, is a dangerous threat to the community
. In shooting the dog, then, Atticus is trying to protect the community from its most dangerous elements.
