The trial of Tom Robinson and the guilty verdict that he
receives serves as another example of the loss of innocence that Jem and Scout suffer
during the chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird. Before the trial
begins, Scout has to deal with schoolmates and her cousin, Francis, who refer to Atticus
as a "nigger-lover" for his defense of Tom. The children hear gossip about their father
on the streets of Maycomb, and they see the support that Tom receives from the black
community when they visit his church with Calpurnia. They see first-hand the anger and
potential evil of the community when they come to Atticus' rescue from the lynch mob at
the jail just before the trial begins.
Sneaking away to
attend the trial in person, Scout and Jem witness the evidence presented and decide for
themselves that Atticus has made a strong case for Tom's innocence. Yet the jury cannot
overlook the fact that Tom is black and that Mayella is white, and they vote to convict
him. Scout sees that the jury consisted of
... twelve good men and true... Then Mr.
Underwood's meaning became clear. Atticus had used every tool available to free men to
save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was
a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and
screamed.
The decision made
Jem question the need for juries, and Miss Maudie had to respond to his "fatalistic
noises," telling him that there were people in town who supported Atticus and how
important he was to the community. Jem and Scout both feared for Atticus' safety after
the threats made by Bob Ewell, and it made Jem recognize that there were distinctly
different types of people living in Maycomb. Tom's death even made Jem more aware of the
value of all living things, evidenced when he chastizes Scout after finding her about to
"mash" a doodlebug. The outcome of the trial made both of the children grow up a little
more quickly, once exposed to the real world where life isn't always fair and
just.
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