Tom Robinson tries to flee from jail, and is shot in the back 17 times as he tries to escape. Rewind. Robinson was a black man living in Maycomb county AL during the 1930's. He had his own family, a job, and children. He was accused of raping white girl Miss Mayella Ewell, and after being tried by a white jury, was found guilty. He awaited his court appeal and then faced penalties of death. Why did he flee, a man with only one good arm, trying to climb over a wall to freedom with armed guards waiting above like silent birds of prey? Did he really have any other option?
At this point in history, blacks are heavily discriminated against, especially in the deep south. Males especially were viewed as sexual predators. A well built man like Tom Robinson walked into his own hearing as a dead man, with a wild chance of being resurrected. For a jury to have reversed its claim, would have been a miracle. Not only would the jury have been going against a white woman’ cries, they would be turning against all the expectations and societal positions that had been placed upon the south by generations worth of racial discrimination.
Robinson was well aware that the cards weren't stacked in his favor. He had gone all in; he still had the appeal, but had virtually zero chance of coming out of it with a pardon. His family was suffering along with the highs and lows of his case, and he knew when left to the legal system he could not survive. Could anyone blame him for taking his life into his own hands? What other choice did he really have? He could die in the hands of the court, wait for his appeal and get lynched in the meantime, or he could try and escape and get shot down in the process.
A man like Robinson could not, and would not be content to sit around and wait for his death to arrive, at whatever time was deemed fit by the public. No- he chose to end his life on his own terms, when he was ready, and in a way, threw it back in the systems faces. he let the public see a brutal murder, and ended his own suffering in the most noble way he could, a desperate bid for his freedom.
Because in real life, which would you choose? Its not really much of a choice... Would you sit and wait for you own death? Or would you walk straight to it with as much dignity as you could muster, and never let them know they had won. Because they wont have- you wont give them the satisfaction of killing you.
At this point in history, blacks are heavily discriminated against, especially in the deep south. Males especially were viewed as sexual predators. A well built man like Tom Robinson walked into his own hearing as a dead man, with a wild chance of being resurrected. For a jury to have reversed its claim, would have been a miracle. Not only would the jury have been going against a white woman’ cries, they would be turning against all the expectations and societal positions that had been placed upon the south by generations worth of racial discrimination.
Robinson was well aware that the cards weren't stacked in his favor. He had gone all in; he still had the appeal, but had virtually zero chance of coming out of it with a pardon. His family was suffering along with the highs and lows of his case, and he knew when left to the legal system he could not survive. Could anyone blame him for taking his life into his own hands? What other choice did he really have? He could die in the hands of the court, wait for his appeal and get lynched in the meantime, or he could try and escape and get shot down in the process.
A man like Robinson could not, and would not be content to sit around and wait for his death to arrive, at whatever time was deemed fit by the public. No- he chose to end his life on his own terms, when he was ready, and in a way, threw it back in the systems faces. he let the public see a brutal murder, and ended his own suffering in the most noble way he could, a desperate bid for his freedom.
Because in real life, which would you choose? Its not really much of a choice... Would you sit and wait for you own death? Or would you walk straight to it with as much dignity as you could muster, and never let them know they had won. Because they wont have- you wont give them the satisfaction of killing you.
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