In Mr. Underwood's
editorial published in the Maycomb Tribune, he condemns the gruesome murder of
Tom Robinson, an innocent man, and associates him with the terrible sin of
killing a mockingbird, an innocent singing bird. Mr. Underwood is the writer of
the Maycomb Tribune, the only newspaper in Maycomb, which allows him to write
about whatever he feels necessary, and there would be no consequences. He sees
Tom Robinson being murdered after trying to escape prison as senseless killing,
and wrote about this to expose the injustice and viciousness of his murder “Mr.
Underwood simply figure it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing,
sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of
songbirds by hunters and children” (323). Underwood compares the murder of Tom
Robinson as the killing of a mockingbird. To
Kill a Mockingbird, which is the title of this novel, is described as sin
by many, as a mockingbird is a just an innocent bird singing for the pleasure
of itself and others, yet so many seem to murder them for their own amusement.
Tom Robinson was only an innocent man, carrying the burden of a rapist and a
criminal, yet prison guards proceeded to murder him as if he were a savage. Scout
couldn't understand this at first, but then she recognized the meaning of Mr.
Underwood’s words: "Atticus had used every tool available to free men to
save Tom Robinson... Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her
mouth and screamed" (323). Scout understood that
even though Tom Robinson was proved guilty by a court of law, he was still
innocent. At first, Mr. Underwood confused her by stating that Robinson was senselessly
killed, although he was convicted as guilty and tried to escape. She later
realized that even the best lawyer thoroughly proving his defendant innocent
with every piece evidence pointing towards his favor, if a white girl accuses
him of being guilty, that man is guilty as long as he is African-American. The
trial forced Scout to mature, and to see the pure innocence in Tom Robinson and to face the harsh reality of the wrong and racism in her society.
I agree with what you said. When Mr. Underwood associated Tom Robinson to a Mockingbird, he was taking a risk and speaking out against the unfairness of the trial. When Mr. Underwood wrote, "Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed" (323), it shows the prejudice that happened during this time. Scout might have matured because of this, but she still has a lot to learn. In her short life, this might have been one of the most meaningful experiences but she has just discovered the imperfect and unfair society that she lives in.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what Philip said, I think that Harper Lee is using Mr. Underwood's Tribune to show that Maycomb County is trying to change its ways. Although Tom Robinson had no chance of living, "-was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed" (Lee 323), the whole town was trying to give Tom a slight chance at winning. For example, in chapter 22 Miss Maudie states, "we're the safest folks in the world... his colored friends... people like Judge Taylor... Maxwell Green should have had Tom Robinson's case." (Lee 289). This is all confusing to Scout because although Scout has learned a lot within her nine years of life, she doesn't understand a lot of things that the older generation know like Mr. Underwood.
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