A Memorable Scene - Dead Man Walking

Tom Robinson is a black man living in Maycomb, Alabama. In the book he is accused of raping a girl, Mayella Ewell. Tom is not seen as an individual in the community in which we lives, because of his skin colour. Throughout the story he becomes a symbol, used to illustrate the judgment and racism that takes place in this town. The first time we get a glimpse of Tom is in his trial, which comes towards the end. The reason we don't see him before the end of the book is because Scout doesn't. 

During Tom's trial all of Maycombs residence has shown up to witness the black man being sentenced for something he did not do. At the trial we get two versions of the story, Mayella Ewell's version and her father's, who tells the story that people expect to hear. And the other side, Tom's version, where he tell the story that nobody want to hear. Where he explains what kind of man he is and that this kind of man would never do what he is accused of. During his defends he explained how he felt sorry for miss Ewell and wanted to help a fellow citizens. Which story is the jury going to believe? The comfortable one about the black man raping a white woman or the shocking one where a black man pities a white woman. Surprisingly enough, Tom's verdict was that he was guilty of raping Mayella Ewell. 

This paragraph is taken out of the book. It took place after Tom Robinson was put in jail, where he spoke about having a escape plan. During the execution of that plan, Tom gets shot by hand of a white man. The death changed little about how Maycomb saw him, I actually think it reinforced the stereotype. 

"To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. Funny thing, Atticus Finch might've got him off scot free, but wait-? Hell no. You know how they are. Easy come, easy go. Just shows you, that Robinson boy was legally married, they say he kept himself clean, went to church and all that, but when it comes down to the line the veneer's mighty thin. Nigger always comes out in 'em".