TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Chapter 20
Chapter 20
The light in the courtroom is now low and orange because the sun is going down. Atticus stands up to speak his final words to the jury. The children are still watching from the balcony.
Atticus walks slowly. He looks at the people on the jury. He speaks in a clear, quiet voice. “Gentlemen, you have heard all the stories. What is the true story?” He asks. “The state lawyer has not shown proof that Tom Robinson is guilty. They have shown no paper from a doctor, nothing to say a doctor saw Mayella Ewell’s injuries.”
Atticus says the court has only heard the words of two people, Mayella and Bob Ewell, against the words of Tom Robinson. “The evidence shows one clear thing,” says Atticus. A left-handed person hit Mayella on the right side of her face. You have seen that Bob Ewell is left-handed. You know that Tom Robinson’s left arm is useless. It is small. He cannot use it to hit hard.”
Atticus takes a short pause. He tells the jury that he feels sorry for Mayella Ewell. “I have pity for Mayella Ewell,” he says. “She is a white woman who broke the biggest rule in our town. She wanted a black man. She asked him to kiss her. When her father found out, she had to hide her guilt. She had to find someone to blame. So, she told a lie that could kill a man.”
Atticus says this case is not about simple facts. “This case is about prejudice. It is as simple as black and white. Tom Robinson is an innocent man. But in our court, people usually believe a white person’s word over a black man’s word. This is a common and bad idea that we all hold here.”
Atticus speaks about what a court of law truly means. “The one place where all men are equal is here, in a court,” he says. “Our courts are not perfect, but they are the best tool we have. In this room, every man must believe that he can get justice. You, the jury, are the ones who make our courts equal.”
Atticus looks at them. His voice is strong. “I believe that you will look at this case without prejudice. I believe that you will find Tom Robinson not guilty.”
