Question

To Kill A Mockingbird: Chapter 20

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Atticus challenges the jury to rise above the “evil assumptions” that Bob and Mayella Ewell are con dent that the jury will accept. What are these “evil assumptions”? How do these assumptions prevent the jury from seeing Tom Robinson for who he really is? How do these evil assumptions—or stereotypes—threaten justice?

Answer 1

One of the main themes of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the fact that Tom Robinson struggles to gain access to justice because he is black, and racist people cannot see past this fact. This is what Atticus calls "evil assumptions." Racist people in Maycomb believe that all black men are bad, criminally-inclined, or sexually abusive. Because of this, the jury is more likely to believe Bob and Mayella Ewell than Tom. As the jury struggles to be objective, these stereotypes threaten justice in the town.