1. LOOKS LIKE
1.1. Black man/Negro
1.1.1. "... he's just a Negro..."
1.1.1.1. Explain
1.2. Lovely, young, strong man
1.2.1. "... was a black-velvet negro... soft black velvet, the whites of his eyes shone in his face..."
1.2.1.1. Explain
1.3. With one arm shorter than the other
1.3.1. "His left arm was a full twelve inches shorter then his right... it was no use to him"
1.3.1.1. Explain
2. BELIEFS & VALUES
2.1. To be kind and true
2.1.1. "Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to 'thout bein' ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn't wanta push her or nothin"
2.1.1.1. Even though he was put in a situation in which he was not comfortable he made an effort to be true to himself and not harm her in any way. Because that would be immoral and wrong, no matter whether white or black, she was a woman and deserved respect.
2.2. Respect
2.2.1. "You're a mighty good fellow, it seems—did all this for not one penny?" "Yes, suh.
2.2.1.1. Tom presents himself as a kind, caring and compassionate human who disregards the protocol on race and simply helps out because she is a woman and that's the type of human he is. Respect for all no matter what the colour of your skin. However, even though his actions are intended to be good, they are perceived as unacceptable.
3. HOW OTHERS SEE HIM OR HER...
3.1. Guilty
3.1.1. "... all negro men are not to be trusted..." pg 217
3.1.1.1. The beginning of his conviction. From the start, everyone understood that no matter what defence Atticus presented, the jury could not and would not condem a white woman over a black man and therefore Tom was guilty
3.2. Innocent
3.2.1. "I can't use my left hand at all. I got it caught in a cotton gin when I was twelve years old. All my muscles were tore loose.
3.2.1.1. Mayella's injuries were found on the right side of her face and therefore must have been given to her, by someone who's prominent hand was their left. Since Tom's left hand was useless
3.3. "Black"
3.3.1. You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.
3.3.1.1. Tom states his compassion and sympathy for Mayella as she is treated poorly by those who should love her and is frowned upon because it was considered disrespectful and wrong because how is it possible for a "Negro" to feel bad for a white woman? The Maycomb community has the perception of "shouldn't it be the other way round?"
4. ACTS LIKE
4.1. Dedicated/Hard Worker
4.1.1. ".... I work in his yard fall an'wintertime. I works pretty steady for him all year round..." pg 208
4.1.1.1. Explain
4.2. Aware
4.2.1. Tom feels very aware of his predicament in his case. I think he is fully aware of the fact that he will be convicted yet struggles with the result nonetheless.
4.2.1.1. Explain
4.3. Cautious
4.3.1. Tom is very cautious about the words in which he chooses to portray his case. He understands that one, single word can sway the jury and tries to be as honest and true as possible. He uses phrases
4.3.1.1. .
5. MOTIVATED BY
5.1. Awareness of case and accusation and consequences
5.1.1. "... they took Tom to prison and he just gave up hope..." pg 259
5.1.1.1. This quote shows that Tom clearly understood their was no hope for him in the beginning but grappled onto whatever Mr. Finch would provide him, however when the court accused him "Guilty" he knew there was no hope for him, it was a lost battle.
5.2. Awareness of his race
5.2.1. "Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to 'thout bein' ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn't wanta push her or nothin"
5.2.1.1. Tom has a clear indication of his place and
6. TEXTUAL ISSUES OR CONCERNS LINKED TO THIS CHARACTER
6.1. Racism
6.1.1. "Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her", "You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.
6.1.1.1. Tom felt pity for Mayella from a human to another human. However Mr. Gilmer and the society of Maycomb view this as a mockery, a disgrace to white people. They have this mindset of; how can a Negro possibly feel sorry for a white person? What does he have to be sorry for? Shouldn't it be the other way round?
6.2. Wrongly Accused
6.2.1. "A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted and when this jury came in, not one of them looked at Tom Robinson. [...] "Guilty.. Guilty... Guilty" page 223
6.2.1.1. Though there is clear evidence