Gentlemen of the jury, you have heard and pondered all of the evidence brought before you today. As witnesses came forth you listened and evaluated their honesty. You have navigated this trial with a critical and nearly errorless mind. You were chosen to give a ruling in this court case and with that choice you now control a black man’s fate. You hold in your hands the future of a black man, Tom Robinson.
What I ask of you now may seem trivial, yet it is no small feat. Gentlemen, I ask you now to close your eyes. Yes, close them. Eliminate the image of Tom Robinson from your minds, forget that he is black, and listen to the simple facts of this case again.
Mayella Ewell was brutally beaten, as described in detail by Officer Tate. He says she was “pretty well beat up” with obvious visual evidence that damage had been done. According to Mr. Tate, it was clear that something had happened (TKM 1:10:15 – 1:10:21). However, no doctor was called. Looking beyond the lack of regard for the severity of Ms. Ewell’s injuries, without a doctor’s examination there is no proof of a rape even being committed. Why not call the doctor if a young girl is hurt? What were the Ewell’s hiding? Keep your eyes closed.
Next, Mayella Ewell’s bruises were consistent with a beating from someone who was left handed. If not left handed, the true criminal must have at least had to ability to use their left hand. The man who stands before you accused of beating her has no use of his left hand. He hasn’t been able to use it since he was 12 years old. How could he have caused Mayella harm? Who really beat her?
Thirdly, Mayella Ewell has been asking favors from Tom Robinson for quite some time now. This man has “busted chiffarobes” and done other “kindling” for Mayella free of charge. Despite being offered money, he works simply as a favor to this woman and then goes on about his day. What motive would he have to take advantage of Mayella? Keep your eyes closed.
Finally, the victim, Mayella Ewell, has been the shakiest of all of the witnesses brought to the stand today. She has gone from accusing Tom Robinson of assault and rape, to not being able to “recollect if he hit [her]” (TKM 1:18:50 – 1:19:01). As the plaintiff’s case loses credibility, ask yourself, how can you base this entire case on the story told by an angered, ignorant father, and his indecisive, skittish daughter?
Now turn the eyes inside of your head back to the face of the accused. See him as not a lowly black man, but just a man. A man with a family, a job, a duty to fulfill at home. A man of sound mind and body, yet willing to aid those in need. A man, like all of you, who has been thrown into the midst of one family’s inescapable turmoil. Tom Robinson is innocent. There is not one shred of evidence that points toward his guilt except for the immensely questionable and previously contradicted statements made by the Ewell family. So what is keeping you from making the right ruling?
Open your eyes. Look before you and realize that the only thing separating Tom Robinson, an innocent man, from any of you is the color of his skin. If the world was colorblind, this case would not have come to trial.
See now that this case is much simpler than you are making it. I beg of you now to defy the gravity of your engrained, yet false, beliefs about black men. Turn away from the despicable lies that have brought us here and look forward towards the truth. The truth that will set Tom Robinson free is the same truth can potentially set this society free from it’s dark past. The only thing Tom Robinson is guilty of is being a black man in Maycomb. So “in the name of God, do your duty”, and set this man free (TKM 1:38:05 – 1:38:24)
Work Cited
To Kill a Mockingbird. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal International Pictures, 1962. Swank Motion Pictures. Web. 13 September 2017
Very good job! The idea of the jurors closing their eyes is interesting and ultimately serves your defense well. You take care to provide a bunch of support for the innocence and integrity of Robinson himself, and provide evidence to discredit the prosecution. Very thorough and effective.
1. The strongest appeal uses logos to make the reader think logically about the facts of this crime. It is reinforced that Mayella Ewell must have been beaten by someone who can use their left hand, but based on evidence provided during the trial Tom Robinson has been unable to use his left arm for a lot of his life. It makes you think about the possibility that someone else was the cause of Mayella’s injuries.
2. As a member of the jury this closing argument would make me seriously question the credibility of the case against Tom Robinson. It begins by using ethos to repeat the fact that a doctor was not called and that there is no definite proof of a rape ever occurring and makes you think about what the Ewell’s must really be like. It utilizes logos to present the facts of the case in a way that turn the blame away from Tom. It shows that Tom only wanted to help Mayella, he had no want for money or anything else. Bringing up the credibility of the witnesses also leads me to question the truth behind their case. How can someone be so nervous and unsure of her answers if she experienced the event. Based on all the evidence reinforced in this closing argument it leads me to determine that Tom is not guilty.