The Death of Tom

In chapters 23,24, and 25 we find out Tom Robinson has been killed. He was hanging on, still hoping that even though the whole jury was white and racist he would make it through. He didn't the jury's final statement was that Tom was guilty. That last little dwindling fire died and Tom Robinson hope of getting out of his predicament was gone with it. There was some foreshadowing of Toms death when he told Atticus , "Goodbye Mr. Finch there ain't nothin' you can do now," right before going off to jail. He had given up and from what he say the verdict had been made and he was going to die no matter what Atticus did. Tom was unjustly accused and shot on purpose when he tried to escape because he was black.

In the book, Jem and Scout are both stunned at the verdict. Being young and growing up in a house where blacks are treated as equals and are always expected. They cant believe that Tom was charged guilty, "Now it was Jem's Turn to burst into tears," Jem sees the racism and he cant take it. He breaks down and Scout tries to comfort him. Seeing the false verdict impacted both Scout and Jem. It showed them the racism at its finest and taught them that blacks and whites weren't born equal because of one difference, their skin.

When Tom was shot in chapter 24, the jailers say they warned Tom to back down and get away from the fence. He did not comply. They then shot Tom 17 times! That is total overkill and the guards should be punished. Even Atticus acknowledged this in the book saying,"They didn't have to shoot him that much." But, Tom was black, so no one cares. All the whites think he got what he deserved for supposedly "raping a white girl." Tom had a sad unjust and not right ending. He deserved better for respecting the rules and helping out white people free of charge. Instead, he got, "Seventeen bullet holes in him."