Monologue
Jem's Thoughts During the Trial
We had snuck into the courtroom, and it was Atticus' turn to cross-examine Mayella Ewell. Scout, Dill, and Reverend Sykes were sitting next to me as we watched Atticus question her again and again about what had happen the night the defendant, Tom Robinson, had supposedly "taken advantage of her." I thought that there was no trial my father couldn't win, so I was confident. I was listening intently to what was going on, unlike Dill, who just stared off into space. Personally, I didn't think it was fair to try a colored man for something he obviously didn't do. I could tell Mayella and Mr. Ewell were lying, especially Mayella, by the way she kept looking over to Mr. Ewell every time Atticus asked a question. When Tom Robinson sat down in the front of the courtroom for Atticus to question him, I could tell that he was innocent by the way he responded to Atticus' questioning. From where we sat, I could see Mr. Ewell start to clench his fists, as if he was angry with Atticus for defending a colored man, and taking his word over theirs. I saw nothing wrong with it, Atticus was appointed to defend Tom, he didn't have a choice. At least that's what I heard Judge Taylor say. After Atticus was done questioning Tom, the prosecution got up to question him. He twisted the entire story around! That son of a gun! It sure looked like he convinced the jury that Tom was guilty, because I could see some of them nodding. Nodding! When the jury was adjourned, some people got up to stretch and go outside, but not us. No, we stayed in that hot, stuffy courtroom to see what Atticus would do next. When the jury came back, everybody was in his or her seat, and when Judge Taylor told Tom to stand up and face the jury, I was holding my breath thinking, "Not guilty! Not guilty!" But I was wrong. The man said Tom Robinson was "Guilty as charged." I let out my breath, and nearly cried because it was so unfair. I had never seen Atticus lose a trial before, and it made me very mad. While Atticus was putting things back in his bag, the people in our balcony began to stand up. I stood up with them, but Scout apparently didn't get it. Reverend Sykes told her, "Stand up…your father's passing." It was the most unfair thing I have ever seen in my twelve years on this planet Earth.