•The Scottsboro Trials
•Took place in the 1930s
•Took place in northern Alabama
•Began with a charge of rape made by white women against African American men
•The poor white status of the accusers was a critical issue.
•A central figure was a heroic judge, a member of the Alabama Bar who overturned a guilty jury verdict against African American men.
•This judge went against public sentiment in trying to protect the rights of the African American defendants.
•The first juries failed to include any African Americans, a situation which caused the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the guilty verdict.
•The jury ignored evidence, for example, that the women suffered no injuries.
•Attitudes about Southern women and poor whites complicated the trial.
•Tom Robinson's Trial
•Occurs in the 1930s
•Takes place in southern Alabama
•Begins with a charge of rape made by a white woman against an African American man
•The poor white status of Mayella is a critical issue.
•A central figure is Atticus, lawyer, legislator and member of the Alabama Bar, who defends an African American man.
•Atticus arouses anger in the community in trying to defend Tom Robinson.
•The verdict is rendered by a jury of poor white residents of Old Sarum.
•The jury ignores evidence, for example, that Tom has a useless left arm.
•Attitudes about Southern women and poor whites complicate the trial of Tom Robinson.
Chronology of events
•March 25, 1931 Arrest of nine Scottsboro "boys.“
•April 6-9, 1931 First trials in Scottsboro, Alabama. Appeals begin and continue for a year and a half.
•November 7, 1932 United States Supreme Court orders new trials.
•March 27, 1933 Second trials begin.
•April 9, 1933 Patterson found guilty and sentenced to death in June.
•June 22, 1933 Judge Horton overturns guilty verdict.
•Nov./Dec.1933 Clarence Norris is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Appeals continue for two years while he remains on death row.
•April 1, 1935 U.S. Supreme Court reverses the convictions of Patterson and Norris.
•May 1, 1935 Another round of trials begins and Patterson is given a 75-year sentence.
•July 26, 1937 Charges against four men are dropped.
•1940s All but one escape or are paroled.
•June 9, 1950 The last Scottsboro defendant is released from prison.
•October 25, 1976 Clarence Norris is pardoned.
Chapter 28
Summary:
Jem and Scout walk past the Radley house on the way to the school, where the pageant and country fair will be held. It's very dark, and they can barely see a few feet ahead of themselves. Cecil Jacobs, a classmate of Scout’s runs out to scare them, and definitely succeeds. Cecil and Scout entertain themselves at the fair until the pageant begins, visiting different booths and taking part in the fair. When the pageant begins, Scout goes backstage to prepare for her entrance. The section before her entrance, a history of Maycomb, is very long, and she decides to squat down inside her costume to rest. Lulled by Miss Merriweather’s speech, Scout falls asleep. During the last song, she wakes up and realizes she has missed her cue. She rushes out to the stage, and makes a very amusing entrance that pleases the entire crowd. Scout is embarrassed about her performance and stays backstage with Jem until everyone leaves. She decides to keep her costume on for the walk home, and Jem escorts her.
The walk back is even darker than before, and near the school, Scout remembers that she left her shoes backstage. She is thinking of returning to get them, when Jem stops her because he hears a strange noise. Scout hears it too, but thinks maybe it's just Cecil again. They call out taunts to Cecil in order to get a response, but there is only silence. Jem thinks maybe Scout should take off her costume, but she doesn't have any clothes underneath, and can't get her dress on in the dark. They are almost home, near the dark shadow of the tree by the Radleys' house, and are trying to walk faster. It sounds like the person behind them is wearing thick cotton pants. The next time they stop walking, the footsteps behind them suddenly quicken into a run. Jem yells to Scout to run, but her costume throws her off balance. Something is crushed against her and she hears metal ripping. Jem's hand tries to pull her, but she is tangled up in her costume. There is a crunching sound and Jem screams. The man whom they are struggling with grabs Scout and begins to strangle her, when suddenly he is jerked backwards and thrown to the ground. Scout thinks Jem must have saved her, but she still can't see anything. She hears the sound of someone breathing heavily and, walking toward the tree to lean on, reaches out with her toes to find a person on the ground with stubble and the smell of stale whiskey. She makes her way in the direction of the road, and in the streetlight she sees a man carrying Jem, whose arm is hanging down at an odd angle.
Scout arrives home. Aunt Alexandra calls Dr. Reynolds and Atticus calls Heck Tate, the sheriff. Alexandra removes Scout’s costume and hands her Scout’s infamous, un-ladylike overalls to put on. Scout says she will never forget that gesture. Jem is unconscious and has a broken arm. Scout checks on him, noting the man who carried him sitting quietly in the corner. She assumes he is a countryman she doesn't recognize who happened to hear the fight and come running. The sheriff investigates outside and comes back to report that Mr. Ewell is lying outside dead with a kitchen knife in his ribs.
Analysis:
The night of the pageant is filled with foreshadowing of the violent events to occur. Before the children leave, Aunt Alexandra has a feeling that something is going wrong and Scout notices a strange look pass over her face. Alexandra blames it on “someone walking over her grave”. The intense darkness of the night also creates a sense of foreboding, as does Scout’s inability to see things around her, trapped inside the large, bulky costume. Then, Scout misses her cue, and ends the night upset and embarrassed. When she and Jem turn around to go back for her shoes, the school lights go out, leaving the children alone in the darkness.
The attack occurs all around Scout and the sense of her helplessness makes the account of the violence more intense. Though the book began with a fear for the monstrous, phantom-like figure of Boo Radley, this chapter solidifies a reversal: Boo becomes the children's savior against the real evil, a human man. One reason that Dill dwells in fantasy rather real life is that nothing can be as frightening in fantasy as it can be in reality. Now that the children have grown older, they come to know vividly that the real source of evil to be concerned about comes from their fellowman, not from imaginary ghosts.
