False Accusations One of the most talked about topics in the U. S. is the criminal justice system. The U. S. is directly targeting and punishing African-American than white people (Alternet. org). This topic has been talked about for many years. In To Kill a Mockingbird and The Crucible, both authors talk about justice. They both tell their story in a unique way.
There are many similarities between The Crucible and To Kill a Mockingbird, however false accusations in both books can be approached in three different ways: the method that Arthur Miller brings real characters to life, the ethod Harper Lee, analyzes the story using different characters, and comparing both authors on how they use false accusations in the books. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller utilizes a real life topic to bring the characters to life, the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller uses false accusations throughout the whole book to demonstrate to the reader how the past worked.
They accused innocent people for witchcraft. For example, Cheever, the clerk of the court says, “The girl, the William girl, Abigail Williams, sir. She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris’s house tonight and without word nor warnin’ she falls to the floor… And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be stabbed, she-to Proctor now-testify if it were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in (II. 74).
Abigail was the one that accused Elizabeth of witchcraft, because Abigail had an affair with Elizabeth’s husband, John Proctor. Abigail wants to get revenge on John Proctor, and Elizabeth is the one who is paying the price. In addition, Abigail is the one who brought up the rumors of witchcraft because she was found dancing with Betty n the forest. Betty’s father acknowledges what is going on and says: Out of my sight! She is gone. Oh my god! God help me! Quaking with fear, mumbling to himself through his sobs, he goes to the bed and gently takes Betty’s hand.
Betty. Child. Dear child. Will you wake, will you open your eyes! Betty little one (I. 8). Parris is frightened with this situation, he still has no idea what is going on, but he wants his daughter to wake up. Then Abigail brings up the rumors, of witchcraft and Parris starts questioning Abigail of what really happened in the woods. Parris s intrigued on this topic because he cares about his reputation. He does not want his reputation to be ruined by Abigail and Betty, since the people would dislike him more than they already do.
Parris points out: Then why she not move herself since midnight? This child is desperate! Abigail lowers her eyes. It must come out-my enemies will bring it out. Let me know what you done there. Abigail, do you understand that I have enemies? (I. 10). Parris cherishes his reputation, since he is the minister of Salem and he does not want to lower his place from there. Arthur Miller demonstrates false accusations by the haracters relationships to one another, because they are all related, and they all want something at the end and it all comes back with the Salem witch trials.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses a man’s race to demonstrate false accusation in a small town called, Maycomb County. In the story, Harper Lee effectively uses Tom Robinson trial to show how false accusations was in the 19th hundreds. Harper Lee uses Tom as a symbol, like a mockingbird to prove his innocence throughout the story. The author shows that one’s race could drastically affect a person’s life. If anything was harged against a person with color, that person would be found guilty no matter the evidence or witnesses found.
That is exactly what happened to Tom Robinson, he was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella explains how it happened, “I went in the house get him the nickel and I turned around an ‘fore I knew it he was on me. Just run up behind me, he did. He got me round the neck, cussin’ me an’ saying dirt- I fought’ n’ hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me again an again” (Lee 180). This is Mayella’s side of her story which is completely different than Tom. He explains, “VWhen I passed the Ewell place Miss Mayella were on the porch, like she said she were.
It seemed real quiet like, an’ I didn’t quite know why. I was studyin’ why, just passin’ by, when she says for me to come there and help her a minute. Well, I went inside the fence an’ looked around for some kindlin’ to work on, but I didn’t see none… I went up the steps an’ she motioned me to come inside, and I went in.. this door look all right.. then she shet the door in my face (Lee 192-193). Tom was confused on why Mayella did that. So he continues to give his testimony. He adds, ” No suh, she hugged me. She hugged me round the waist..
She reached up an’ kissed me’ side of th’ face. She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. I say Miss Mayella lemme outa here an’ tried to run but she got her back to the door an’ had to push her. I didn’t wanta harm her” (Lee 194). This is the true side of the story, Harper Lee wants the reader to infer who is innocent in this case, obviously Tom is innocent. She shows the readers the way the criminal justice system worked in the past, and how incorrectly it was set up ecause innocent people were dying from false accusations.
In The Crucible and To Kill a Mockingbird, both authors use false accusations for the main part of both stories. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson as a symbol of innocence. In the book they are trying to prove Tom is innocent from raping Mayella Ewell. In court Tom has a lawyer, his name is Atticus Finch, he knows Tom is innocent and he goes to say, “He seemed to be a respectable Negro, and a respectful Negro would never go up to somebody’s yard of his own volition” (Lee 192). Harper lee wants there to be at least one person who nows what is right and what is wrong, that person is Atticus Finch.
The author wanted to show that in a society with false accusations, there is at least one person who disagreed with it. Lee also showed the readers how false accusations looks like from a child’s perspective. Scout is Atticus daughter, and she expresses her own opinion of the Ewell family. She says, “Every town the size of Maycomb had families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status-people like the Ewells lived as guests … and the diseases indigenous to filthy surroundings (Lee 170). The Ewells were a poor family who were isliked by many, so having the trial brought many attention to them.
In addition, many people were on their side since Tom was a man of color no one was with him, except Atticus. Therefore, these are the three reasons why false accusation could be analyzed from two different books perspectives: the method that Arthur Miller brings characters to real life, the method Harper Lee analyzes the story using different characters, and comparing both authors on how they use false accusations in both books. Both authors wanted the reader to remember one important topic, false accusations.