In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a
Mockingbird, in Chapter Sixteen, Mr. Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney tries
to make two points during his cross-examination of Tom
Robinson.
The first thing he brings up is the fact that Tom
was arrested for fighting with another man. Gilmer is not interested that it was
considered a "misdemeanor;" he simply wants to establish that Tom is violent, and
capable of violence—inferring his capacity to visit violence upon Mayella
Ewell.
I believe the second thing he his trying to
establish is the reason Tom was on the Ewell property: that it was his choice and he was
pursuing Mayella, rather than the other way around. In disputing Mayella's version of
the incident, Gilmer tries to get Tom to admit that he is calling Mayella a liar, but
Tom simply says she was "confused in her mind." Gilmer tries to take Tom's presence at
the Ewell home on various occasions as proof of his pursuit of Mayella, rather than
helping her with chores as he has testified. Gilmer
asks:
Had your
eye on her a long time, hadn't you,
boy?
Tom repeatedly denies
that he did anything inappropriate, but Gilmer is only interested in twisting the
truth.
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