Similarities Between Ruby Bates And To Kill A Mockingbird

1192 Words5 Pages

Mrs. Rodriguez 10th Grade Advanced English Pd. 7 3 May, 2017 In 1925 to 1939 the nation’s incarceration rate increased from 79 to 137 per 100,000 residents (Eval). There was a greater imprisonments of blacks than there were whites (Eval). Between 1930 and 1936 the imprisonment of blacks rose about three times more than that of whites (Eval). Could this be because of the imprisonments that resulted from unfair treatment of blacks at this time? This was the case in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. This type of behavior was also exhibited in The Scottsboro Trials. The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird and the people involved in the trials have many similarities, including similar backgrounds, actions and personalities. On March …show more content…

Ruby Bates and Mayella Ewell come from similar backgrounds. Both girls came from poor families. Ruby Bates lived in a shack in the “worst” part of Huntsville (Linder, “Ruby”). Her family lived in poverty and her mom worked as a prostitute (Linder, “Ruby”). In the book, it states, “Their relief check was far from enough to feed the family”( Lee 208). During the trial, Atticus was able to paint a picture of what the Ewell life was like while asking Mayella questions. One of the things revealed was that the money provided by the government was not enough to take care of her big family. Ruby and Mayella also had fathers that were abusive drunks. Ruby’s father was a drunk that used to beat her and her mother(Linder, “Ruby”). Her father also used to beat her brother and was arrested for horse-whipping him. (Linder, “Ruby”). Mayella had to suffer through the same type of treatment from her father. While testifying Mayella was asked about her father’s conduct: “Do you love your father, Miss Mayella?” was his next. “Love him, …show more content…

“Biographies of Key Figures in ‘The Scottsboro Boys’ Trials.” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law. 2017, famous-trials.com/scottsboroboys/1548-biographies, Accessed 6 April 2017. ---. “Ruby Bates.” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law, 2017, famous-trials.com/scottsboroboys/1550-bates, Accessed 6 April 2017. ---. “Samuel Leibowitz.” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law, 2017, famous-trials.com/scottsboroboys/1559-leibowitz, Accessed 6 April 2017. ---. “Trial Excerpt of Victoria Price.” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law, 2017, famous-trials.com/scottsboroboys/1592-priceexcerpt, Accessed 9 April 2017. ---. “The Trials of “The Scottsboro Boys.” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law, 2017, famous-trials.com/scottsboroboys/1531-home, Accessed 3 April 2017. ---. “Victoria Price.” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law, 2017, famous-trials.com/scottsboroboys/1561-price, Accessed 6 April 2017. Ransdall, Hollace. “The First Scottsboro Trials (April, 1931).” Famous Trials, Ed. Douglas Linder, UMKC School of Law, 2017, famous-trias.com/scottsboroboys/2344-firsttrial-2, Accessed 3 April

Open Document