Bothand
Tom Robinson are outsiders in Maycomb, albeit for different reasons. Tom, as an African
American, occupies a lowly place in Southern society, reinforced by an apparatus of systemic
legal and economic oppression. Prejudice determines his fate, finding him guilty of a crime he
could not possibly have committed before he has even set foot inside the courtroom. And one of
the biggest problems with prejudice is that it's stubbornly resistant to the facts. The
prosecution has no case to speak of, andhas all the relevant facts on his side. But so strong,
so deeply ingrained is the level of racial prejudice in Maycomb that Tom cannot hope to get a
fair trial, despite Atticus's best efforts.
Boo's identity has also been
constructed out of prejudice, imposed upon him by the ignorance and lack of understanding of the
townsfolk. Years of gossip, hearsay and idle talk has turned Boo into Maycomb's resident
boogeyman. The less people know about him, the more they spin ever...
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