Everything Is Clear, Tom Is Innocent

        In chapter 18, the examination of Mayella Violet Ewell finally start. When Mayella comes to the witness stand, Mr. Gilmer begins the direct examination and asks Mayella to describe what happened on the evening of November twenty-first of last year, the day she was raped by Tom Robinson, on her own words. Mayella doesn't answer so Mr. Gilmer asks her specific questions. Mayella doesn't answer much, she just says a few words so the judge asks her to tell the truth about what happened and she bursts into tears. Judge Taylor says to Mayella that she has nothing to fear of and he asks Mayella what she's scared of and she point to Atticus. Judge Taylor says that Mr. Finch isn't going to scare her, and his job as the judge is to stop him if he tries. When Mayella does that, I think Mayella is afraid of Atticus because she scared that Atticus will find out something. When I read this part, I think Mayella is kind of suspicious because if she didn't do anything, she can confidently tell everyone what happened. After a while, Mayella finally says what happened. She says she was in front of the porch when Tom Robinson came by, she asked him to chop up and old piece of furniture for kindling, and when she went inside to get a nickle to pay him, he attacked her from behind. Mayella says that she did scream and fight back when Mr. Gilmer asks her but she doesn't remember clearly what happened next. When Mr. Gilmer asks again if she tried to fight back and if Tom took full advantages of her, she answer yes.
        Next is Atticus's turn, Atticus asks many questions and from that, we know that Mayella is the oldest of seven kids, her mom is dead and Mayella can read and write. Atticus also asks questions that Mayella thinks he is trying to making fun of her like does she have friends or does she love her father. At the end, Atticus asks Mayella a question that does she know much about Tom and Mayella answers that Tom passed the house every day but this is the first time she had asked him to come into the yard. Atticus then asks whether Tom Robinson hit her face and she says no, then yes. Mayella says that she doesn't remember because it happened so quick. Mayella assertives that Tom raped her, Atticus calls Tom to stand up and everyone sees that his left hand is shriveled.
        From this, I'm sure that Atticus has enough evidence to show that Tom Robinson is innocent. Atticus has asks many questions and from it, he's trying to connect it together, like a puzzle. For me, I think it's very interesting, the way Atticus asks Mayella the questions and connects it. I think this is not a easy job, because I think that Mayella also wary of Atticus so he needs to be careful with the question he asks. I have read some detective story and I have seen many cases that are difficult than this very much, but it has in common that the smallest things can come to a conclusion if we can connect it in a right way. From the evidence provided by Atticus, we are now sure that Tom Robinson is innocent, but after all, the final decision is from the jury so we have to wait and see.