Mr. Gilmer is Doing Really Well, Even if you Think he is a Jerk (I do Too)

          When we read Mr. Gilmer's cross examination I felt bad for Tom, but at the same time Mr. Gilmer is executing his job really well. The first thing that Mr. Gilmer does really well is reminding the jury is, "inferior" to them because of his skin color. The main way he does this is he continuously calls Tom, "boy." When he says this he is belittling Tom like he is a small child compared to him and the other white people. When he does this he mainly is trying to show the jury that Tom is unequal and they shouldn't sway to his side. Second he reminds the jury that Tom is able to beat Mayella. He does this by asking him how he is good a busting up chifferobes with his one arm. Thirdly, he points out how Tom must have had an eye on Mayella because he did her chores for free, which isn't true, but since it is a cross examination and he is asking close ended questions, he isn't able to tell how he doesn't. When Tom says that he helped her because he felt sorry for her, but this immediately stirs the gallery because in the Jim Crow South this is a bad thing to say because it is, "bad" for a black to feel bad for a white. Finally, Mr. Gilmer asks Tom why he ran if he wasn't guilty, he is equating running with guilt. The other people don't understand the predicament Tom is and was in. (I thought this is a good picture that describes Tom).