Summarizing the witnesses' testimonies and the attorneys' lines of questioning is a good way to see the holes and lies in the testimonies, if any exist, and what the attorneys aimed to prove to the jury through their line of questioning.
One example can be seen in Sheriff Heck Tate's testimony. Under Mr. Gilmer's questioning, Sheriff Tate testifies that he was brought to the Ewells' home by Bob Ewell and found Mayella lying on the floor of the front room, looking very battered. After he had helped her to her feet and she had washed her face, at Sheriff Tate's questioning, she said Tom Robinson had hurt her. Under Atticus's questioning, Sheriff Tate makes two very critical statements: (1) A doctor had not been summoned to examine Mayella to prove she had been raped; and (2) Mayella had been bruised in her right eye, which could have only been accomplished by a left-handed man facing her.
Mr. Gilmer's line of questioning is very straightforward. Since he mistakenly thinks the case is very straightforward, he only aims to establish what he sees to be the facts of the case for the jury. In contrast, Atticus's purpose is to show that not enough evidence exists in the case for a jury to be able to convict Robinson beyond a reasonable doubt. The reason why Atticus begins his questioning by asking Sheriff Tate if a doctor had been summoned is because, in the US, a person cannot be tried for a crime if no concrete evidence exists that the crime had actually taken place. Though Mayella was bruised, Robinson wasn't being brought to trial on an assault and battery charge, he was being brought to trial on a rape charge. Only a doctor's evidence would serve as proof that the crime of rape actually took place.
Under Mr. Gilmer's questioning, Mayella testifies that she had been sitting on the front porch and was expected by her father to "chop up" an "old chiffarobe" in the yard to be used "for kindlin,'" but she didn't feel strong enough to do the chore (Ch. 18). Therefore, when Tom Robinson walked passed on his way home from work, as he did each evening, she offered him a nickel to do the chore. She further testifies that she went into the house to fetch the nickel when Robinson followed her inside and attacked her. Under Mr. Gilmer's questioning, Mayella contradicts her father's testimony by stating he had asked her who had abused her, whereas Bob Ewell testified he witnessed the whole thing through the window.
Under Atticus's questioning, Mayella states her age, number of siblings, that she can't remember when her mother passed away, and also testifies about other details of her home and family life. One of her most important statements is that her father treats her tolerably well "'cept when--" (Ch. 18). Though Mayella refuses to finish her sentence, Atticus finishes it for her by asking, "Except when he's drinking?" (Ch. 18). She also refuses to honestly answer Atticus's question about her father's abuse. Mayella's testimony particularly reveals that it would have been physically impossible for Robinson to have bruised the right side of her face, as he is crippled in his left arm and hand.
Again, Mr. Gilmer's line of questioning is straightforward. He doesn't question whether or not the Ewells are telling the truth; therefore, he skips right over any contradictions Mayella makes in her own testimony. Instead, all he does is use his questioning to lay out what he considers to be the very straightforward details of the crime. In contrast, Atticus uses his line of question to establish the credibility of the Ewells as witnesses. He uses his questioning to expose Ewell as a drunkard and their home life as a very abusive one, thereby pointing to Ewell as the guilty culprit, not Robinson.
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