The Specticle Begins
Storyboard Text
- I cannot believe we have to sit up here.
- It is all your fault!
- Any questions, Atticus?
- What is it?
- Sh-h!
- Wait a minute Sheriff, which eye?
- It was her right eye, Mr. Finch.
- Whisper Whisper
- On a hot summer's day in 1935, the trial of Tom Robinson begins in Judge Taylor's "Standing Room Only" courtroom. Solicitor Horace Gilmer has Sheriff Heck Tate on the stand recounting the events of the night in question, November 21,1934.
- No Idea.
- What's the hubbub?
- ??? Show Off
- Corroborating evidence!
- PSST
- Sheriff Tate testifies that, after being fetched by Mr. Bob Ewell, he found Mayell Ewell beat up and lying on the floor. She and her father accused Tom Robinson of the assault and Sheriff Tate arrested and took him into custody.
- Do they live by the dump?
- How many kids are there?
- That family is really poor.
- He sure is rude!
- During cross examination, Atticus Finch clarifies that a doctor was never summoned and questions "Why not?"
- In your own words...
- Dacorum, understood?
- ????
- GOTCHA! After noticing Jem's hands clench on the railing, Scout realizes that he seems to understand that something is going on.
- Were you not concerned about Mayella's physical condition?
- ????
- Atticus shifts gears and asks Sheriff Tate to describe the injuries Mayella received. Her face was beginning to show signs of the beating - more specifically, her RIGHT eye - and there were bruises all around her throat.
- ??? Not so sure.
- We've got him!
- GOTCHA! As Sheriff Tate left the witness stand, there was a quiet stir among the colored folks sitting in the balcony with Reverend Sykes, Dill, Scout, and Jem (who once again seemed in on some secret).
- Please, no more crying!
- I positively did! Tooth and nail.
- The next witness Mr. Gilmer calls to the stand is Bob Ewell, father of the victim, who recounts events as he recalls them happening.
- Mr. Finch is not making fun of you.
- Stop makin' fun o'me
- After a bumpy start with the Judge, Mr. Ewell testified that he arrived home to Mayella's screams and, from the window, witnessed Tom Robinson attacking her. After chasing Tom off, he ran to get Sheriff Tate.
- Stop crying!
- I don't recall, I mean, yes he hit me!
- Once again, Atticus asked if a doctor was called. He then made sure that Mr. Ewell agreed with Sheriff Tate's description of Mayella's injuries - her RIGHT eye. Then he tricked him into signing his name, with his LEFT hand.
- Cotton Gin accident when he was a boy.
- Look! He is crippled.
- GOTCHA! While Jem is sure Atticus is on fire, Scout remains dubious.
- Oh sit down, Horace.
- I don't know how he done it, but he done it!
- Next, Mr. Gilmer calls Mayella Ewell to the stand. She testifies that she asked Tom Robinson for help and instead he attacked her as she "fought'n'hollered".
- You fought him off as hard as you could?
- Atticus establishes that Mayella is the eldest of 8 kids, with no mother, only 2 or 3 years of schooling, and no friends. He also gets her to admit that her father is tolerable except when he drinks.
- Miss Mayella? Ma'am?
- Mayella testifies that she asked Tom Robinson for help but instead he attacked her, strangled her neck, and must have beat her about the face. Atticus then asks Tom to please stand up.
- Do you remember Tom beating you about the face?
- GOTCHA! As Tom stands, everyone can now see that his left arm is 12 inches shorter than his right. The LEFT arm that is needed to hit the RIGHT side of someone's face!
- OOOH
- AAAH
- Even through relentless grilling, and hole-poking, Mayella sticks to her unbelievable story. Atticus asks why she did not run, and wasn't it really her father who beat her up?
- Objection!
- Is this the man? HOW?
- What happened that night?
- Answer the question.
- Ummm
- I have not had a speck of trouble out of Tom in the 8 years he worked for me!
- YOU felt sorry for HER?
- I was just trying to help her. No one else ever did.
- Truth is kids, I just prefer the company of colored people to that of white people.
- Atticus called his only witness to the stand. Tom, a mild mannered colored man, testified that, contrary to Mayella's testimony, he had helped her many times in the past - free of charge. Mayella would talk to him as the other kids ran around.
- The defendant is not guilty!
- Shoot! We missed it!
- Closing arguments. We are going to win!
- Tom told his story of the night in question. Mayella had asked for help, but she tricked him. They were alone and she threw herself at him. That is when her father returned and yelled at...HER! Tom ran away. He NEVER did anything to her.
- GOTCHA! Bob Ewell did not yell at or go after Tom. Instead, he was furious with his daughter, Mayella.
- I have never seen a colored man win over a white one.
- I am sure we are going to win!
- During Mr. Gilmer's cross examinant, he tried to paint Tom as not only interested in Mayella, but despite his arm, capable of the crime. Tom was grilled about calling her a liar and being scared.
- They jury has reached a verdict...GUILTY!
- Scout takes a weeping Dill outside for fresh air. They meet Mr. Dolphus Raymond who commiserates with Dill about the unfairness of life. They find out Mr. Raymond only pretends to be drunk so he does not have to be honest.
- Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin'
- Scout and Dill return to the courtroom in time to hear Atticus's closing remarks. Atticus Mayella is the one who is guilty, as is her father. They are the liars, not Tom. We are all equal in the courts.
- After Calpurnia notifies Atticus that the kids are missing, they stand up and announce their presence at the trial. He sends them home for dinner, but allows them to return after if there is no verdict yet.
- When they return to the courthouse, everyone is where they were. And the waiting begins. Past 8, then past 11 pm.
- Oh no! The jury is not looking at us.
- The verdict - guilty, just as Atticus knew it would be. He gathered his papers, put a hand on Tom's shoulder and said a few words, then he left the courtroom, without looking up at the kids.
- While Scout had closed her eyes during the verdict to try and shut it out, now she could not take her eyes of Atticus's lonely walk down the aisle. She did not even notice that everyone had stood in respect as he passed.
Over 30 Million Storyboards Created