In chapter 25 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what actions does Mr. Underwood take and how does he compare Tom Robinson?

Mr. Braxton Bragg Underwood writes a scathing, or severely critical, editorial that is printed after a short obituary on Tom Robinson in the Colored News section of The Maycomb Tribune.

In this editorial Mr. Underwood "confronts society" by intimating that Tom was not tried in the real courtroom in which Atticus Finch skillfully defended him. Instead, he was tried in what Scout terms "the secret court of men's hearts" where Atticus had no case. In other words, he was a convicted man before he even entered the courtroom because he was a black man accused of raping a white woman. This observation underscores what Tom himself suggested in the courtroom while he was on the witness stand. That is, he explained that he ran from the Ewells' house because he did not want to end up in court, implying that he would not fare well there with a jury of twelve white men.

The sharply critical tone of this editorial and Mr. Underwood's suggestion that Tom Robinson's death was comparable to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children" indicates that Mr. Underwood feels that justice was not served.

Mr. Underwood writes a very blunt and harsh editorial about the death of Tom Robinson in the paper. He compares Tom to a songbird, and compares his death to "the senseless slaughter of songbirds." Harper Lee uses this editorial to continue to develop her theme of the mockingbird, once again concentrating on how it is a sin to kill something innocent.

How does Mr. Underwood react to Tom Robinson's death in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Mr. Underwood runs The Maycomb Tribune. Therefore, he has an outlet to voice his opinions to the town. In order to fully appreciate his comments after the trial, it's important to examine his characterization before the trial began.

When the lynch mob shows up at Tom's cell, it is Mr. Underwood who (unknowingly at the time) covers for Atticus as well as Tom:

Atticus stepped back and looked up. “They’ve gone,” he said. “Get some sleep, Tom. They won’t bother you any more.”

From a different direction, another voice cut crisply through the night: “You’re damn tootin‘ they won’t. Had you covered all the time, Atticus.”

Mr. Underwood and a double-barreled shotgun were leaning out his window above The Maycomb Tribune office. (Chapter 15)

Although this may seem noble, Mr. Underwood is a man of complexities. Even Atticus acknowledges that this act of protection is not in line with Mr. Underwood's personality:

“You know, it’s a funny thing about Braxton,” said Atticus. “He despises Negroes, won’t have one near him.” (Chapter 16)

Yet Mr. Underwood issues a scathing editorial following Tom's death. He doesn't take issue with the trial itself, not choosing to comment on any "miscarriages of justice." Instead, because Tom did not have full use of one arm, Mr. Underwood feels that his death is a sin, much like the symbolic sin of killing an innocent songbird.

Although Mr. Underwood employs a "bitter" tone, Maycomb citizens ironically find his editorial comparison "poetic." Mr. Underwood's character shows the hope of redeeming even the most racist hearts in society.

In Chapter 25, Scout mentions that the death of Tom Robinson was relatively insignificant throughout the town of Maycomb. Many of the white citizens felt that it was "typical" of Tom Robinson to try to escape without a plan. However, Mr. Underwood was bitter about the entire ordeal. As was mentioned in the previous post, Mr. Underwood voiced his opinion in the editorial section of his paper The Maycomb Tribune. He felt that it was simply a sin to kill cripples, and likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds. Mr. Underwood understood that Tom was an innocent man who was wrongly convicted and was disgusted by the fact that Tom was gunned down by prison guards. His comparison to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds" is significant because throughout the novel mockingbirds represent innocent individuals like Tom Robinson. This quote also alludes to Atticus's rule that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, which essentially means it is wrong to hurt innocent beings.