What was the outcome of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the trial plays up the simmering tensions between the white and black communities in Maycomb. Readers know Tom is innocent, but the all white jury refuses to acknowledge that any white man could have hurt a young girl. In the end, they find Tom guilty even though they know he is not.  Tom, of course, is very disheartened by the outcome. He is afraid of what will be done to him, so when given the opportunity, he attempts an escape. As he is climbing over the fence, Tom is shot seventeen times and killed. Atticus and Calpurnia go to break the news to Tom's wife, Helen, while Scout and Dill wait in the car. Dill sees Helen collapse before Atticus can get out the words. Mr. Ewell finds joy in Tom's death even though he knows the truth.

What was the outcome of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The final outcome of the story is that Scout and Jem now have a much better understanding of the adult world than they did at the start of the book. Back then, they were young and incredibly naive. They still are, to a certain extent, but they've both matured considerably over time, to the extent that they have a much better idea of how the world works and of their place in it.

By the close of the book, Scout and Jem are also finally able to comprehend the value of empathy. This is the lesson that Atticus has been drumming into his children from the get-go. They didn't really understand it at first, but after the encounter with Mrs. Dubose, the trial of Tom Robinson, and, most importantly of all, after the discovery of Boo Radley's true nature, they're now much better able to put themselves into other people's shoes.

What was the outcome of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The outcome of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird involves Atticus losing the Tom Robinson case, the death of the Bob Ewell, Boo Radley's heroic efforts to save the children, Scout's understanding of Boo Radley, and the completion of her moral development. Harper Lee consolidates several of the themes throughout the novel at the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus loses his case because of the racist Maycomb jury, and the children witness injustice for the first time in their lives. After the trial, Tom Robinson allegedly dies attempting to escape from prison. Bob Ewell, the antagonist, attempts to kill Jem and Scout when they are walking home from a community Haloween festival. Their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley, saves the children by fighting off Bob Ewell and stabbing him with his own knife. After Boo saves the children, Scout meets him for the first time in Jem's room, and finally realizes he is a caring, friendly neighbor, who happens to be shy. When Atticus asks Scout if she understands why Sheriff Tate won't tell the community about Boo's heroics, Scout says, "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?" (Lee 370) As Scout walks Boo Radley home, she finally is able to view Maycomb from his perspective. Lee ties together the themes of losing childhood innocence, gaining perspective, the importance of moral development, and understanding why it is wrong to harm innocent people at the end of her novel. 

What is the trial's outcome in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Despite the fact that Atticus has clearly cast doubt on the testimony of both Bob Ewell and his daughter Mayella, showing that Tom, with one crippled hand, could not have delivered the blow that left a bruise on Mayella's face, the jury finds him guilty. They do so, it seems, out of pure racism--a black man simply could not receive a fair trial in Maycomb. More specifically, it seems that Tom's compassion for Mayella was his undoing before the jury. Gilmer, the prosecutor, makes a great show of casting scorn on his apparent sympathy for the girl, who lives a miserable life in desperate poverty with an abusive and lazy father. But Mayella is white, and when Tom says he stopped to help her, because he felt sorry for her, Scout observes that the jury would not look kindly on his sympathy, and they would never believe that he had no ulterior motive (in this case, sexual desire for a white woman) for helping her. Tom later will attempt to escape from jail rather than awaiting an appeal, which Atticus thinks he can win, and is shot and killed in the process. 

What was the outcome of Jem's mission in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem’s mission to go and get his pants back was successful because he brought back the pants and did not get shot by Nathan Radley.

When Jem snuck onto the Radley porch, he accidentally lost his pants.  He claimed to have lost them in a game of “strip poker” played with matches.  The lie was intended to prevent telling anyone that they went to the Radley place, because they weren’t supposed to.  Jem tells Dill that he won’t get in trouble for playing poker because Atticus would talk to his aunt.

Dill was comforted, but Jem and I weren't. There was the problem of Jem showing up some pants in the morning. (ch 6)

Jem decides to go and get his pants, despite Scout’s protests.  She thinks that Nathan Radley is going to shoot him.  Jem has to get the pants though, because he is worried that if Atticus finds out he lied he will lose faith in Jem.  Jem is not afraid of getting punished, but he is afraid of disappointing his father.

Jem sneaks out to get the pants, and finds them and brings them back.  There is something remarkable about them.

 They'd been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed 'em, like somethin' I'd try to do. All crooked. It's almost like-"

"-somebody knew you were comin' back for 'em." (ch 7)

Jem is disturbed by the condition of his pants, even though he is relieved to have them back.  He feels like someone was in his head, and knew what he was going to do. 

He does not realize that Boo is reaching out to them until the incident of the fire, when Scout finds a blanket on her shoulders.  Jem does not want to return the blanket because Boo might get in trouble.  He is returning the favor.

Atticus, I swear to God he ain't ever harmed us, he ain't ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead... (ch 8)

The incident with the pants is very important to the development of both Boo and Jem’s characters.  Jem demonstrates bravery by going to face a man with a gun because he does not want to disappoint his father. Boo demonstrates bravery by reaching out to Jem in friendship, and Jem appreciates that even if it does bother him somewhat that Boo seems to be inside his head.