Tom Robinson makes a big mistake in admitting that he felt sorry for Mayella Ewell. This simple act of kindness is something that most people in court and Maycomb, as a whole, find deeply offensive. For an African American to feel sorry for a white person comes across as an act of pity, placing the dominant race in a subordinate position to their supposed inferiors. Tom was just acting out of natural sympathy and fellow feeling for another human being. But in such a toxic, racist environment, with its own rigid social codes governing behavior between the races, it's a violation of the prevailing standards. This episode shows that Tom Robinson isn't just on trial for the rape and assault of Mayella Ewell, but also for defying established conventions concerning inter-ethnic relations.
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