Question

How does Harper Lee introduce the Tom Robinson case so the reader knows it will be the major conflict of the work?

Answer 1

Answer:

Harper Lee introduces the major theme of the story by making Cecil Jacobs taunt Scout about their father's act of "defending ni g gers".

Explanation:

Chapter 9 of the text "To Kill A  Mockingbird" by Harper Lee shows the scene where Scout had gotten angry with Cecil Jacobs for something he had said about Atticus. When he asked Jem what it meant when Cecil said "Scout Finch’s daddy defended ni g gers". Jem had told her to ask Atticus herself, which brings or introduces the Tom Robinson case for the first time.

When Scout asked Atticus about it, he told her that he is "simply defending a Neg ro—his name’s Tom Robinson. He lives in  that little settlement beyond the town dump. He’s a member of Calpurnia’s church, and  Cal knows his family well. She says they’re clean-living folks". By bringing up the topic of "ni g gers", we can know or understand that the novel will revolve around the theme of racial discrimination.