Essay On Atticus Win In To Kill A Mockingbird

In a world of racism and prejudice towards blacks, winning a case for a black is near impossible. However, a brave lawyer takes a case for a black man. Will he win or will he lose? In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a young girl’s father willingly accepts a case that he knows he won’t win. He must defend a black man who has been charged with the assault of a white girl. Atticus, the lawyer, is justified in defending the black man, even though he won’t win because he has the best chance of winning, he needs to protect his integrity and he will procure more followers than enemies.
The main reason Atticus should take the stand and defend Tom Robinson is because he needs to protect his honor. This is illustrated by Atticus’s words,

“‘The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again’”(86). This demonstrates that Atticus wants to take the case because he needs to defend his nobility by taking the case. To add on, “‘I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them’”(245). Atticus is a professional lawyer and should be responsible for these cases. He may not want to take it, but he was “born into it”, so to speak. Finally, it states, “‘Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of work, every lawyer gets at least one his life that affects him personally’”(86). This is Atticus’s once in a lifetime case, which affects him specifically. He accepts this case because this is the one case that will affect Atticus in a way no other case will. In conclusion, Atticus should take the case because he needs to defend his integrity and honor.
Another reason that Atticus should defend Tom Robinson is because of his unwavering determination and he is also the only person in the town that can keep the jury at a standstill for so long.

The text construes, “‘He in there Mr. Finch?’ a man said. ‘He is’, we heard Atticus answer, ‘and he’s asleep. Don’t wake him up’... ‘You know what we want’, another man said… ‘You can turn around and go home again’, Atticus said pleasantly”(121-122). Atticus displays unparalleled intrepidness in this scene of the book. Additionally, the text corroborates, “‘Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that’”(246). Atticus Finch is not only wise beyond his years but is also exceptionally good at his job, so good for the fact that he was purposely assigned this case. It wasn’t by coincidence that he was assigned this case, but it was because he is the only one with the ability to even have a shot at winning. Finally, the text substantiates, “‘Did it ever strike you that Judge Taylor naming Atticus to defend that boy was no accident? That Judge Taylor naming that boy was no accident? That Judge Taylor had his reasons for naming him?’”(246). This attests that Atticus can’t bluntly reject his case, he was given this case by Judge Taylor for certain reasons, one of which is that he has the best chance of winning this impossible and immoral cause. To summarize, Atticus should take the case because no one else will be able to hold the judge at bay for that

long.
On the other hand, some might say that Atticus shouldn’t take the case because he puts his and his family’s lives out on the line. For example, the text affirms, “‘It was Miss Stephanie’s pleasure to tell us this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told he’d get him if it took the rest of his life”(247). With this in mind, many people may think that it is way too risky for Atticus to take the case. Moreover, Scout also takes the brunt of the maltreatment, “‘You can take that back, boy!’ This order, given by me to Cecil Jacobs… He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers”(85). To emphasize, Atticus’s decision in taking the case has resulted in the torment and trauma of Scout. However, for the amount of oppressors and adversaries that Atticus accumulates, the amount of friends and companions that he amasses is far greater. The text authenticates, “‘Tom Robinson’s daddy sent you along this chicken this morning’...The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family: hunks of salted pork, tomatoes, beans, and even scuppernongs(244). Food is often seen as a consensus to friendship, and the black community must be overjoyed that the judge even had to think about their judgment before coming to a conclusion. This is a step toward liberation, and even though it’s a minuscule step, it’s a step nonetheless, and the blacks must be euphoric by this.
In essence, Atticus is justified in taking the case because he should be able to do what he believes is righteous. But he also has his reasons for defending Tom, them being: he needs to protect his integrity, he is very proficient and may be the only one capable of winning, and also because he will obtain more friends than foes. Atticus taking this case of his own will has been a breakthrough in black history. Many others would have had this forced upon them, but Atticus stays true to himself and accepts this case on his own accord. This may not seem like a lot, but rarely anyone has tried as hard as Atticus to help a black man win a case. Atticus verifies his own statement (“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”) through his valiance and gallantness.