How Tom's Trial Reveals Maycomb's True Nature Through the trial we see how divided, prejudice and hypocritical the town really is. Maycomb is a small boring town where nothing out of the ordinary occurs. The trial is exciting for the town's people and reveals the community's true identity. The first time the reader becomes aware of the trial is at chapter nine, through the children being taunted by Cecil Jacobs at school, Francis (their cousin) at home and Mrs Dubose who denounces Atticus as a ' nigger lover.' This all takes place before Tom's trial has begun and his alleged crime has been revealed. This shows parts of racism within Maycomb. The fact that because Atticus is doing his job and defending a black man he is classed as a 'nigger lover' and his children are tormented. However, even though these events happen Atticus continuously tells Jem and Scout to "step into their shoes" and 'it's not time to worry yet.' This is because Atticus along with Miss Maudie are two of the very few compassionate, non-hypocritical, good, honest people in Maycomb. When the trial date finally arrives in Maycomb the town's people are very excited. 'It was like a Saturday' despite the fact that a young man's life is at stake. Harper Lee is ironising the atmosphere to show the town's excitement. All Maycomb residences attend the trial in their Sunday best. This reflects the town and its small community where nothing really happens. The majority of the town attended the trial expect Miss Maudie. She says '… I have no business with the court this morning… 't's morbid, watching a poor devil on trial for his life. Look at those folk, it's like a Roman carnival' This is because Miss Maudie is one of Harper Lee's genuine, virtuous characters. She is a dynamic character and a lively individual and is not racist or hypocritical like the rest of Maycomb. The trial reveals the town's true racism. In the courtroom the blacks are separated from the whites.
Atticus Finch from, To Kill a Mockingbird, is characterized as a wise man that is an exceptional father to his children and always teaches them the right perspective about life and the people around them. He was appointed to the lawyer for a black man who “raped” a white woman. This was a bold task because it was a white woman’s word against a black man’s. While Atticus took this challenge as an opportunity to really try and win this case, everyone saw it as already lost. Atticus wanted the trial to be fair and for it to be evident that Tom, the man he was defending, was innocent. He show...
Atticus is a single father of two. He believes that no matter who he is defending, if that person is innocent, he deserves justice and he will try his best so justice will be served. '' ”If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' this?” “For a number of reasons. ”said
Atticus a lawyer in Maycom County defends a black man. By said that a white woman accuses that a black man rapped her. Atticus’s children are in confusion and constantly ask their father about his case. Atticus said”….If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature. (75). Clearly we can see that he has lots of respect to this county and for blacks. Atticus wants his children to ignore what everybody thinks on him about defending a negro. During a conversation between Jem and Atticus, tells jem,” As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, whenever a white man does that to a black man, that white man is a trash.” (223). At the court Atticus is sure that he will lose but want to make a statement to this racist society. He wants this county treat black people just how they treat white people. Atticus states in the court,”…..you know the truth….some Negroes lie some Negroes are immoral….There is no person in this courtroom who ha...
In the book, Atticus Finch individually defends a black man because he realizes it’s the right thing to do. However, in the grand scheme of things, Atticus actually putting in an effort to defend a black man didn’t make a very large dent in the town’s overall attitude towards black people because he is, no matter what others thought of him, just one man. Practically every student receiving a public education in the United States today reads that book. They realize where racism started and grow compassionate for Tom because of the social injustice he faced throughout the book. It’s important for kids to keep reading these kinds of books, so we don’t go backwards in our efforts to stop racism.
Atticus shows great compassion and tolerance when he stands up for the Negroes. He stands up and represents Tom Robinson because he believes that everyone should be treated equally in the court of law. He knows that because Tom was a Negro there would be a slim chance of winning. That fact never discouraged him though because he says that the main reason he is representing Tom is because, ' if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature'; (75). He recited a speech, which clearly states that Tom Robinson is not guilty. In that speech he says, 'our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal'; (205). He believed that prejudice and stereotyping is wrong and he tries to teach these morals to Scout and Jem.
was Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this novel Atticus is defending Tom Robinson in his case. He was called a, “Nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves…. I certainly am [a nigger-lover]. I do my best to love everybody” (Lee 144). This quote illustrate how Atticus has nothing against colored people and treats them as how he would treat his normal clients. During his court trial, the white people kept on questioning why he defends Tom Robinson. “’If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?’ ‘For a number of reasons,’ said Atticus” (Lee 100). Atticus knows that society wouldn’t accept his actions and thus, he is practicing civil disobedience. Like King, Finch also practice civil disobedience in the name of
Towards the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus decides to represent a colored man by the man of Tom Robinson, who is being accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell’s daughter. Atticus believes that Tom is innocent, but he does not think that Tom will be found not guilty because of they way the townsfolk treat colored people. They treat them like dirt; like they are worth nothing. Atticus went ahead and represented Tom despite the fact that he knew the townsfolk would call himself and his children names and treat them disrespectfully. Even Scout’s relative Francis said rude things about them. “‘I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family-...’ ‘Just what I said. Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'.’” Atticus set a good example for Scout and Jem. He had a difficult decision to make, but he chose what he thought was
When most people were against him and are trying to convince him not to, Atticus was determined to continue defending Tom Robinson (an African American who was accused of raping a white lady name Mayella Ewell - Mr. Ewell's daughter). (Make it active voice ?) Due to his good morals, Atticus felt like he needs to help Tom Robinson “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience --- Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man” (108). As addressed in To Kill a Mockingbird, Jim Crow laws manipulated individuals ethics to think that blaming African Americans is fine since all they do is not good (change the wordings).
Discrimination divides and brings hatrid, whereas acceptance brings unity and love. When they had another trial about this case, Atticus could have brought up that their opinions might be biased. That they are convicting him of rape for no other reason than he’s black.
present times by the state of the actual town. It is very poor and in
(P.108), even when he was called "nigger lover" by so many. Above all, the events of Tom Robinson’s case clearly indicate Atticus and his strong compassion and understanding.
"There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life” (Lee ,223). Atticus told the jury thus quote. In tough situations Atticus always has great judgement. No matter the color, Harper Lee shows Atticus's character to be the most responsible out of most, he's also one of the most important characters in the book and is greatly talked about throughout the
Throughout the novel, Atticus struggles with defending Robinson. Atticus has a social responsibility to assume Robinson is guilty only because of his skin color. But when Atticus discovers evidence that supports Robinson’s innocence, he faces a conflict within himself: pride. Atticus knows if he shares this evidence, he could ruin himself socially. The question becomes should he do
In today’s America, the idea of equality is widespread, on the contrary, racism was very common in the 1930s. That is the America where Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place. The story follows a young girl, Scout, and her brother, Jem, who struggle to understand the notions of their neighbors in Maycomb, Alabama. This specifically came to importance when their father, Atticus Finch, a Lawyer, defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who was charged with the assault of a white female named Mayella Ewell. Many, including his children, wondered why he would defend Tom Robinson. However, Atticus is a firm believer of the golden rule and to him, it did not matter that there was a large chance of losing the case as long as he tried. He is also moral so considering all of these reasons, it made sense for him to defend Robinson.
There is some evidence that shows that Atticus could be racist. ¨You never really understand a person until