Proper Protection Most people think of a small town as a peaceful and quiet place, where everyone knows each other. Quarrels and disagreements rarely disrupt their tranquil lives. However, this perception could not be further from the truth in Alabama 1930’s.
Like most places, Maycomb County, Alabama was full of hardworking people of integrity, as well as dishonest, indolent citizens. Atticus, a distinguished lawyer, raised his two kids, Scout and Jem, to be disciplined youth, practicing honest morals. Everyone in Maycomb admired Atticus for his respectable character, just as they all abhorred the Ewell family, for their cheating and lying ways. However, Atticus’ prominent role in town was suddenly challenged when he was chosen to defend in court Tom Robinson, a black man whom Mayella Ewell accused him of taking advantage of her. Eyes that once looked up to Atticus with deep admiration, now glared at him in disgust. In this town, the prejudiced jury refused to accept the obvious facts revealing Tom’s innocence. Nonetheless, Atticus strongly defended him, while consequently humiliating Bob Ewell and his family in the process. Enraged, Bob threatens Atticus, vowing to do him harm. Atticus, however, did not consider this a serious
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Many would argue that with Calpurnia’s faithful help and aunt Alexandra's diligent eye, along with Atticus’ presence and loyal neighbors, the Finches face no danger whatsoever. Although hated by many, Atticus’ close friends will never abandon his side. In such a small town, the dangers that seem prominent today, were miniscule matters. However, Atticus, as well as Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia failed to keep a close guard over the children, and close friends are not always around when needed. With a greater amount of precaution, the Finch family could have live in peace and without
Ellen DeGeneres once stated, “here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating others the way they want to be treated and helping those in need” (brainyquotes.com 7). This quote elucidates how one should treat others equally no matter who they are. In To Kill a Mockingbird, honesty is symbolized by Harper Lee’s novel by using flashbacks, the characterization of Atticus Finch, and foreshadowing the future, which all prove the innocents of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. The Narrator, named Scout, and her older brother, Jem, both live in a home with their old fashioned father Atticus Finch. Mr. Finch, a respectable lawyer, took on a case of a black man, Tom Robinson.
It’s a hot and humid day and all of Maycomb is gathered to find out the truth behind what happened on the evening of November 21. The person in question is Tom Robinson an African American servant. He was accused by Mayella and Bob Ewell for rape of Mayella. The defendant, Tom Robinson, is supported and assisted by defence attorney Atticus Finch who is going against prosecuting attorney Mr.Gilmer. The courthouse was filled with people from all races, where the blacks sat in the balcony and the whites sat front and center in the lower level.
Atticus is appointed a case by Judge Taylor to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Because of the racism and prejudice against black people, he believes that he will not win this case and could risk the life of Tom Robinson. Because of this case, Scout gets bullied by Francis about how his dad is defending a black man, Atticus later talks to Scout about how “[Tom Robinson] lives in [a] settlement behind the town dump….there’s been some high talk around the town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man” (Lee 86). Atticus knows that something bad can happen to him if he were to defend Tom Robinson but still does so because he has the courage to do it. After the trial had ended, Atticus was waiting for news but he did not expect something so terrible and heartbreaking, Tom Robinson, unfortunately, died after being shot several times.
Bob did this to cover up the shame and guilt Mayella had. Atticus even had evidence to show Mayella’s bruises are from her father beating her. Even with the evidence proving Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury sent him to jail. Later, Tom tried escaping prison, is shot, and killed. Bob Ewell decides that the judge and Atticus have disrespected him, and demands to take his revenge on them.
Despite racial inequalities in the South, Atticus sticks to his own morals and agrees to be the defending lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man being accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus’ defense in court was thorough and clearly proved Tom’s innocence, the jury was prejudiced towards black folks and convicted Tom as guilty. Nonetheless, Atticus is still a hero despite losing the case. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes in, fights with reason rather than guns, and has utmost determination, making him a hero despite being just an average human being. Ultimately, his thoughts and actions set the stage for major changes in the meaning of equality throughout Maycomb County, changing lives of numerous people.
The novel “To Kill a MockingBird”, written by Harper Lee, consists of many characters with many ambiguous decisions. Characters such as Atticus, the strong-willed father, Mayella Ewell, the lonely young women, and Jem, the older brother of Scout, made consequential choices, with unclear motivations. However, by recognizing their backgrounds and understanding their current situations, their motives becomes more clear. For reasons, such as maintaining their own sense of justice and self respect, family love, and the desire to have company, led these characters to make questionable decisions. In order to uphold his sense of justice and self respect, Atticus voluntarily chose to defend Tom Robinson at the jail and the court case.
A critical event in the book is when Atticus accepts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell; however, he is disfavored against by the town due to his race. In the book, Atticus says, “...The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’. The evidence boils down to you did--I-didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’...” (Lee 117).
Atticus is a lawyer who defends an African American man named Tom Robinson. The case of an innocent black man faced with rape charges against a white female provides the Finches, and town of Maycomb, with a chance to grow. However, when the trial is ultimately forgotten, it leads to conflict between the characters and town. It also leads to disappointment in the reader. Due to racial prejudice and
One of the major motifs that is displayed when this quote is examined extensively is the outrageous racism in this novel directed to negroes in the way they live in Maycomb. One example of this racism is the outcome of the Tom Robinson trial being guilty by the decision of the prejudiced jury whose members were a part of an atrocious group that goes by the name of “The Old Sarum Group”. Another one of the major motifs that is displayed is “Good and Evil”. An example of a “good” person is Atticus or Miss Maudie and an example of an “evil” person is Bob Ewell or Mr. Cunningham. Atticus would be considered a “good” person because he performs various acts of kindness and bravery every day such as defending Tom in his case against Bob and Mayella Ewell in hopes that racial equality will prevail and prove Tom's innocence.
To Kill a Mockingbird - Courage "Courage is when you know you 're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" According to Atticus Finch, an honest lawyer in Harper Lee 's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. "Real courage" is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus fits into this definition of what "real courage" is and demonstrates it several times throughout the novel. "The only thing we 've got is a black man 's word against the Ewells '.
By taking this court case, Atticus lays down his own dignity alongside his family’s pride. Atticus’s dignity is very important, as he holds high social status in Maycomb. To lay that down for the sake of Tom Robinson is a very large
To Kill a Mockingbird is an extremely important book to read and applies to both the 1950s, when it was written, and the 21st century, where we forget the struggles our grandparents went through to end racial discrimination. Jean Louis Finch (known as Scout throughout the story) lives in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama, along with her brother, Jem, and her widowed father, Atticus Finch. Written from Scout’s perspective, we learn about her childhood in the Great Depression, and the hardships they faced due to Atticus’ decision to defend an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman in the midst of a world clouded by racial segregation.! Tom Robinson was given a guilty verdict, despite there being no substantial evidence of him committing
Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongfully convicted of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This novel goes through Scout's life from when she was 6, till she is 9. She lives in the town of Maycomb Alabama, and lives an innocent life until about halfway through the story, where she begins to ask questions. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the readers that racial inequality creates an unjust society through the African American community, through the people surrounding colored folks, and through Tom Robinson’s Case. The first example of the consequences of racial inequality is the African American community in Maycomb.
Often, children are seen as closer to their mother; however, the novel shows that children learn valuable socials skills from father figure. On one hand, Atticus teaches the children the invisible rules of human nature essential in society by helping them develop empathy. On the other hand, Bob Ewell’s insufficient parenting puts his children in a position where Atticus must teach his children why they should care about the Ewells. Thus, the social and political settings of Maycomb are defined by the men and not how they act, but how they treat their children. Despite Atticus’s teachings of empathy, most children in Maycomb are being raised by the same people who convict the innocent Tom Robinson.
Though most of the town Maycomb feels negatively and discriminates the African-Americans, characters like Atticus show us how one person can impact his surroundings if he has high morals. Although he couldn’t change the mindset of the other town residents , he made sure that his own children didn’t discriminate people, purely on the basis of their skin colour. Racism can be seen even in the first few chapters of the book. These racist comments by nonracist children typify the culture in which they were growing up.