In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch violates the rules of conduct in his society. Mr. Finch goes against the grain of his society when agreeing to defend a black man named Tom Robinson at a trial. Finch resists the pressure to follow conventional rules in his society by believing a black man over a white woman in the trial. Additionally, he resists the pressure to conform his children to the expectations that society has due to their gender. Furthermore, Finch’s unique parenting style raises many questions and concerns from the other adults in Maycomb, Alabama, but he does not change his way of raising his kids. Atticus Finch uses logic and reason to make what he believes is the right decision, despite going against …show more content…
Finch and his family face abuse from many people in Maycomb, including his own family. “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 -” (Lee 110). Francis, Atticus’ own nephew, tells Jean-Louise that Atticus defending a black man is shameful. This opinion is reflected by nearly everybody in Maycomb. However, Mr. Finch proudly admits to defending Tom Robinson. Also, Finch believes that he is doing the right thing in defending Robinson. Another time Atticus showed his disregard for stereotypes was when he made his concluding statement to the jury. “‘I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do you duty’” (Lee 275). Despite the conventional belief that white people are superior to black people in every way, Finch has unwavering faith in Tom Robinson’s innocence. He believes that the jury’s duty is to return Tom Robinson to the life of a free man. Atticus Finch being the only person willing to truly believe and defend Tom Robinson demonstrates the author’s purpose of discrimination and hatred of people based on race cruel. By making the character of Atticus Finch violate the rules of conduct by defending Tom Robinson, Harper
White people believed to treat them like “trash” and they are influencing their kids to do the same which puts an impact on the community . The white people in Maycomb , Albama believe that black people are “ Filthy Beings” . Tom Robinson is a prime example in this book because , just because he’s an african american he loses the case of raping a white girl by the name of Mayella Ewell . Tom was given an defense attorney , which is Atticus and he was chosen by the judge . The law and system is so messed up that the judge picked a white man to be his attorney . Atticus Finch is a white man who is an experienced lawyer . Atticus is trying his best to win Tom’s case . All of a sudden he immediately loses the case . When the trial was over , Mr . Underwood said “Atticus has used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson , but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case . Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed . “ (241)
Martin Luther King Jr. famously said “I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. Even though Atticus Finch is not black, he still thinks they same way as Martin Luther King Jr. and still wants the same for his children: a society with equality for all races. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, he delivers a persuasive speech in order to free an innocent black man. Even though he does not win the case, Atticus succeeds in making an impact on the future of racism in Maycomb. By using logic in his closing speech, Atticus forces the town to examine their awareness of the prejudice in their own lives.
The whole town of Maycomb is racist, which makes Atticus’s job harder trying to defend Tom Robinson against the word of a white man.Tom Robinson’s case is unjust since he is black and the majority of Maycomb revert to the stereotype that all blacks are immoral and criminals. “Quote” shows that it is a situation where little is possible to do when defending a black man because the town of Maycomb is deeply affected by racism they tend to only make decisions based on the race and so immediately think Tom Robinson is guilty, that he did indeed raped Mayella when there was so much evidence to prove otherwise. This is challenging for Atticus, since he has to persuade everyone to pretend there is no stereotype about blacks and that they are human
Atticus is a mockingbird for the Maycomb society. He has the correct attitude towards different races. In Tom Robinson’s case, he provides strong arguments Tom’s accusation and proves that Tom Robinson did not rape and harm Mayella Ewell. Even though Atticus failed to restore Tom back to Tom’s family due to racial discrimination existed commonly in Maycomb in 1930s, Atticus leads the society to take the first small step in the right direction in the battle against racial discrimination, according to the quote stated by Miss Maudie, “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t
Codes of honor have always held a significant amount of importance to man. Ranging from the Japanese Samurai Bushido code to joining Uncle Sam in protecting America during WWII, honor has been viewed as an admirable characteristic. While the exact meaning has fluctuated over time, almost every era has tied honor to integrity, or being true to a set of values over personal gain, even in solitary. In many situations, a person struggles between what he wants to do and what needs to be done. As Harper Lee exhibits in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is exposed to numerous incidents where he has to determine to act honorably or maintain respect among his neighbors. Displaying honor is a struggle all characters face, specifically concerning racism and social structures. Atticus is saint-like in his code of honor
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird tells of a town in Alabama, called Maycomb. In this deeply-rooted racist town, there is a trial against an African American man, accused of raping a white woman. One man, however, Atticus Finch, has the opportunity to help the the man on trial. Although he knows he will lose the trial, he takes the case anyway. Atticus is respected in Maycomb, and known for his wisdom and experience. He is a good-hearted, egalitarian man who is always there and willing to provide guidance to his children and to the town of Maycomb, with his years of practice and experience.
Undoubtedly, one of the most controversial subjects in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, would be whether or not Atticus Finch should have defended Tom Robinson. However, in order to understand this controversy, a person must first be able to understand Atticus Finch himself. Atticus as a character is a very intellectual person who possesses the fortitude to stand up for whatever he believes is right and will not let other people’s choices affect his own. Furthermore, it is also important to understand that Atticus is not a racist, nor does he approve of the idea that one group of people are better than another based on their appearances in general, and because of this, a person can generalize that Atticus’s characteristic traits are why he did not complain when given the task of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who had been wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. A man that he, as well as a small group of other people from town, viewed as the picture of innocence. In their eyes, Tom was no more than a mockingbird, “[and mockingbirds] don’t do one thing but make music for [people] to enjoy” (Lee 119). Knowing this, anyone with a reasonably strong sense of what is right and what is wrong can conclude that it does make sense for Atticus Finch to have taken the case due to his belief that it is a sin to kill the innocent as well as his courage that allows him to stay true to his ideas, even though when taking the case, he was inevitably going to be putting his
In Harper Lee’s historical novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the main protagonist, Atticus Finch, delivers his final argumentative response to not only prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, who was allegedly convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, but to address the inequality and immoral code of conduct against African-Americans faced in society. Finch’s purpose is to publicise the unethical treatment blacks receive from whites and to show that they should not be the culprit of society due to their race. He adopts a passionate and sincere tone in order to emphasize the discrimination African-Americans face in society to the people in the courtroom.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is an exceedingly powerful novel. It includes many significant minor themes such as racism and hatred which leave the reader to have grown more attentive to the past once they complete the book. The book takes place in Maycomb County Alabama during the great depression. During this period there was a great deal of hate and prejudice towards people of color, in addition to a great regard to social class. The novels protagonists, Atticus Finch a well-respected lawyer and his children Jeremy “Jem” Finch and Jean Louise “Scout” Finch are a few of the towns occupants who respect others regardless of social class or race. For this reason, Atticus has no objections
In a world where the color of your skin determines whether or not you are guilty of a horrible crime, a white man tries to defend an innocent black man from being convicted. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch adamantly defends a black man named Tom Robinson from being wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman, an unspeakable crime in that time. The racism embedded in many of the citizens of Maycomb makes Atticus’ job of convincing the jurors of Robinson’s innocence almost impossible but through the challenges, he makes an impressive closing statement. Atticus Finch effectively uses ethos, logos, and pathos to create an exceedingly convincing argument and final statement that Tom Robinson was wrongly accused of an awful
During the 1960s – a time period full of racism and prejudice in the Southern United States – Harper Lee presents the character, Atticus Finch, as a symbol of hope and justice in her revolutionary novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus, a lawyer and single father, fights against social and racial injustice throughout the book. When a black man is accused of a crime he did not commit, Atticus takes the case and wholeheartedly defends the man. His courageous efforts to be a good lawyer and father show his admirable morality. Atticus Finch stands as a prime example of a man of honor.
Therefore, the mockingbird and Robinson's voice commonly are not paid attention to throughout the whole novel. "It couldn't be worse Jack. The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells. The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells." (88) This quote from Atticus is noteworthy for it implies that regardless of what Tom Robinson claims in the court, the jury is expected to stand on the white man's side. Although the jury at court is supposed to make objective decisions, along the other villagers, he displays a definite bias against the black man. If there is any responsibility that falls upon Tom, it would be the responsibility for chopping wood and providing help for Mayella who is reflected as the loneliest person on earth in the eyes of Scout. However, the mockingbird figure is wrongly accused of things that he has never done or even imagined. Although there is a sufficient amount of proof that Robinson is innocent, it is ignored after all, and he is imprisoned. Emphasizing this, Atticus tells his son Jem: "In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins." (220) This
However, to people who desire equality, Atticus was a hero inspiring change. Judge Taylor assigned the Tom Robinson case to Atticus due to his trust in him to fight for justice. “Whether Maycomb knows it or not, we’re paying the highest tribute we can pay a man. We trust him to do right. It’s that simple” (Lee 240). Even though most of the town treated Atticus fairly, they knew that Atticus is quite different. As Miss. Maudie explains to Aunt Alexandra why the town chose Atticus to defend Tom Robinson, it is clear that the case has taken a toll on all of the Finches. When a person is poor and convicted, especially a coloured man, their cases are given to new lawyers looking for experience. Usually, the verdict would be guilty due to the prejudice against coloured people and the lack of effort of lawyers. However, Atticus was the most open-minded lawyer in Maycomb and always strived for justice over prejudice or the perception of himself through others. No matter the situation, Atticus continued to fight for what is right. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 78). Even though the chances of winning the case was slim, Atticus persevered and listened to his own conscience to be able to face Jem and Scout. Atticus was different from other lawyers as he believed that achieving justice and being true to oneself is more important than society’s prejudicial standards, which for a lawyer, is a vital quality for saving many innocent
Atticus Finch demonstrates a significant amount of courage throughout the novel. He takes on the case of Tom Robinson, even though he is not a fan of criminal law. For goodness sake before the trial even begins, Atticus knows that there is no chance of him winning the case. He also knows that if he takes on the case, it could be very dangerous, considering the fact that most of the whites in Maycomb want Tom Robinson killed. Tom Robinson is being accused of beating and raping a white women. Especially because he is black and race was an issue during this time, many people are not happy. Many of these whites along with their families turn angry towards Atticus Finch for trying to defend Mr. Robinson. Despite all of this along with knowing that
Atticus Finch is a respectful man in the image of the town, but when he is brought to the court to defend a black man, Tom robinson, that picture is quickly changed. Although he is looked down upon for such an action he still acts no different than how he would for any other client and defends Tom in court. No matter