Individuals have a responsibility to protect the innocent. In the novel of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus has a responsibility to protect Tom Robinson. Judge Taylor asks Atticus if he would defend an African American man, Tom Robinson, because Tom is accused of raping a young girl, Mayella Ewell. Atticus, a kind and helping gentleman, takes the case and defends Tom. Tom Robinson is innocent because he did not rape Mayella Ewell but she is the one who kisses Tom. Therefore, Atticus tries his best to defend Tom Robinson but because he is an African American and the jury claims that Tom was guilty, even though he was innocent. At the end of the trial, newspaper tells Scout it is hard to defend a African American because of the “secret courts of
After Tom Robinson was charged with raping 19 year old Mayella Ewell, he was taken to court and Atticus had to defend his case. On page 212 of the novel Tom Robinson states that he ran away from Mayella when she had kissed him because he was scared, Atticus asked him why and he said “ Mr Finch, is you were a nigger like me, you’d be scared, too.“ Tom said this because of the society that they lived in where all “Black” people were not to be trusted. Atticus did his best to prove to the jury that Tom Robinson was not guilty for the crime that he was charged for
Tom Robinson’s character exemplifies the mockingbird because he is a black man who is denied justice based on racial prejudice. After Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of rape, there is no way for him to be judged fairly because the narrow-minded, white townspeople are unable to get past their prejudices towards blacks. At his trial, Tom’s lawyer, Atticus, argues,
Did Atticus do the Right Thing? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a lawyer and a father of two children named Jem and Scout. Atticus comes across a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of assaulting a white women. Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson, but did he do the right thing? I believe that Atticus did do what was right.
When she goes to the trial of Tom Robinson, she realizes that even though there is no evidence and the witnesses are unreliable, the verdict is still guilty. She realizes that if Tom Robinson were white though, he would be released and might not have even gone to trial.”’They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep’” (page 285). Here, Atticus is explaining how unremorseful the jurors are about how they racially discriminate against African American people. Scout’s views on people changes after the trial as she realizes how their decisions are wrong and they shouldn’t judge people like
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is ever present toward blacks and the trial of Tom Robinson, an African American, clearly displays this. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman. The huge detail in this is that it was a white woman. Racial issues are really brought about because of that detail. People during this time would easily take a white man’s word over that of a black man, so nobody would ever trust Tom Robinson, especially since he was a black man being accused of a crime against a white woman. Tom Robinson really can’t do anything to help his case. The only person that can help him is Atticus. While Atticus does not believe that he will win the case, he knows that it is right to do everything he can to help Tom. He knows right from wrong and he will do everything in his power to help people see that, and to help Tom survive this case. Tom Robinson could also be described as a Mockingbird in this story. If proven innocent, he would be
During the trial, Atticus gives a speech to the jury about why he thinks Tom Robinson is innocent and Atticus concludes his defense of Tom Robinson by asking the jury to set aside racial prejudice and consider what likely occurred between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell. Mayella has violated a normal thing in their society by kissing a black man, and
Tom was accused by the Ewell’s who are evil people and even though everyone knows that the Ewell’s are this kind of people, they still side with him because they are racist. During the trial, Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. She had been beaten on her right side of her face and had bruises on her arm and neck. When she finished her testimony, Atticus then spoke. He proves the innocence of Tom Robinson by providing evidence that Tom’s left arm was too short to reach her and the bruises on Mayella's face were on her right side so therefore he could not have beat her.
Scout asked Atticus why he must defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, Atticus responded, “For a number of reasons, Atticus said. 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 tell you or Jem not to do
Even if Atticus does not necessarily want to defend Tom, he believes it is the morally correct thing to do. He knows Tom Robinson is innocent, but even if the evidence is clearly showing he is innocent, he will be proven guilty because he is African American. On page 76, Atticus describes to Scout when she asks why he is defending her,
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
Many people are responsible, tolerant, and have strong courage all at once. Atticus is one of those as seen in the fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In the novel Atticus plays a major role as a father, lawyer, and neighbor in Maycomb, Alabama. Over the course of the story, Atticus uses these characteristics to demonstrate the person he really is. Through his actions he impacts many others lives while fighting for his reputation. Atticus is shown to be a responsible, tolerant, and courageous man.
Atticus is the town’s most respected lawyer. He is not wealthy, but he is well off in the community and is very kind towards everyone. As a single parent, he faces the world, raising his two children with his maid, Calpurnia, who experiences better conditions and responsibilities than other African Americans of her time, due to Atticus’ beliefs. He has a reputation for being an open-minded, fair man, and a unique personality that is overflowing with honesty. He has been assigned a case of defending a black man who is apparently accused of rape. Now Atticus is both loved and unloved by the townspeople. Since they live in the South during the 1930’s, Atticus gives a lot of advice to his children, Scout and Jem. Atticus tells Scout and Jem that they should not say anything about a person especially when they do not know that person. Atticus describes what he means in a quote “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around it”(Lee 39). Atticus defends a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a girl. Atticus has the confidence and the courage to defend Tom and prove that he is innocent. Scout does not believe that her father is nice enough or has the courage to defend Tom. Atticus proves that
During this time, Atticus, who is a lawyer, takes on a very difficult case. He is defending Tom Robinson, who is an African American man being charged with raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. At the trial, Jem and Scout try to find seats, but they are all taken. Reverend Sykes, the reverend of the African American church, runs into Scout and Jem and tells them “There’s not a seat downstairs. Do you all reckon it’ll be alright if you all came to the balcony with me” (186)? The children happily take his offer and travel to the balcony where “Four negroes rose and gave them their front-row seats” (186). As time passes, Jem becomes very engaged in the trial. Scout says that “Jem seemed to be having a quiet fit. He was pounding the balcony rail softly, and once he whispered, “We’ve got him” (202). Jem is very confident that they have won the case, and thinks that Tom Robinson will not be convicted to be guilty. Later in the book, when they take a break from the trial, Jem
During the winter, Scout wakes up to snow and is scared since she has never seen it before. Her father reassures her and she goes to play with Jem in the snow. School ends later that year and dill come to play with them during the summer. During the Summer Atticus accepts to defend Tom Robinson in court. Tom Robinson was a black man who had been accused of raping the daughter of a wealthy man named Mr. Ewell. During the trial, Scout learned racial equality was a necessity that people needed to learn for a man with a white skin is just as valuable than a man with a black skin. Atticus does not win the trial, since the jury cannot convict a white man against a black. This cause a feud between the Ewells and the
During the court case, Link Deas, the man Tom Robinson works for rose from his seat and announced, “I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me for eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’ trouble outa him. Not a speck” (Lee 195). Also, others had physical evidence which they believed why Tom was innocent. As Atticus states, “She was white, and she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable. She kissed a black man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards” (Lee