Going Outside The Norm Analysis

By making the audacious claim all men are not created equal, Atticus takes a risk, thus encouraging the jury to take a risk in declaring Tom innocent. He is also building the foundation for the main point he is about to say.

Atticus feels that racism is unfair and that all men are created equal in the account of the law. Racism was ,and is, unjust and unfair to any race not just african americans. This is evident in TKAM when scout is describing the passion that atticus had when defending Tom Robinson. For Atticus to defend Tom ,a negro, shows that he has no prejudice towards him or african americans.

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

Atticus, who is a loving person all around doesn’t care about what color you are, or how you dress, Atticus will always respect you. He does get insulted and harassed all the time because of it. He gets called “NiggerLover” a lot, even people he respects like Mrs. Dubose said, “Don’t mutter at me boy! You hold up your head and say yes ma’am. Guess you don’t feel like it holding up, though, with your father the way he is.”

Atticus teaches his children, Jem and Scout, strong morals and says “You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 35?)  This shows that Atticus had a strong heart and did what was right.  He was not racist nor prejudice towards blacks.  Even after Atticus clearly proves Tom innocent, the jury comes to the heartbreaking decision  "guilty... guilty... guilty" (Lee 282). “Here, Harper Lee is showing the tragic fate of a mockingbird in society. After showing nothing but kindness and helpfulness to the community, Tom is judged guilty of rape for one simple reason... he is black and she is white”

Tom Robinson’s role in this book shows a lot of prejudice. He is a black man convicted of raping a white women. This book is set in the 1930s, during this time period the Jim Crow Laws were still in place and racism was big. ‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling” (Lee, pg 197). Tom Robinson is talking about how he felt sorry for Miss Mayella, who is white. Mr Gilmer gets very upset stating that a nigger should not feel sorry for a white woman. "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 fact of life.” (Lee, pg.220) Atticus is talking to the kids about how Tom Robinson will get the death sentence because of the color of his skin and how the jury looks at him. He talks about there is no court in Alabama that would’ve gave him something less. Basically it was Tom against a town full of white folks. Tom is a big symbol of prejudice in the book.

Since Tom is black, Atticus knows he has slim to none chance that Tom would be proven innocent in the courts “Atticus, are we going to win it?” “No, honey.” “Then why” “Simply because we were licked a hundred year before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (pg. 76 Lee) Atticus says this because he wants to teach Jem and Scout that prejudice and stereotyping are the wrong morals in life.

This case is tough because it is a black man's word against a white woman's word. People are going to listen to the women, but Atticus believes that he can get the jury to listen to Tom. It gives the blacks hope that change is coming soon, and that they will be able to speak up for themselves. The last reason why they respect him, is because he has shown nothing but respect to them. He listens to them and this allows them to have a chance to be heard. When most whites talk to them, they talk to them like they are stupid. Atticus talks to them like they are just as intelligent as him. He makes them feel like they are actual human beings instead of treating them as if they were animals. People want to feel like they are apart of something, and during this period of time in history blacks were not given this chance. Atticus allows them to feel like they are apart of something, and that they have a say in life. Atticus is like a bridge between the whites and the blacks. He links them together by defending Tom in court. He has built the bridge throughout this case, and now he is waiting for people to cross

Firstly, Tom Robinson is just one character that is prejudged in the novel. He is accused of raping a white girl named Mayella and it is a problem to the jury that a black man is trying to defend himself in court. Atticus realizes how Tom is being treated unfairly and that it is uncommon for African Americans and white people to associate with each other. During Atticus’s speech, Mayella is accused of lying in her testimony when “she kissed a black man [which is] something that in our society is unspeakable” (Lee 272). The black man who Atticus refers to is Tom. He is ridiculed and judged by several people in the book and he gets all this

Regardless of one?s race or colour, Atticus has a fair attitude towards all people. Early in the novel, a black man named Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman. Atticus took on the case to defend Tom without another thought simply because he treats everyone

However, Atticus knows since Tom is a black man he will not get a fair trail since the jury is all white and since people back then didn’t favor or teach color people this is why Atticus had to defend Tom which was a man who was wrongly accused for raping a white woman which her name was Mayella Ewell ; she was a very poor white woman the oldest of many children which was in her family .

After the trial and when they killed him at the jail trying to escape with his only hand, Atticus comes with the death news about Tom and Scout was confused and Atticus explains, “Depends on how you look at it… What was on Negro, more or less, among two hundred of ‘em? He wasn't Tom to them, he was in escaping prisoner,” (Lee 315). As the reader can see, the way that Atticus expresses his explanation to his daughter and right in front of Calpurnia he doesn’t seem as a racist because of the fact that he was on Tom’s side or defendant. He said what was better for everyone in public without affecting anyone's feelings. As what it equals, Atticus thinks straight and can win his respect and his identity gating better and being recognized as the person he should be. People can say what is truth without offending anyone and making their identity better in life.ally was saying is that it would not have make a big difference to kill another negro out many that there are still around. And by having respect around black people makes him a better person having a deal his identity about no matter what others care, to do what is best for him and succeed, with the people he knows and that supports him. As shown itself, identity can be changed/affected with good actions around other race that are fighting for

race. Atticus tries to give a fair defence and gets us to think of Tom as a

In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee the Finch family are known in Maycomb County by everyone, whether through their eyes it’s for a good reason or bad reason. The Finches are very important to the novel as they have a lot to do with the issues bought up during the novel. Mr Atticus Finch is an individual in the

When Atticus took the case, he went up against Maycomb, a generally prejudiced town, in order to defend Tom. He understood that taking the case would make him an object of ridicule and that no one would forgive him for believing a black man's word over a white man's. Even his own sister expresses disapproval at his decision, practically telling him he was bringing disgrace to the family. Nevertheless, no matter how much his reputation suffered, he did not change his mind. Standing up for his morals and ethics was more important than what people thought about him. From the very start Atticus knows he will not win the case however he does his job and finishes what he set out to do.