How Does Atticus Use Moral Issues In To Kill A Mockingbird

As Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson, who is a black man. Many citizens of Maycomb don't understand his choices for doing so. Atticus is questioned by Scout, she asks him “If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doing it?” Scout says that to Atticus because people from Scouts school have been telling her that defending a black man is a negative thing to do. By asking Atticus this, it shows that others see black people as lower class compared to others. As the majority of Maycomb see them that way, they don't understand why Atticus should and would defend them. Atticus sees the whole situation as him just “Simply defending a Negro,” because he sees everyone nas an equal which everyone else should too. As the citizens of Maycomb don't understand why Atticus is defending Tom, some finally start to see the trial just like Atticus. In chapter 15, a mob is called upon Atticus for defending Tom. It is led by Mr. Cunningham, who has a son named Walter, which Scout goes to school with. While the mob is after Atticus because of him defending Tom, Scout is able to stop the mob. She stops the mob by telling Mr. Cunningham about his son and how Atticus has helped their family, which then calms him down to see the mob isn't right. As Scout’s kindness towards Mr. Cunningham helps him decide to call off the mobs, it also helps him to see Atticus is a good person for defending and helping Tom Robinson because Atticus did the same towards him. Atticus’ choice to defend and help black people is hard to understand for many, butin the end it is important to realise why he choses to defend

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

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” (Mark Twain) In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are not many characters that show moral courage. One particular character that shows moral courage is Atticus Finch. This character always does what he believes is right. Atticus shows courage not by being aggressive or killing, but by standing up for what he believed in a sophisticated and determined way. Atticus whose moral courage is

Atticus’ fairness also shows he is a good father because he believes that everyone deserves a chance to be understood and all have reasons for their actions. For example, after revealing the news to Jem and Scout of Tom’s death, he says, “Depends on how you look at it. What was one Negro, more or less, among two hundred of ‘em? He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner” (Lee 235). This passage shows Atticus's fairness because he always tries to put himself in other people’s shoes in order to give everyone a chance at being understood, as he teaches Jem and Scout to do. He gave up his respectable reputation among many of the whites in Maycomb to defend Tom Robinson, and still speaks highly of the men who killed him. When he says this, he is trying to make the children see that the men who killed Tom did not know him as a person, but as a Negro who committed a crime, so cannot be discriminated upon for doing their job. Along with Atticus’ sense of fairness, his Teaching also characterizes him as a good father to Jem and Scout.

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.

As it was mentioned earlier, Atticus has a very demanding career. Tom Robinson, the young man Atticus defends, pays for the ignorant and hurtful stereotypes that are made in Maycomb every day. There is the fear of black male sexuality, brought about by stories of white women being raped and beaten by black men. "As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash" (220). When the Ewell's charge Tom with rape, his decisions come not from facts of life, but the general classification and stereotypes of Maycomb. "The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box" (220). Others don't take the time to understand Tom, instead fearing and distrusting him. Tom isn't the only race in Maycomb that is victimized, however.

In his closing remarks in the courtroom, Atticus calmly explains that Mr. Ewell and his daughter have put so much confidence into the fact that the “gentlemen would go along with them on the evil assumption, that all Negroes lie… and all are basically immoral beings…” even though they are all aware that it is “a lie as black as Tom Robinson 's skin.”(Lee.20.210-211) Atticus aims to draw attention to the ‘elephant in the room’, that is, the racial discrimination in Maycomb. He implies that everyone went along with the Ewell’s story just because they believed that black people are automatically guilty and capable of all crimes. He goes on to say, “you know the truth: some Negros lie, some Negros are immoral…but this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.” (Lee.20.211) Atticus’ statement highlights his perceptive that humans should be equally treated but not according to their race. He speaks to the entire courtroom as if it’s Maycomb, he doesn’t only see blacks as the evil ones and he believes in equality and tries his best to alert his neighbours of this ugly disease they have slipped into. His ability to stand before the entire court and identify their bad habit truly makes his character stand out and questions his capability to be so strong compared to the other narrow-minded

He had a different view on Tom’s case than that of many other Maycomb citizens. “...there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man.”(Lee 100). Atticus’s feelings about the case are different than the majority of Maycomb’s feelings on it. Atticus is a change in the racist tradition of Maycomb treating black people like they are lesser beings. Atticus thinks that everyone has a right to fair representation, and puts that principal before the opinions of the rest of the town.

Atticus, aware of the prejudice in his town, took the case with the intent of proving prejudice to be wrong. When Scout learns about the war going on in Germany because of Hitler, she asks Atticus if it is okay to hate Hitler. He responds by saying, “It’s not okay to hate anybody” (330). Scout learns about the horrible things Hitler is doing to the Jewish people and assumes it would be okay to hate him because of it. Although Atticus would never agree with the things Hitler had done, he still does not hate him, or anyone. Atticus disagrees with the way many people in Maycomb show hate towards black people and tells Scout she should never hate anyone. Additionally, he shows respect after Tom Robinson is killed when he drives to his home to tell Tom’s family the horrible news. Once he arrives, he sees

Atticus is saying his closing statement, and his speech contains many topics retaining to the racism of Maycomb. These topics are the equality of men, and the lack of it when it comes to blacks against whites. Atticus states, ‘“But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.”’(Lee 273.) Atticus is referring to the accusations against Tom from Mayella, “the victim”, of Tom’s crimes. He feels that Tom Robinson should not be charged with Mayella’s rape just because of the color of his skin, along with the fact that he truly believes Tom did not commit the crime. This part of the novel is one of the more obvious protests against

Principles are rules, beliefs, or ideas that guide someone. Morality/principles are usually ignored most of the time because people just go along with what the majority people believe. This should be prevented because if they know that their principles prove that a certain thing is rightful, they should fully support what is right. All people have different opinions and views on certain things so a person’s morality/principle should guide their decisions to full extent to support what they believe. Even though a person is put on the spot to determine something, they should know to stick to their rightful opinion using their principles.

Maycomb sets expectations and standards for its citizens in a way that portrays their connection similar to a relationship. The people of the town are often forced to go with the crowd, or make their own conscious decisions that can leave the town in shame. For instance, many of the characters in the novel are not well educated, as their town places little importance on it. This makes the town seem as though it has an influential relationship to its people, as it has the ability enforce certain beliefs of racism and morals. Particularly, as shown in the book, Atticus stood out with his actions when he courageously decided to defend a black male, Tom Robinson, in a false rape trial. This action was deemed shameful amongst the town, as it was opposed to its implied expectations and common standards.

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