Short Story Just Lather That's All

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

Tom Robinson had been accused of raping a white woman, and Mr. Finch is his lawyer. Because of racism in this time period; Atticus had no hope of winning the case, but winning wasn’t his ultimate goal. He fought for Tom Robinson because he felt that everyone deserved justice in the court no matter what race. “Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal” (Lee 274). The lawyer wasn’t fighting an impossible case for the challenge of winning. He was arguing for this man so that he could walk with courage, knowing he had done the right

Sometimes the hardest decisions are the most important, and are the ones that shape and sculpt your journey through life. Whenever I am faced with a dilemma, like whether to start a new episode of The Office on Netflix or to proofread my global history essay, I remember to take a step back to better analyze the situation which, at times can change my perspective.

Lawyering can be really difficult and requires a lot of patience when fighting for someone’s life on the line even though they didn’t crime. In the story, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys the theme of equal rights when Atticus Finch fights for Tom Robinson allegedly “raping” Mayella Ewell. In his final speech to the jury, Atticus applies ethos, pathos, and logos in order to collide with the jury for Tom allegedly raping Mayella because of his ethnicity(black).

Atticus Finch in “To Kill A Mockingbird” did no conforming to the town when he chose to defend a black man, which was obscene back then. Being a lawyer, Atticus felt it was his responsibility and duty to defend the man and would feel ashamed and remorseful if he didn’t. Even when his own children questioned his actions, ‘"If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doing' it?"’ He answered them with what he knew they would understand and respect. ‘"For a number of reasons," said Atticus. "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again. […] Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess."’ (p.100) Atticus fought for what he thought was right, but ended up losing the lawsuit in the end. Nevertheless, his actions and choices earned him respect from every African American in that little town. Filled with gratitude for what Atticus had tried to do for one of their own, they wanted to give all the respect they could. The whole court house stood as he passed, and Reverend Sykes even said “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” (p.283) to have her understand her father was a great and noble person.

Atticus says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Chapter 9, page 101). Atticus made a decision when he decided to defend Tom Robinson, one that would change his career and life for the better. The book that this essay is referring to is “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee. Atticus lives with his two children in the sleepy Maycomb county, in the 1920’s. He is a lawyer, who is respectful, just, and generally welcoming to anyone.

make many decisions and if they choose wrong, it may cost them their lives or someone else’s in

In the book, Atticus was determined to win the Tom Robinson case, or at least try to. He doesn’t care what the outcome was in the past, and wants to change the outcome in the future. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (101) describes that since Atticus was defeated in the past doesn’t mean that he can’t try again to get a different result. The quote shows courage as well because Atticus wasn’t afraid to go against his own townsmen to do the right thing, regardless of what they were thinking. During the Robinson trial, many townspeople wanted Attics to drop the case, but he refused among threats and taunting. In this book, Atticus stated, “...before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself” (140), and this is showing that he doesn’t mind what everyone else is saying and he’s content with his decision to keep the case despite the consequences. Also, this shows that Atticus has courage and would do what is right even if other people didn’t approve of or like it. Lastly, as one progresses in the book, one would realize early on that Atticus is very courageous, and isn’t afraid of what’ll happen to him to save someone. In chapter 15, a suspicious man yelled from the lynch mob “All right Mr. Finch, get ‘em outa here… you got

In chapter 11, Atticus and Jem are talking about Mrs. Dubose, and how she was the bravest person Atticus has ever met. Atticus is talking about how she has courage, and implies “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” (149) This shows that Atticus wants to stick to Tom Robinson’s side because he is courageous. He knows he is going to lose, but is sticking to his views and fighting for Tom Robinson anyways. In chapter 20, Atticus is giving his speech in the courtroom. Atticus says “ To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white.” (271) Atticus means that it is obvious on who is going to win, but he is going to defend Tom Robinson, no matter what because that is the type of person he is. It didn’t matter if Atticus knew he was not going to win because he wants to prove a point that race should not matter, and everybody should be treated equal. He wanted to just have one person see past color and think that Tom Robinson might not have committed the crime. In chapter 22, Miss Maudie says “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that.” (289) Overall, Atticus knows how to make the right decision and follow what he

“The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.”(Moral Quotes). Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird shows strong moral character even when his decisions are unpopular. Atticus Finch is a high class lawyer who took a case to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. His society, being a racist southern town in the 1930s, judged him because of his decision to defend a black man. Atticus can be compared to both Aunt Alexandra and Dollfus Raymond to represent that although, some people fall to the pressures of society and ignore their morality others can rise above it and act on that morality. Harper Lee utilizes the character of Atticus to illustrate that despite

Atticus Finch is a major character in the story “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. He does not get too worked up about stressful situations and is not affected by what other people say or think. As an attorney, Atticus believes in what is right, even if it is not what is popular. He has to defend his client, Tom Robinson, a African-American man who is accused of rape by a white family. Although Atticus knows that Tom will not be given a fair trial at court, he stills decides to stand up for him and defend him.

Atticus displays tremendous courage in his commitment to defend Tom Robinson, which is an extremely unpopular decision in the eyes of an ignorant community. Despite the criticism and threats targeting his work and his children, Atticus remains loyal to his own conscience. As he explains to Scout, “‘This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience-Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.” (analysis, not summary) Atticus’s unwavering commitment is apparent during the night before the trial as he spends the night at the jailhouse and withstands a brutal lynch mob intent on making Tom Robinson their prey.

Atticus Finch is a very courageous man. He is a lawyer who is defending a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. Atticus has been told by many people, including the woman’s father, that he’s going against his own race and protecting a bad man. If he didn’t do this, he would be

Atticus shows his deep emotions on the trial throughout the book. After the trial, Atticus gets emotional from losing the trial. The author describes , “his face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. It ain’t right, he muttered” (242). The author suggests that Atticus is very upset about losing the case and felt that it really wasn't fair. When Atticus says, “It ain’t right,” it shows that he was very passionate about the trail and that he deeply believe in winning the trail. During the time of the Great Depression, most lawyers were white meaning that the juries and lawyers of the case was biased. Atticus ignored that and wanted to make a change. He acted as a hero by believing and working hard, which shows Atticus is a hero. The author includes Atticus’s feelings on the trial to show how much dedication and thought he had on Tom Robinson and the case.Atticus explains what it is like being a lawyer for years. Atticus says, “ Every lawyer in a lifetime experiences a case which affects you personally. This one’s mine, I guess” (86). Atticus felt that this one case really affected him personally. When he says, “this one is mine, I guess,” it shows that this trial really did affect him because he stood up for someone no one else would have. Atticus acted as a hero because he stood up Tom but was passionate and showed a lot of effort. Atticus could have lacked off since the Finches had an advantage since they were white; however, he decides to work very hard on the trial even though he had many distractions. A main distraction was that many people in Maycomb started to dislike him for standing up for Tom, but he ignored them and didn't let them get in his way. Throughout the book, Atticus not only stood up for Tom ,but also worked extremely hard on the

Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Atticus displayed his compassionate nature by explaining his sympathy through life lessons given to both Scout and Jem that they can easily apply to their everyday lives. During the second half of the novel, Atticus is chosen to defend an innocent black man accused of rape. Considering the Finches live in Maycomb, Alabama, much of their town is made up of prejudice people who believe that all African Americans are guilty and are to be blamed for any mishaps that occur in the small town; however, Atticus has a much different point of view. Instead of choosing to give up on the case, he believes that, “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”(Lee 101). By Atticus taking the case, proves his concern for others, even when everyone around him believes that the innocent man, Tom Robinson, is guilty. Instead of taking this case as a curse, he turned it into a lesson to Scout explaining to never give up and to always do