Atticus Appeal In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus, when asked to defend Tom Robinson, understood that the case stood no chance in resulting a not-guilty verdict for Robinson, but despite this, he still decided to take up the case and defend Robinson. Atticus implored the jury to accept his logical and emotional appeals that he presented to them and to declare Tom Robinson not guilty;
Atticus began his closing argument with a logical appeal to the audience. He stated that the case should not have even been called into trial, as only an extreme lack of evidence presented itself. Atticus stated, “The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place” (20). The only evidence the court possessed was the anecdote

Even though Atticus had done a convincing job of proving Tom Robinson to be innocent, he still suspected the jury would still be against Robinson because he is black. In one last desperate plea with the jury, he told the jury, “Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury” (20). Atticus stated that all men are equal under the law. All men are created equal, a phrase Atticus quoted from Thomas Jefferson in his closing remarks. Finally, he states, “A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up” (20). Ultimately, the jury, not Atticus, declare Tom Robinson innocent or guilty. Atticus is trying to encourage the jury to do what is right, rather than do what society dictates, which is that they must convict a black man. By refusing to do so, they jury threaten the justice system and the equality Jefferson spoke passionately about. Despite Atticus’s logical argument, the jury of Maycomb could not be swayed from their prejudiced, racist views and declared Tom Robinson guilty. Atticus knew that the jury could not be swayed from their prejudiced, racist