Right And Wrong In To Kill A Mockingbird

Thesis: Lee and Stevenson argue that morality comes from keeping your self-respect and holding yourself accountable to do the right thing, because sometimes you can do the right thing and have criticism for it, but that aspect of just keeping your self-respect shouldn’t affect your decision-making in whether or not you should be doing the right thing.

Intro: Step into the world of Maycomb, Alabama, where the lines between right and wrong are blurred, and the question of Morality is put to the ultimate test in Harper Lee’s timeless classic, To Kill A Mockingbird. “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is set around 1960 and explores themes like Racism and Injustice. “We Need to Talk about Injustice” is a TED Talk given by Bryan Stevenson in 2014.

Scout asks Atticus why he defends negroes when Atticus explains that the reason he defends them 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" (Lee 86). If he didn’t stand up for Tom, he couldn’t hold his head up. The right choice is the one where you keep your self-respect and/or hold yourself accountable. You always know that you're doing the right thing when people are criticizing you for what you're doing. This connects back to the topic sentence because it showcases that Atticus was following his Stevenson is explaining that the promise that his grandmother wanted him to promise was "The second thing I want you to promise me is that you'll always do the right thing, even when the right thing is the hard thing.” (Stevenson). Even when doing the right thing is hard, you should always push through and rise from that hard ground. The evidence suggests that Bryan’s Grandma is asking for a promise to always do the right thing, even when it's difficult to do. Overall this encourages you to prioritize what you should be doing what's right above everything else. The sources connect in that it conveys a message that not only should you prioritize to be doing the right thing but that you should be doing it to maintain your self-respect because

Atticus is explaining to Scout that no matter what you hear, you should never let it get to you because “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let them get your goat” (Atticus Chp.10). Atticus is advising Scout on how to deal with the mistreatment she faces at school due to Atticus defending a black man (Tom Robinson) in a highly racially charged case. Atticus encourages Scout to rise above negative vibes and actions and not respond to those by fighting physically. This connects back to my topic sentence because it portrays that Atticus just wants Scout to show a little bit of respect and dignity. After all, that's how she’d be able to hold herself accountable. “We have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes. And yet, we seem to be very comfortable.” (Stevenson). We seem to have this justice system where wealth plays a very high role, maybe even a significant one where it can shape outcomes. This is a concerning issue because it suggests that the Justice system doesn't prioritize evidence and the truth but wealth itself.