How Does Lee Present Atticus's Reasoning To Lie In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Maycomb court system is totally biased in a discriminatory way. The case of Tom Robinson, if it had not been in this court with its racist jurors, would certainly have not ended the way it did. It only ended the way it did because of peer-pressure, a scared victim being manipulated and believed, and an honest man not. Through her testimony, Mayella Ewell constantly lied.

This image shows how the people in Maycomb based their beliefs, about Thomas Robinson, by his skin color. Most whites who were at the trial, didn’t want to hear anything that Mr. Robinson has to say, because he was black. Since he was black, the whites automatically assumed Mr. Robinson was guilty. Mr. Robinson says he didn’t mean any harm toward Miss. Mayella. “Mr. Finch, I tried.

“In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins.” In the historical fiction, To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee writes about a small town known as Maycomb, Alabama in the late 1930’s. The novel revolves upon the case of Mayella and Tom and the effects of racial discriminations during the trial. In the story, Mayella, a nineteen year old, constantly undergoes abuse from her drunken father, Mr. Bob Ewell.

President Lincoln’s believed that “all men are created equal”. While Atticus attempted to provide the jurors with a sense of duty and to take the high road, they did not recognize Tom Robinson as an equal in the courts. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus argues against Maycomb’s racial values to defend Tom Robinson through the use of logical reasoning and emotional appeal. Atticus uses logos in an attempt to explain why Tom could not have been guilty.

Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus is simply defending Tom Robinson in court, “I’m simply defending a Negro-his name’s Tom Robinson” (Lee 86). In Atticus' time period, there was not much of a civil rights movement, and it was the default to be racist. Though Atticus is not explicitly racist, he does not do anything to stop the mistreatment of black people, only defending Tom when he is accused of a crime he had not committed. His goal is to influence the court's decision over Tom. Atticus’ help only spans to help one person, while many black people during this time face much prejudice.

Author Harper Lee, in her novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”, depicts a court trial in which Atticus Finch, a Maycomb County lawyer, attempts to defend an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of rape and beating by a young white woman, Mayella Ewell. Finch’s purpose is to prove Tom’s innocence to the court and avoid an inaccurate conviction. He adopts a deliberate tone in order to rule the jury’s speculation in favor of Robinsons guiltlessness. Atticus begins his argument by contrasting social moralities versus actual law.

In Atticus’ closing argument, the prejudice against Tom Robinson is that he is black, and that any crime that he commits thus must be true, “ the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings…” (Lee).This affects the possibility of Atticus proving Robinson not guilty because of the prejudice that everyone in the courtroom has against him. The case is revolving around that Tom Robinson is accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, the counterargument that Atticus presents shows that Mayella was beaten with the left hand, but Tom Robinson is only capable of using his right hand because his left hand was caught in a cotton gin completely disabling it. Atticus incorporates the use of both logical and emotional appeals in his speech to convince the courtroom that Robinson is not a guilty man. Atticus shoots all the evidence he has at the courtroom and tells them, “In the name of God, do your duty,” (Lee).

Atticus is one of the main characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” who defines courage and bravery by attempting to do something that seems nearly impossible. He decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of assaulting and raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. By taking this case,

Atticus takes the trial knowing the consequence that him and his family will be harrassed by the town because it is the right thing to do. Atticus finch decides to defend Tom Robinson to be a good role model for his children and prove that the “Golden Rule” is a rule to

Tom Robinson, a black man in Maycomb who is falsely accused of raping and assaulting Mayella Ewell, is being cross-examined by Mr. Gilmer during his trial. Robinson testifies, denying the allegations and that he ran from Mayella because he was scared of being punished for a crime he didn’t commit. Harper Lee uses symbolism, foreshadowing, and tone to reveal the unjust treatment of African Americans during the 1930s. Tom Robinson’s vulnerability in court symbolizes the pervasive fear black people had for being arraigned because of the unfair justice system. Harper Lee’s use of the device highlights the large issues of racial inequality and injustice during this time.

During the trial of Tom Robinson, for being accused of raping a white women. Some people in the town turned their backs on Atticus for taken the case. Atticus took the case and has proven that Tom is innocent but as Atticus knows since Tom is a “Black Male” that he would never be treated fairly. When the closing argument comes about, Atticus tells the people on the jury that they need to look past Tom being “Black Man” and see him and treat him just as a regular man. Atticus is trying to have them do the right thing instead of listening to the town and doing the wrong thing.

This book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is all about racism. There is one character that fights for equality, Atticus Finch. Atticus represents the desire for fairness. He proves some of it in his speech he gives at the courtroom. An example/quote, of his desire for equality is this quote, “…Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury.

The book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is convincing the reader that racism is wrong and needs to have an end put to it because innocent men and women are having injustice because people are not blind to their skin tone. Even though while reading the book the reader can tell the real truth behind the trail, that Mayella was actually in love with Tom Robinson and her father did not approve. The jurors did not see that because all they paid attention to was the man’s skin tone and not the facts. This is showing the reader that because of racism justice is not being severed. The book is trying to persuade the reader that racism is not right and we cannot judge someone based upon the color of their

Race has always been a part of history, from slavery to MLK, to Barack Obama. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee defines race in the south during the 1930’s. Jean “Scout” Finch, is the narrator of the story. Her brother Jeremy “Jem” and her dad, Atticus, are both main characters. Calpurnia is their house cook and helper, she is also black.

Despite racial inequalities in the South, Atticus sticks to his own morals and agrees to be the defending lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man being accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus’ defense in court was thorough and clearly proved Tom’s innocence, the jury was prejudiced towards black folks and convicted Tom as guilty. Nonetheless, Atticus is still a hero despite losing the case. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes in, fights with reason rather than guns, and has utmost determination, making him a hero despite being just an average human being. Ultimately, his thoughts and actions set the stage for major changes in the meaning of equality throughout Maycomb County, changing lives of numerous people.