Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird was long seen as a cultural role model, a person who’s strong morals held up even under the scrutiny of his entire town and their attempts to stop him from making the right decision and doing the right thing. Then, Go Set A Watchman was released, and a darker side to Atticus Finch was revealed. Atticus’s fall is a jarring one to many readers, but upon further reflection it just shows that he is a product of his time. Even with this defence, his decision to not properly defend Zeebo’s son nor to let him find a lawyer who would properly defend him is the wrong choice in this circumstance. It is not right for him to chose to handle this case this way. Atticus is wrong in this action and in many of the other actions he takes in Go Set a Watchman. …show more content…
However, had Atticus not chosen to take the case, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) would have given him a lawyer who would defend him fully. However, Atticus decides to take the case only because he worries the NAACP will be the “wrong hands” (GSaW, pg 108) to defend Zeebo’s son because they’ll “raise every legal trick in their books” (GSaW, pg 109) to get him a fair trial in Maycomb or to take the trail to Federal court, where we would get a fair trial for sure. Atticus worries that this would lead to problems for Maycomb, but if his way of preventing it is an unfair trial, it’s not the right thing to
“You may choose to look away, but you may never say that you did not know” (William Wilberforce). In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch juggles being a single father to his two children and practicing law in his small town. When Atticus defends a young black man who is being accused rape, the town of Macomb becomes polarized on the case and the trial reveals many truths about the people of the Maycomb. Atticus Finch works passionately to fight for the minority, which amplifies the importance of justice.
The people of Maycomb were very mad and very unthoughtful of the decision for Atticus to take the case because Tom is black. “He’s nothing but a nigger lover.”(Lee)Pg.110) However if Atticus hadn’t taken the case he wouldn’t be able to face his kids anymore. He wouldn’t have enough dignity anymore. He also wouldn’t be known as a racist.
Every day we go about our lives. We make choices, make decisions but do we ever really think about if the choice we make is the right thing to do? Atticus is the answer to what we should do. Atticus shows the importance of making the right choice no matter what. This is shown through the actions of Atticus both in and outside of the trial.
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,
“Lemme tell you somethin’ now billy, you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger.” “Yeah but he aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it.” (Lee, 165) This quote is purely just ignorance and prejudice, this quote is a good example of how most of the town feels, they are mad at atticus not for taking the case, but for actually trying to give Tom a fair trial.
In addition, Atticus went against his moral code and principles he had always upheld before, especially in the Tom Robinson trial. Now, Atticus is faced with the decision of abiding by the law or breaking it in order to do the right thing. He knew that incarcerating a man, as withdrawn and solitary as Arthur would have been unforgivable. Especially, after Arthur had performed a great deed by saving his children 's life. He knew that exposing him would be an awful way of repaying him; it would have been like "shooting a mockingbird."
Discrimination is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird in numerous ways. Racism and prejudice are shown when the jury makes the ruling to convict Tom Robinson as guilty, despite all of the evidence to prove his innocence; Scout is known for being a tomboy. The lessons about discrimination that Scout learns throughout the novel are applicable to all types of prejudice, Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem Finch, is judged for defending Tom Robinson, an innocent man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a low class teenage girl. Since most of the community is racist, Tom Robinson’s case is very hard for Atticus to defend. They do not believe a white man should be defending a black man.
Furthermore he defends a black man in court. At the time (and maybe still even now) Maycomb, Alabama, is from our perspective a really racist county, and in this culture it takes a lot of courage to go against the tide and not to judge a black man merely of his skin colour or origin, but instead to put his worries before ones own. Most people in Maycomb, who believe black Tom Robinson is innocent, also believe that there is no chance of winning the case and they lack the courage to risk getting a bad reputation with nothing to gain from it. Atticus is probably the only one whose moral views forbid him to look
The right’s of Atticus choosings In my opinion Atticus did do the right thing in fighting for Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was against the word of two white people with a heavy case; but Atticus did it all out of the kindness of his heart. Atticus wanted to change the way people thought about the colored people “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (lee. 101). Atticus knew it would be tough because of the heatless town of Maycomb; but he knew all the facts, and was willing to give it all he had to try, and get Tom Robinson out of this mess. He believed that if he didn't defend Tom Robinson he could not hold his head up to the town and he certainly couldn't tell Jem and Scout what to do anymore.
He also wanted to do what was right. Clincher;Atticus Finch shows how important to stand up for others because it follows the golden rule of treating others the same way you want to be
A mockingbird is a harmless songbird that offers only its beautiful voice. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age novel written by Harper Lee. This story took place in a small rural town called Maycomb County, in the 1930’s where everyone knew each other and all the townspeople were infected by a disease called gossip. This gossip harmed the “mockingbirds”, because all of them were “shot down” physically and metaphorically. Harper Lee implied that there were distinct characteristics that parallel mockingbirds.
Atticus Finch, a father and lawyer has two children he teaches valuable lessons to and gets different perspectives of the ways of the world from being a lawyer. Atticus is talking about Tom Robinson’s case and says “The one thing that doesn 't abide by majority rule is a person 's conscience”(105). Atticus thinks people should respect others and stay true to yourself even if the flow is going a completely different direction. Lee takes an adults point of view to give a thoughtful lesson to the younger generation who are finding their way in the world. As a lawyer Atticus also has an outlook from his courtroom dealings.
Atticus fears that "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins” (Page 224) Atticus confirmed that Maycomb won’t have a just system due to white men’s words to black men. This would only make Maycomb welcoming to white people and unwelcoming for black people. Maycomb is unwelcoming and unjust for the prejudice view for black
The reason why Atticus defended a black man and did what most everyone would never think of doing is because of justice and civilly going against the norm. The character, a lawyer named Atticus, also endangers not only his own life but his family's, by defending a Negro. He believes he is protecting an innocent man. Even though he is black.
Lastly, he shows fairness when he thought Jem was the one who stabbed Bob Ewell. Atticus explains ‘’’Of course it was clear cut defense but I’ll have to go to the office and hunt up.’’’ (pg 365). This shows