Atticus Defending Tom

“Simply because we were licked a hundred before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (101) says Atticus Finch, the main character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man, accused of attacking a white woman. Set in Jim Crow Alabama, Atticus is making a decision many people in Maycomb do not understand- taking a stand for a black man. Even though Atticus knows he does not have a chance at winning Tom’s case, because of his character, it makes sense for him to defend Tom Robinson because, Atticus does what is right, he lives by the “Golden Rule”, and he wants to set a good example to Jem and Scout. Defending Tom Robinson makes sense for Atticus because he is the type of man that does what he thinks is right. When Scout expresses her worries about the townsfolk’s opinion of him, Atticus tells Scout, “The one thing that doesn’t …show more content…
Atticus believes in the “Golden Rule” and thinks Tom needs a chance; Scout steps in and addresses Atticus’s beliefs in the “Golden Rule” by saying “Atticus says cheatin’ a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin’ a white man, says it’s the worst thing you can do.”(269). It does not matter if a person is white black or even purple, everyone is equal to Atticus. Atticus is defending Tom Robinson because he values equality and believes in justice for others. Similarly, Calpurnia, the Finch family cook, is black and Atticus shows his belief that everyone is equal by standing up for Cal whenever he can. For example, “Anything fit to say at the table’s fit to say in front of Calpurnia. She knows what she means to this family.” This shows that Atticus treats everyone, even Calpurnia, with the same respect. Atticus treats everyone with respect even if in return all he gets is rudeness or unkind actions. Just because Atticus is white, that gives no reason for him not to take Tom’s case into his own