Atticus makes a powerful statement about the equal status of men in society, regardless of their income or intelligence. In this argument, he uses simple logic to corroborate his point - not every man is the same, but he must be treated fairly in court. While he does not explicitly refer to race, Atticus implies that Tom Robinson should not be convicted solely because he is a black man being accused by a white…
The people of Maycomb are significantly affected by racism and prejudice. Although there are many examples of this present throughout the text, I will be highlighting three of them; the first one being the Tom Robinson’s case. Another example of this is the bullying Jem and Scout receive as a result of Atticus defending Tom Robinson in court. The last example I’m going to share is the town's disapproval of Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s interracial relationship. All of these examples support my thesis of racism and prejudice being extraordinarily present in maycomb.…
The character Atticus feels that segregation in Maycomb isn’t necessary. You can see this especially when he chooses to take the Tom Robinson case. This case is about a black man that has been sentenced to jury for being accused of rapeing Mayella Edwards. “Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that effects him personally, this one's mine”(100-101). This quote is said when Scout gets offended by his cousin bashing Atticus for defending Tom Robinson and his case.…
Racism is unfair and everyone should have equal rights in court, in personal choices, and in society. In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus supports an African American man, which is very rare in the society because most white people do not support black people, and they think that they are better than black people. Everybody in Maycomb thought that he was wrong and a disgrace to the family. White people never lose to black people. Even though Atticus knew that a black man would never win over a white, he gave it a shot and tried his best to support Tom Robinson.…
A Search For Justice In To Kill a Mockingbird “Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, whenever found, against the wrong’’ - Teddy Roosevelt. This highlights the actions that Atticus and Mrs. Dubose take throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus always does what he thinks is right and does not follow what the other citizens of Maycomb, Alabama do. Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, who live in Maycomb, teaches his kids to do what they believe is right.…
Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.” (295) With these words, Atticus informs Jem that not everything is right and fair. What Atticus meant most importantly by this quote was that not everyone is equal to each other in the world. To be more specific, African Americans and white people are no where near equal.…
One of the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is inequalities due to race and social class. In other words, black men are treated less importantly than white men because of their race. In addition, African Americans are at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The tension between both races are shown in the novel. For example, Atticus explains to his daughter, Scout that men “couldn't be fair if they tried” about the different races in the town of Maycomb (Lee 295).…
Prejudice is highlighted when people of Maycomb believe colored people have no values and aren’t human. This then leads to the division of people. When Scout asks about prejudice, Atticus tells about how their society is evil. “Nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything... it’s hard to explain ignorant trashy people”(107).…
“Before you judge my life, my past or my character...Walk in my shoes, walk the path I have traveled, live my sorrow, my doubts, my fear, my pain and my laughter... Remember everyone has a story. When you've lived my life you can judge me. ”-Unknown. Throughout the book, the main lesson that Atticus tries to pass on to his children in order to live a better life, is to look at things from the perspective of others in order to be more empathetic of their struggles and all sorts of other experiences that they go through.…
Many people would argue that Atticus is an example of someone who spreads his views on racism in Maycomb. Even with that, Atticus is the only person in Maycomb who shares his views and doesn’t mind the other citizens “attacking” them. This means that Atticus is meant to emphasize that only the people who attempt to solve problems will help the society move…
The use of Equality, Respect, and Integrity in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book set in the 1930s that centres around Macomb County. This book follows the story of Scout and her childhood adventures. Her father Atticus Finch is Scout’s single surviving parent and he tries to teach her several values. Atticus Finch teaches Scout equality, respect, and integrity through direct and implied conversations. Scout learns equality when Atticus repeatedly teaches her that all people are equal and only their actions set them apart, she learns respect when he shows kindness even to those he disagrees with, and she learns integrity as he repeatedly teaches her a set of values.…
Atticus, in contrast to many other characters in the novel, does not accept the institutionalized racism that is entrenched into Maycombian society. Instead, he fights racial prejudice because he views it as fundamentally flawed and stemming from a lack of empathy and understanding for those outside one’s social group. Furthermore, Atticus’ emotional investment in Tom Robinson’s case shows the personal level on which racism affects him. When discussing with Scout why he was defending Tom Robinson, Atticus explained, “… every lawyer gets a case at least once in his life that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess.”…
When people are fearful of something they do not understand a prejudice is formed. In the novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird”, the author, Harper Lee, suggests that when an individual is clouded with ignorance they simply do not understand circumstances different from ones they have faced themselves. As a result the individual is left to make an assumption purely based on their own beliefs of what is right and wrong. The book To Kill a Mocking Bird is flooded with misunderstandings caused by fear of the unknown and unfortunately many characters were left on the receiving end of these events. Throughout the story we see many characters fall victim to the cruel ignorance of others and are unjustly persecuted.…
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the 1930s in a fictional southern town in Alabama. Told through the eyes of 6 year old Scout Finch, you learn about her father, Atticus Finch, an attorney who tries to prove the innocence of a black man falsely accused of rape of a white girl; and about Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed. To Kill A Mockingbird includes themes such as racism, prejudice, and ____. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are all victims of prejudice, but Maycomb begins to change in a positive way from prejudice.…
In the small town of Maycomb, the community is likeminded and narrow-minded at that. There will not be a change in ways unless there is a great and forceful push for one and Atticus has provided that. His need to equalize and find fairness in all aspects of life and people led to progress, despite a loss. It is a loss but not without significance. People’s minds were impacted.…