Atticus Change Quotes

Atticus becomes involved in controversy when he agrees to defend Tom, a young black man. Atticus chooses to defend him despite the fact that many people ridiculed him because he told his children not to discriminate black people and if he chose not to defend Tom, he would be a hypocrite and could never expect his children to respect him again. Atticus was a good man trying to change the way African Americans were treated in Maycomb. Atticus decided to defend Tom even though he would lose since he was an African-American, but the point was to show his children not to discriminate. In Chapter 9, Atticus states that “Every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally.” He is trying to say that there is no way he can

Atticus shows how courageous he is many times throughout this novel, including when Tom Robinson was put on trial. Tom is an African American who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Tom is arrested for this incident and put on trial. No lawyer in Maycomb County wants to defend Tom. Until Atticus is asked to represent Tom. Although Atticus knows this will be a tough

In chapter 11, Atticus and Jem are talking about Mrs. Dubose, and how she was the bravest person Atticus has ever met. Atticus is talking about how she has courage, and implies “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” (149) This shows that Atticus wants to stick to Tom Robinson’s side because he is courageous. He knows he is going to lose, but is sticking to his views and fighting for Tom Robinson anyways. In chapter 20, Atticus is giving his speech in the courtroom. Atticus says “ To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white.” (271) Atticus means that it is obvious on who is going to win, but he is going to defend Tom Robinson, no matter what because that is the type of person he is. It didn’t matter if Atticus knew he was not going to win because he wants to prove a point that race should not matter, and everybody should be treated equal. He wanted to just have one person see past color and think that Tom Robinson might not have committed the crime. In chapter 22, Miss Maudie says “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that.” (289) Overall, Atticus knows how to make the right decision and follow what he

Due to the fact that Tom Robinson is a black man opposing two white folks, he has a great disadvantage against them on the account of the highly prominent racial discrimination seen in Maycomb. Atticus serves his best to bring Tom justice and he accomplished it despite Tom being wrongfully convicted for a crime he did not commit. Scout and Jem uncover the truths of their small county, Maycomb when they realize that significant racial discrimination is present in their county. The prejudiced attitudes prove to lessen following the trial due to how everyone knows that Tom is innocent but was still convicted solely based on his skin colour. The racial discrimination proves to be less extreme than before the Tom Robinson trial due to how even the most racist and biased people are able to change, the trial made the court attendance question their embedded perspectives on the black community, and the immense duration of time to how long the jury needed to finalize the verdict. Having present all these facts, how could one still believe Maycomb remained the same after the

Atticus, by defending Tom Robinson, is showing compassion and tolerance. Atticus, a white lawyer, stands up for Tom Robinson, who is black, and believes that everyone should have an equal chance in court. When Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson, he believed that Tom is innocent, as he did not commit the crime. Atticus says, “ if I didn’t, I couldn’t

The final reason that atticus should’ve defended tom robinson is that by watching what A did, it taught Scout and Jem courage and to be respectful. Scout and Jem already believed blacks and whites were equal but their father’s actions taught them to stand alone for a just cause. By witnessing the townspeople attempt to lynch TR without a trial it showed them just how much A was up against and how courageous he was. The black people in town would testify that they were accustomed to unfair trials, segregation, less pay and a hard life. Scout and Jem watched A sincerely defend an unpopular cause even though the whole town opposed

However, although the cause was unpopular, Atticus felt compelled to protect not only Tom Robinson’s life, but to protect his honor. Truly selfless, Atticus represented Robinson despite the disapproval of his neighbors and some members of his family. As a result of Atticus’ involvement in the case, Atticus and his family are persecuted by racist villagers. Atticus’ moral compass compelled him to stand by a man whom he believed was innocent. Fueled by his convictions, Atticus demonstrated moral courage at great personal expense. By standing up for the rights of one black man, Atticus vindicated the rights of all of the blacks in Maycomb.

Atticus was offered the job of defending Tom Robinson by the sheriff and he accepted. This led to him and his children to be taunted and threatened. In chapter 16, Scout finally realized why Atticus had to take the job. “Atticus had to, whether he wanted to or not….He had to, that’s why he was doing it, equaled fewer fights and less fussing. But did that explain the town’s attitude? The court appointed Atticus to defend him. Atticus aimed to defend him. That’s what they didn’t like about it.(pg 218)” In this quote, she informs us on Atticus’ reason to defend Tom and why it was so controversial. From it, we draw that Atticus was not supposed to try during the trial and this was what caused all the sideway glances and name-calling to be thrown at the family. By choosing to defend Tom to the best of his ability, Atticus went against the racially prejudiced Maycomb. This teaches Scout to never give up, even if the end result will not be in your favor and the process is painful. As long as you are doing the right thing, you must persevere and push

Atticus shows his deep emotions on the trial throughout the book. After the trial, Atticus gets emotional from losing the trial. The author describes , “his face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. It ain’t right, he muttered” (242). The author suggests that Atticus is very upset about losing the case and felt that it really wasn't fair. When Atticus says, “It ain’t right,” it shows that he was very passionate about the trail and that he deeply believe in winning the trail. During the time of the Great Depression, most lawyers were white meaning that the juries and lawyers of the case was biased. Atticus ignored that and wanted to make a change. He acted as a hero by believing and working hard, which shows Atticus is a hero. The author includes Atticus’s feelings on the trial to show how much dedication and thought he had on Tom Robinson and the case.Atticus explains what it is like being a lawyer for years. Atticus says, “ Every lawyer in a lifetime experiences a case which affects you personally. This one’s mine, I guess” (86). Atticus felt that this one case really affected him personally. When he says, “this one is mine, I guess,” it shows that this trial really did affect him because he stood up for someone no one else would have. Atticus acted as a hero because he stood up Tom but was passionate and showed a lot of effort. Atticus could have lacked off since the Finches had an advantage since they were white; however, he decides to work very hard on the trial even though he had many distractions. A main distraction was that many people in Maycomb started to dislike him for standing up for Tom, but he ignored them and didn't let them get in his way. Throughout the book, Atticus not only stood up for Tom ,but also worked extremely hard on the

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the real truth about racism throughout the 1930s in the American South is exposed. Tom Robinson's upspring and outcome in his court trial portrays racism in Maycomb as an essential element in the county’s social law. The black community is introduced as more unvaluable, rundown area rather than the exceptional, white folk area. Dolphus Raymond is a man who hangs around black folks and shares “mixed” kids with his black wife; although Maycomb County doesn’t agree with his lifestyle.

Atticus displays tremendous courage in his commitment to defend Tom Robinson, which is an extremely unpopular decision in the eyes of an ignorant community. Despite the criticism and threats targeting his work and his children, Atticus remains loyal to his own conscience. As he explains to Scout, “‘This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience-Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.” (analysis, not summary) Atticus’s unwavering commitment is apparent during the night before the trial as he spends the night at the jailhouse and withstands a brutal lynch mob intent on making Tom Robinson their prey.

After watching the trial, Jem saw that the people of Maycomb were being unjust to Tom Robinson and giving the Ewells an unfair advantage. “There’s something in this world that makes men lose their heads- they couldn’t be fair even if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a black man’s word against a white man’s, the white man always wins.” (pg. 117) Jem knows that everyone should be treated fairly. When he was younger he did not understand why this was. Now, he is now exposed to the amount of racism that the South has. Atticus has taught him to stay strong through the tough times and to always treat people with respect no matter the color of his skin. Towards the end of the trial Jem was sure that Atticus and Tom Robinson had won the case. However, the rest of Maycomb was on Mayella and Mr. Ewell’s side which made him very frustrated. “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain’t right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner square where we found atticus waiting.” (pg. 113) He knows it’s not right to not believe a man’s word because of the color of his skin.

In this example the people of Maycomb show their true colors in convicting Tom of a crime that he likely did not commit. For Atticus the same, his true character is shown when he was in a situation where he knew that the right choice was not what most people would agree on. The concept of not judging someone based on their appearance is one of the many moral lessons that Atticus bases his career on. Being a lawyer has a significant impact on Atticus's character since he remains unbiased and separates himself from any conflicts of interest the same way he separates himself from his own children. He uses the powerful stance being a

Atticus, Scout's dad, is a lawyer who is court assigned to a middle aged black male named Tom Robinson. Tom, who was accused of raping a white lady named Miss Mayella Ewell, was facing the death sentence. Extremely strong points to help prove Tom’s innocence were given by Atticus. The opposition weren't giving the best of points and that lead to the favor of the packed audience, in the courthouse, all for Tom while the jury left the room. Hours went by. Everyone praying, hoping, wishing, for Tom to be innocent, the jury walks in. With Tom being indisputably innocent, the Jury said, “Guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty… I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each guilty was a separate stab between them” (282). This baffled the audience. Tom gets walked out of the courtroom inaudible. Why would the jury find Tom guilty? Was it because they thought he was guilty? Because he was black? Atticus explains that the jury were plain people. He tells Scout that they couldn’t let a black man walk free from a case like

When Scout asks Atticus his reasoning for defending Tom Robinson and this is where Scout starts her journey on maturing and realizing that she is surrounded by discrimination. “Scout, you aren't old enough to understand some things yet, but there's been some high talk around the town to the effect that I shouldn't do much about defending this man” -atticus (100). Scout asked him why he was defending the Negroes, he explained to her that people within the town are criticizing him for it because of racial inequality. Maycomb county residents are unjustly talking poorly about Atticus just because he is defending a black man, when really he is just doing his job which is to defend anyone who is being trialed and can afford it. Society is looking down upon an individual that is different and by different they are not afraid of equality between black and white people.