How Did Scout's Opinions On The Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

Similar to Jem, Scout began to see the world differently as and after the trial took place. The Finch children began to comprehend reality and understand that people can be cruel and deceiving. While Jem began to mature and comprehend this after the trial ended, Scout showed the readers her maturity before the trial even began through her narration. Before the trial begins, the three children witness an argument between Atticus and the jury in front of the jail in chapter 15. At the beginning of chapter 16 on page 208 the text reads, “The full meaning of the night’s events hit me and I began crying.” To elaborate on this sentence that Scout narrates; at this point, after witnessing what she had that day in front of the jail, she realizes the risks that her father is facing for taking the job and ill-treatment that their society would give them for being connected to the black community and treating them equally. Finally, at the end of the book, Scout presents to the readers and viewers that she has found the understanding of ‘to kill a mockingbird’. In both medias of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout tells Atticus, “Yes sir, I understand,....Well it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” This shows that Scout truly understood what her father had taught her, she realized that evil existed in the world, and it showed how she has grown throughout the

On the Sunday evening Atticus travels to the jail to stand guard and protect Tom Robinson as he was notified of possible “trouble and disturbance at the Jail’. When Jem and Dill run into the crowd, led by Scout, they are suddenly aware that they have walked into a bad situation. Though Jem realises the situation is precarious, he made a decision to stay and help Atticus protect Tom even after his father’s thorough protests. Dill and Scout on the other hand, are still too young to completely understand what is going on. They stand and fight with Jem though, knowing what he is doing will be what is right. Atticus continues to plea, order, threaten and at times, almost beg in a desperate attempt for the children to go home. He realises what a dangerous situation this is and could become if the mob turns violent so wants to protect them from this.

Tom Robinson is being moved to Maycomb County jail. This sparks trouble. Heck Tate one day comes to Atticus’s house with men on his lawn wishing they could speak to them. When Atticus went out that night to work Jem was getting ready to follow him, when Scout saw she insisted on going with Dill and Jem. They let her come. They followed him sneaking out of their house to find him. They found him sitting alone outside the jail reading the paper. Then four cars show up and it looks like Atticus was expecting them to arrive. Scout runs after Atticus and Jem and Dill then soon reveal themselves. Atticus immediately demands them to go home. Jem did protest and when he did one was the men grabbed him by his collar. Then Scout kicked him. The man said

I believe that Atticus did the proper thing by defending Tom Robinson during the trial. Though it was controversial throughout Maycomb County, he served as an exceptional example for his children by accepting the case and genuinely defending a black man. There were many downsides when Atticus agreed to take the case appointed to him. Initially, his reputation and social status took a blow from this incident. This lead to backlash and insults from people across the community. The Finchs' had one of the highest social statuses in the town, for Atticus had a suitable job with a reputable name. (Lee PAGE) When word about this incident spread, many people disapproved. This was evident when many of Scout's classmates taunted her about her father being "a nigger lover", which they unmistakably picked up from their parents. (Lee PAGE) Atticus' family members were not too pleased with this decision as well. In the text, Francis repeats what his grandmother said, saying "[Atticus] ruinin‘ the family, that’s what he’s doin’". (Lee PAGE) Additionally, Mrs. Dubose had several degrading comments to say about the

In the novel, it states “ Scout you aren't old enough to understand some things yet, but there been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn't do much about defending this man”(Lee,100). Atticus discusses to Scout that many people in Maycomb County now, despise him for taking Tom robinson's case. “Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism can be seen by studying various examples from the book this includes the actions of the children, the racist whites, and the actions of Atticus Finch” (Hunter). The actions of Atticus finch helped Tom Robinson but Atticus Finch was hated and despised for

In the beginning of the novel, Scout is introduced to a case that her father, Atticus, is doing for an African American named Tom Robinson. Scout learns that Tom Robinson has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell. However, Scout does not fully understand the meaning of rape. Scout then asks her father, “what’s rape?”, resulting in Atticus giving her a complex definition of how "rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent" (180). Throughout the novel, Scout progressively loses her childhood innocence as she is exposed to the many injustices of life, such as learning about rape through observations and conversations during and after the trial. Most importantly, Scout learns a great deal about violence during the case due

First off, Jem and Scout try to please Atticus by obeying what he says. In the text, it says that they stop trying to make Boo Radley come out after Atticus had told them “I’m going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man. That goes for the other two of you”. This shows that Atticus knows about Boo Radley’s life and how everyone in Maycomb sees him as this monster locked inside a house, but he doesn’t want his kids to fall into Maycomb’s “usual ways” of racism and judging. Also, in the book Scout tells Uncle Jack “Uncle Jack, please promise me somethin’, please sir. Promise

Everyone's choices are seen to be right to themselves. Although, those choices are deemed wrong by another. Scout made some choices that he believed to himself that they were the right choices, but to adults they analyzed them to be in the wrong.

One of them said, “the court appointed [Atticus] to defend [Tom],” while the other replied, “But Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like” (218). Scout contemplated what the men said, realizing that Atticus had to defend Tom whether he wanted to or not. She then attempted to reach a conclusion on if it explained the town’s “behavior,” but was found it “confusing.” When Atticus gets appointed to defend someone in court, he was bound to his duty as a lawyer to defend that person no matter what. The townspeople disliked that Atticus was trying to defend Tom, and it confused Scout because Atticus was only doing the job the townspeople had chosen him to do. Again, this portrays how Scout’s youthfulness and innocence causes her to have less understanding of her town. While Atticus and the reader have a full understanding of the townspeople’s behavior, and Jem with a small awareness of the issue, Scout is the only one who isn’t vaguely aware that racial tensions run amuck. As a result, she doesn’t understand that the townspeople act on that racial bias, an age-old habit ingrained into almost the entire town’s population, further highlighting her

Atticus is guarding the jailhouse to make sure no one hurts Tom Robinson before his trial, when he is approached by Walter Cunningham and his fellow goons. Atticus shows his bravery by standing his ground for what he believes is right in front of his son. When Scout lashes out to her father’s side, Jem holds onto her and tries to stop her from interfering. Then Jem refuses to go home and stands up for his father’s side although the odds were against them, while trying to protect his sister from harm. In page 152, chapter 15, Scout says, “... but from the way he stood, Jem was not thinking of budging.” This shows us that Jem has matured from the boy who would do anything if dared, to a young man who can barricade his emotions and proceed with reason in difficult situations.

In court, Tom said that the reason he helped Mayella Ewell was because he “felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em ” (Lee, 197). Feeling sorry for Mayella became his only crime. After the trial, Miss Maudie sympathized with Jem, telling him that not everyone was against Tom; in fact, people like Judge Taylor, Heck Tate, and of course Atticus were for him. When Tom was shot, most of Maycomb didn’t care, but Mr. Underwood of The Maycomb Tribune “likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (Lee, 241). He recognized that Tom was innocent and his death was undeserved. Sheriff Heck Tate showed empathy for Boo Radley after Mr. Ewell attacked the Finch children. He says, “To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head” (Lee, 276). He knew Boo wouldn’t be able to cope with the stress of being the town’s celebrity, so he decided to pretend that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife and the children got away by themselves. Several people in Maycomb cared for each other and looked at things from another’s point of view.

Sometimes Atticus lacks respect and does not show and tell him what is really going on. " ` They were after you weren't they?' Jem went to him. ` They wanted to get you didn't they?' Atticus lowered the paper and gazed at Jem. `What have you been reading?' he asked. Then he said gently, `No son, those were our friends.' `It wasn't a- a gang?' Jem was looking from the corners of his eyes. Atticus tried to smile but it didn’t work. `NO, we don't have mobs and that nonsense in Maycomb (pg. 146)." However, the group was really there to tell Atticus off for defending Tom. There are several evidences of great respect between them however. One was when Jem told Atticus about Dill's appearance under Scout's bed. He showed that he had respect for telling Atticus the truth. "." Throughout the middle portion of the book, many sides of their relationship shown through different

While Tom Robinson lost his innocence in the courtroom, Jem and Scout, Atticus’s children, were put through event where their innocence was lost. Throughout the novel Jem and Scout witness and go through a lot of things no kid should have to go through. When Atticus was hired to defend Tom Robinson not only did the backlash of the town affect Atticus but it was rubbing off onto his children. Jem and

In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee the Finch family are known in Maycomb County by everyone, whether through their eyes it’s for a good reason or bad reason. The Finches are very important to the novel as they have a lot to do with the issues bought up during the novel. Mr Atticus Finch is an individual in the

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is one of the main characters and the narrator. During the time the book begins, she is a little 6 year-old girl who is mature for her age, and she continues to mature as the book progresses. Over the course of the novel, Scout develops an exceptional character which is constantly changing from the effects of different events and characters. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses the minor characters Boo Radley, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra to help develop Scout into a strong and compassionate human being from the innocent child she used to be.