Scout learns about the prejudice the black community faces during Tom Robinson’s case. Tom is a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell and is ultimately given a guilty verdict. After news spread of Atticus being Tom’s lawyer, people around town began calling the Finch family derogatory names. This led to Scout understanding that society doesn’t respect the black community or even treat them as equals. They believed that Tom was guilty even before the trial just because he was black.
He takes on a case that can potentially destroy his reputation among his small town. Atticus tells Scout, the narrator, “every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally” (Harper 101). Namely, this case is the Tom Robinson case, in which a white woman,
The story, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee follows a young girl named Scout on her journeys and struggles around the town of Maycomb. In the story Scouts father, Atticus chooses a case about Tom Robinson in which he is accused of raping a girl. It makes sense for Atticus to choose this case because he wants to help people even if they did wrong, he wants to keep his responsibility in the Maycomb County, and he wants to be able to keep his dignity so he can still speak with his children. It makes sense for Atticus to take the case because he always wants to help people even if they did wrong. This is shown when Atticus knows that they most likely will not win the case but tries anyway to prove that Tom Robinson is guilty.
Atticus discusses with Scout that he had to take the case of Tom despite what anyone else said. One even scout comes home and ask Atticus if all lawyers have to defend Negroes and that Cecil Jacobs, a class member of Scout had made fun of how Atticus is defending a
Atticus FInch was a lawyer that tooks the case of an African American man accused of rape in the time of the Great Depression. He explains his main reasons for taking the case, ‘For a number of reasons,’ said Atticus. ‘The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again… Scout, simply by the
Throughout the case, Atticus fights for justice against mean and racist people that care more about Robinson’s skin color rather than the evidence. Atticus understands a lot about justice and learns more after his experience with Tom’s case. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus’s experience
In the early 1930’s, when this book took place, racial discrimination was very common. Since Tom Robinson was a black man accused of rape, everybody in the town of Maycomb(where the book takes place) believed that Robinson was guilty. Atticus sadly explains to his kids that “when it's a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Lee 295). The whole town knew Tom Robinson would lose the case, but Atticus being the man he was still had to try, so he chose to be the judge at his trial. Miss Maudie, a friend of Atticus, explains to Jem and Scout, “I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.
Discrimination was huge in the book, white people were always favored over black people. Atticus chose to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. Atticus knows he is going to get a lot of criticism for defending a black man but it does it anyways because he knows Tom is innocent of raping Mayella Ewell. Scout and Jem are getting a lot of hate for Atticus defending a black man so Atticus said, “You just hold your head up high and keep those fist down. No matter what anyone says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat” (Lee 101).
In the book and movie, we watch as Atticus Finch, Scout’s more liberal father has to come to the defense for Tom Robinson, a handicapped African American man who has been wrongfully accused of raping a 19-year-old white girl. Although all the evidence points otherwise the town is convinced that Tom did it, making Attics come forward as his only voice of defense, and because of these Attics is shunned by
Atticus does his best to defend him and be fair towards his case. Lee quotes that “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” (Lee 104). Atticus explains to Scout that defending Tom Robinson is the right thing to do. And couldn’t go to church knowing he didn’t try his best to defend Tom.
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. However, Judge Taylor appoints Atticus to the case because
Atticus Finch is a lawyer. Tom Robinson was a 25 year old, crippled, black, married man who is accused of raping a young white woman named Mayella Ewell. No lawyer would come even close to defending a black man. Atticus decides that he will defend Tom, because he values equality and justice. He believes that everyone is equal and therefore just because Tom Robinson is black, does not mean that he should not have a chance to be proven innocent.
In Chapter 9 of the novel, Scout’s father and also a wise lawyer, Atticus, is asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white women. Knowing it is a case he cannot win, Atticus still accepts it, believing it is the right thing to do. Eventually, Atticus’s efforts proved Tom’s innocence, but the jury still found him guilty. Bob Ewell, the man who accused Tom, used his power as a white man in the community to oppress Tom Robinson due to the fact he was black and just happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Atticus on the other hand, also has power in the community as a lawyer but uses it in an attempt to save an innocent man’s life.
He was appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson for raping Mayella Ewell. Most townsfolk caught news of this and instantly began to give Atticus dirty looks and began calling him vulgar names. Atticus, is a very nice person who wants to do the right thing, and he has an opinion about people who disagree with him defending Tom Robinson. “They’re certainly entitled to think they, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions.” (120).
Later on, we find out that Scout's father, Atticus, is a lawyer and is defending a man named Tom Robinson. Robinson is a African American man who was accused of rape. We go through the trial with absolutely
