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How Does Lee Present Atticus's Reasoning To Lie In To Kill A Mockingbird

880 Words4 Pages

Novelist Harper Lee, in her book To Kill a Mockingbird, depicts the racism and inequalities in the town of Maycomb by having a white man, Atticus Finch, defend Tom Robinson who was black. Lee’s purpose is to show the world is unfair between races and we need to have compassion for others. She adopts a serious tone to appeal to people’s morals to do the right the thing by those seeking changes for equality. Throughout his closing argument, Atticus ensures credibility, mentioning God, and by presenting evidence that Tom Robinson is not guilty but someone in the courtroom is, to explain Mayella’s reasoning to lie. When Atticus presented the “circumstantial evidence to indicate Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left hand”, he mentions Mr. Ewell “did what any God-fearing . . . man would do” sign out a warrant “with …show more content…

By listing how “some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity than others” and how “some people are born gifted”(Lee 233), Atticus proves to the jury they are not equal to Tom Robinson. He doesn’t want the jurors to convict Tom based on their fear that black men will gain more power. He alludes to their fear of blacks becoming more powerful to reassure this one case isn’t going to change anything. Atticus reassures the men they are only equal because the law reads in “courts all men are created equal”(Lee 233). By establishing this with the jurors, he explains in their court system a black man is equal to a white man and a poor man is equal to a rich man. Atticus wants the jury to realize if Tom is given a fair trial like he the court system says he deserves, it will not give blacks more power. He wants the men to do the right thing so he indicates they will have nothing to lose and they will still be superior. By defending the court system, Atticus portrays how the men must be

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798 Words | 4 Pages

During the trial of Tom Robinson, for being accused of raping a white women. Some people in the town turned their backs on Atticus for taken the case. Atticus took the case and has proven that Tom is innocent but as Atticus knows since Tom is a “Black Male” that he would never be treated fairly. When the closing argument comes about, Atticus tells the people on the jury that they need to look past Tom being “Black Man” and see him and treat him just as a regular man. Atticus is trying to have them do the right thing instead of listening to the town and doing the wrong thing.

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574 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Maycomb court system is totally biased in a discriminatory way. The case of Tom Robinson, if it had not been in this court with its racist jurors, would certainly have not ended the way it did. It only ended the way it did because of peer-pressure, a scared victim being manipulated and believed, and an honest man not. Through her testimony, Mayella Ewell constantly lied.

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1212 Words | 5 Pages

Atticus says “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads-- they couldn't be fair if they tried. 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.” What happens in this scene is Atticus and Jem are discussing how in the world it could’ve been fair for Tom to be executed when he clearly didn’t do it. The significance of this quote is that even though the trial against Tom was completely unfair, Atticus still goes through with the trial and makes a great case.

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458 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that prejudice divides communities and that persecution of innocent people is evil; furthermore; these two minor themes reinforce the major thematic idea that a simple assumption can divide people. When Tom Robinson is put on trial for supposedly raped Mayella Ewell, the racism in Maycomb surfaces and creates conflict. In the novel, a stranger says, “You know what we want,” ‘another man said.’ “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.”(172). Some drunken men want to harm Tom Robinson for the wrong that he did.

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1492 Words | 6 Pages

This image shows how the people in Maycomb based their beliefs, about Thomas Robinson, by his skin color. Most whites who were at the trial, didn’t want to hear anything that Mr. Robinson has to say, because he was black. Since he was black, the whites automatically assumed Mr. Robinson was guilty. Mr. Robinson says he didn’t mean any harm toward Miss. Mayella. “Mr. Finch, I tried.

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842 Words | 4 Pages

Author Harper Lee, in her novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”, depicts a court trial in which Atticus Finch, a Maycomb County lawyer, attempts to defend an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of rape and beating by a young white woman, Mayella Ewell. Finch’s purpose is to prove Tom’s innocence to the court and avoid an inaccurate conviction. He adopts a deliberate tone in order to rule the jury’s speculation in favor of Robinsons guiltlessness. Atticus begins his argument by contrasting social moralities versus actual law.

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722 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus takes the trial knowing the consequence that him and his family will be harrassed by the town because it is the right thing to do. Atticus finch decides to defend Tom Robinson to be a good role model for his children and prove that the “Golden Rule” is a rule to

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339 Words | 2 Pages

In Atticus’ closing argument, the prejudice against Tom Robinson is that he is black, and that any crime that he commits thus must be true, “ the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings…” (Lee).This affects the possibility of Atticus proving Robinson not guilty because of the prejudice that everyone in the courtroom has against him. The case is revolving around that Tom Robinson is accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, the counterargument that Atticus presents shows that Mayella was beaten with the left hand, but Tom Robinson is only capable of using his right hand because his left hand was caught in a cotton gin completely disabling it. Atticus incorporates the use of both logical and emotional appeals in his speech to convince the courtroom that Robinson is not a guilty man. Atticus shoots all the evidence he has at the courtroom and tells them, “In the name of God, do your duty,” (Lee).

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205 Words | 1 Pages

This book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is all about racism. There is one character that fights for equality, Atticus Finch. Atticus represents the desire for fairness. He proves some of it in his speech he gives at the courtroom. An example/quote, of his desire for equality is this quote, “…Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury.

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777 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus is simply defending Tom Robinson in court, “I’m simply defending a Negro-his name’s Tom Robinson” (Lee 86). In Atticus' time period, there was not much of a civil rights movement, and it was the default to be racist. Though Atticus is not explicitly racist, he does not do anything to stop the mistreatment of black people, only defending Tom when he is accused of a crime he had not committed. His goal is to influence the court's decision over Tom. Atticus’ help only spans to help one person, while many black people during this time face much prejudice.

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806 Words | 4 Pages

Regarding Tom’s case and society as a whole, “ The one place where a man ought to get a square deal… in a courtroom… he any color….. people… carrying their resentments right into the jury box” says Atticus (220). The jury is not going to say Tom is not guilty and Atticus knows this, but he still think a man should get a fair deal no matter his skin color. Lee stresses the wrong doing in this courtroom, and makes Atticus’s point of view being on another level than his kids. Rather than develop a different outlook after the events, Atticus gets more evidence for why he sees the world

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1166 Words | 5 Pages

Despite racial inequalities in the South, Atticus sticks to his own morals and agrees to be the defending lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man being accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus’ defense in court was thorough and clearly proved Tom’s innocence, the jury was prejudiced towards black folks and convicted Tom as guilty. Nonetheless, Atticus is still a hero despite losing the case. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes in, fights with reason rather than guns, and has utmost determination, making him a hero despite being just an average human being. Ultimately, his thoughts and actions set the stage for major changes in the meaning of equality throughout Maycomb County, changing lives of numerous people.

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525 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus is one of the main characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” who defines courage and bravery by attempting to do something that seems nearly impossible. He decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of assaulting and raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. By taking this case,

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857 Words | 4 Pages

Essay In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, there are many important messages shown throughout the book. However the primary focus was set on racial prejudice that existed in the 1930s-1940’s in the fictional town of Maycomb County. The racism in the novel was very much a reality in 1930s-1940s America. A very good example of the racial prejudice that existed was in the courtroom during Tom Robinson’s trial, an innocent Negro man held against his will for a crime he did not commit.

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754 Words | 4 Pages

Race has always been a part of history, from slavery to MLK, to Barack Obama. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee defines race in the south during the 1930’s. Jean “Scout” Finch, is the narrator of the story. Her brother Jeremy “Jem” and her dad, Atticus, are both main characters. Calpurnia is their house cook and helper, she is also black.

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