To Kill A Mockingbird Respect Analysis

Respect is a hand, calling out, waving, waiting to be picked on to express its views on a topic. People look up to it, and admire its nobility and intelligence. The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set during the time of the Great Depression and the Jim Crow laws, when black people and white people did not have the same rights as each other. The book is told in the point of view of Scout, a young girl whose father is a lawyer for a trial for Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a black man who was accused of raping a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. Atticus, Scout’s father, accepts the case and faces many dilemmas. Even faced with these predicaments from the Ewells and other families in town, Atticus and his family are still ranked high

This causes Atticus to gain respect throughout the town of Maycomb, by both black and white residents, before and after Tom Robinson’s trial takes place. To begin with, the white people in Maycomb respect Atticus because of his dedication and commitment. Correspondingly, Jem is reading the paper one morning when Scout comes up behind him to see if there is anything interesting. “We were surprised one morning to see a cartoon in the Montgomery Advertiser above the caption, ‘Maycomb’s Finch.’ It showed Atticus barefooted and in short pants, chained to a desk: he was diligently writing on a slate while some frivolous-looking girls yelled, ‘Yoo-hoo!’ at him. ‘That’s a compliment,’ explained Jem. ‘He spends his time doin‘ things that wouldn’t get done if nobody did ’em”(Lee 117). In other words, Jem is saying that the cartoon of Atticus in the newspaper is a compliment for Atticus because Atticus works assiduously and does not let anything get in his way. The girls waving at Atticus are trying to distract him, yet Atticus’ attention does not waver from the task he is trying to complete, meaning that the girls are failing to distract him. If no one attempted to do the tasks properly, they would not get

To demonstrate, Tom Robinson’s verdict had just been announced, and Atticus, defeated, walks quickly down the aisle. Scout watches her father as he takes his lonely walk, hoping that her father will look up at her, but Atticus keeps his eyes to the floor. “Someone was punching me, but I was reluctant to take my eyes from the people below us, and from the image of Atticus’s lonely walk down the aisle. ‘Miss Jean Louise?’ I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet. Reverend Sykes’s voice was as distant as Judge Taylor’s: ‘Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin‘”(Lee 215). All of the black people in the balcony are grateful that Atticus stood up for a black man and tried to defend Tom Robinson in his trial. Consequently, they decide to stand up as Atticus passes by to show their appreciation for him. They acknowledge that Atticus tried his best, and that the case was not just, but they know that times are difficult and unfair because of racism. They accept Atticus’ attempts, and standing up is their way of expressing their gratitude towards Atticus. The morning after the trial, Jem, Scout, and Atticus head into the dining room to eat breakfast. Atticus is surprised to see that chicken and bread rolls are awaiting him. When