Why Does Atticus Defend Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Example

The book To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee is about a man named Atticus Finch and his two children, Jem and Scout. They live in Maycomb, Alabama which is not very welcoming to black people. Atticus is a lawyer who is appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, and as word spread the town started to turn on Atticus and his family. To determine whether or not Atticus should’ve taken the case is very debatable, but I think that it made sense for Atticus to defend Tom. The reason I think he defended Tom is that Atticus always sees the best in people because he respects people no matter what, and will always give people a chance.

A reason why it made sense for Atticus to defend Tom Robinson is how he always gives people a chance. One way I know this is on page 99 where it states “I’m simply defending a negro because it’s the right thing to do.”. This quote shows how Atticus humanizes Tom when he gets called a racial slur. Another quote to show that Atticus has good morals is on page 175 when Atticus stays at the Maycomb jailhouse to make sure Tom is safe. “A soft husky voice came from the darkness above: ‘They are gone?” Atticus stepped back and looked up. “They’ve gone,” he said. “Get some sleep, Tom. They won’t bother you anymore.’”. Atticus is so willing to stand up for what’s right he stood up against an entire crowd of people to protect Tom. These two quotes show that Atticus always wants to give people a chance.

Another reason why I think Atticus defended Tom is that he always treats people with the utmost respect to people. When Mrs. Dubose died, Atticus still spoke about her with respect. “According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.” (p.101) Even though Mrs. Dubose was extremely disrespectful to Atticus and his family, he still paid his respects by acknowledging her bravery. He tells Scout that he has to understand everyone’s perspective before making a decision. you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb in his skin and walk around in it." (p.36). These two quotes lead me to believe that Atticus shows the utmost respect to anyone he talks to.

Defending Tom Robinson endangered him and his family a lot. For starters in chapter 15, someone put his hands on Jem to “send him home”, but Scout saved Jem by kicking the man. “ “Don’t you touch him!” I kicked the man swiftly. Barefooted, I was surprised to see him fall back in real pain.” It’s true that Jem and Scout did not deserve the treatment they got from their schoolmates and the townspeople, but Atticus was adamant in teaching them to follow the golden rule. That’s not the only thing that the Finches heard either. In chapter 22 Bob Ewell told them “I will kill you if it’s the last thing that I do.”, but I think Atticus knew the risks of defending Tom, and he knew that it was the right thing to do. “Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what". (p. 115) Atticus knew the risks of defending Tom, but he still did because he thought it was the right thing to do.

In conclusion, I believe that it does make sense for Atticus to defend Tom's Robison because he is a firm believer in the golden rule. We can see that throughout the book, and it fits his character perfectly to defend Tom. Even though this mindset had its flaws by putting his children in danger, he used the treatment to teach his children how and why he treats people with respect. Atticus is a good man and he will always give people a chance and the respect they deserve.