Throughout this journal, one can see that Tom Robinson can be characterized as good natured and respectful. Initially, Tom Robinson can be characterized as good-natured for an assorted amount of reasons. First of all, Tom would never step foot on anyone’s property without their given permission. In the text it states, “Did you ever set foot on the Ewell property without an express invitation from one of them? No suh, Mr. Finch I never did. I wouldn’t do that, suh” (Lee 257). From this quote, one may believe he would never step foot on someone else’s property because it shows respect. One may also feel that this was a kind and generous concern he may have for his people in Maycomb. In addition, at any point in time would Tom Robinson accept …show more content…
No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn’t seem to help her none, and neither did the chillum, and I knowed she didn’t have no nickels to spare” (Lee 256). This quote proves that Tom Robinson is not a selfish person and thinks about what others may be going through. He offered to help Mayella out with out taking a nickel for the work. One may feel that Tom is a hard worker and puts other peoples needs before his own. Thirdly, Tom took time to talk with Mayella and see how the kids were doing. In the text Tom says, “Where the chillun? She says they were all gone to town to get ice creams. She says, took me a slap year to save seb’m nickels, but I did it. They all gone to town… I meant it was smart of her to save like that, an’ nice of her to treat’em” (Lee 258). One may think that Tom was nice to ask how they are doing and it shows he cares about the Ewells. In the same way, one may feel comfortable talking to him because he is cares about the people around him and would be willing to help out if you need anything. On the other hand, Tom Robinson can be characterized as Respectful for numerous …show more content…
But you are strong enough to? I reckon so, suh. Had your eye on her a long time, hadn’t you, boy? No suh, I never looked at her” Lee 263). In this quote one can see that her responds to majority of the questions with “suh” and respectfully answers the questions truthfully. One may believe that Tom is nice for calling someone by a formal name. Also, One may feel important if Tom called you by a higher form of name. Secondly, Tom Robinson tries his best to keep his left arm on the bible to take his oath. As Tom would lift his right arm to take the oath his left arm fell of the bible. Tom then would keep lifting his arm back onto the bible. One may believe this respectful because even though he could not help that his arm kept falling off, he still tried to keep his arm on the bible. His arm my look different but not having part of his left arm may have made him more thankful for the items he does have. One last reason Tom Robinson may be respectful is he listened to what Atticus instructed him to do. Atticus had him stand up during the court hearing and he stood up right away. This might of made Atticus feel respected by Tom and might of made him feel like he is defending the right
This part of the book takes place when Scout,the youngest of Atticus’s children, has come back from her first day of school and the teacher wants her to stop learning to read and write. She was talking to Atticus on the porch and he said, “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-..” (33). Atticus reveals that he is respectful due to the way that he is unbiased to other people. Atticus is telling this to Scout because he wants his children to do the same and be open-minded to everyone she encounters. Atticus is respectful because of his unbiased view of people in Maycomb county and of people in the world.
The definition of a good father is as individual as the individuals involved themselves. A good father is able to support his children’s strengths, along with being able to help them overcome their weaknesses. He is able to do this without appearing to be a know-it-all. The ability to show by example how to live life, while not being afraid to make mistakes and not to be perfect all the time are also very important characteristic.
To begin with, Tom Robinson is an innocent being that resembles a mockingbird because he is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. He is a black man that believes in equality. '''Yes suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-''' (Lee, 209) This honest statement Tom Robinson makes is a big mistake because back in the 1900s, there was a lot of discrimination which meant black people should never feel sorry for white people. It is a sin to kill Tom Robinson because he is a harmless citizen that means no harm to anyone in Maycomb. The death of Tom Robinson was typical to many white citizens in Maycomb because if black people were ever convicte...
Secondly, Tom’s voice is ignored just like the innocent fragile songbird. In the 1930s black people are ignored on the basis that they are viewed as compulsive liars and generally unpleasant people. At the end of the novel Atticus says ““The witnesses for the state have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all ***** men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber. Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin,
Atticus is a good father for teaching his children to respect everyone. Scout asks Atticus if he is a “nigger lover” and he simply replies, "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes—baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." This shows that atticus is not like the other people in Maycomb he considers every man to be equal to one another. Judge Taylor comes to Atticus to defend Tom Robinson because he knows he’s the only man in Maycomb that is fit to do to the job, and do it fairly. While thinking about taking the offer Atticus firsts thinks about his kids and how it will affect their lives. Atticus says “…do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anythin...
Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, he is a father of two children, Jem and Scout Finch. He is a man of wise character and considerate soul. He knows his morals and tries to help his children grow up to be successful and happy. Throughout the novel, Atticus acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly by the way he perceives the people in his life, how he succeeds in his job and treats his family.
Atticus defended Tom Robinson because he believed in the Golden Rule; one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. For example, Atticus says “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin To Kill a Mockingbird” (Chapter 10). He states that if a mockingbird doesn’t do harm to you, why should you harm it? In chapter 3, Atticus gives Scout a piece of advice, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This applies to Tom Robinson beca...
During a time when black people were thought to be lower than white people, Atticus defended a black man in court. He said to his children, "I'm simply defending a Negrohis name's Tom Robinson," (pg. 75). It required a lot of confidence and caring for Atticus to defend Tom, and the black community knew that Tom did not stand a chance without Atticus' help. They respected him and looked to him as a hero. They showed this when they stood up for him in the courtroom. Reverend Sykes said to Scout in the courtroom, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin," (pg. 211). The entire group of black people who were there stood up for him. Also, the parishioners at Calpurnia's church made Jem and Scout feel welcome when they visited their church. This showed that the black people also respected Atticus' family. If Atticus were just trying his best in a difficult circumstance, then he would not be as respected as he was by the black community. The black people greatly acknowledged the qualities that Atticus displayed by defending Tom and looked to him as a hero because of these qualities.
Atticus shows great compassion and tolerance when he stands up for the Negroes. He stands up and represents Tom Robinson because he believes that everyone should be treated equally in the court of law. He knows that because Tom was a Negro there would be a slim chance of winning. That fact never discouraged him though because he says that the main reason he is representing Tom is because, ' if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature'; (75). He recited a speech, which clearly states that Tom Robinson is not guilty. In that speech he says, 'our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal'; (205). He believed that prejudice and stereotyping is wrong and he tries to teach these morals to Scout and Jem.
Atticus should not give up his character, parental authority, and position in town to please the racist beliefs of others in Maycomb. Atticus cannot stand racism and says, "As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash. " Atticus should take a stand and defend Tom Robinson, to treat his children with valuable lessons and to keep his conscience clean. For these reasons, it does make sense for Atticus Finch to defend Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Another consequence of defending Tom Robinson in court, aside from being known as a "nigger lover" and opening himself to several other forms of racial hatred from the good people of Maycomb, Atticus was also arguing against a man who was known to be a violent drunk. Bob Ewell was a frightening man and it was noble of Atticus to put himself in a position of opposing such an unstable individual. Atticus remained a gentleman when Ewell confronted him at the post office. Most men in his position would have violently lashed out at Robert E. after being spat upon. Atticus did the right thing and remained a gentleman throughout the confrontation.
A lawyer in Maycomb and the father of Scout and Jem is a well respected person because of his judgment, intelligence, and morality he demonstrates to other people. Atticus practices the ethic of humbleness and understanding that he teaches to Scout and Jem to never hold a grudge against the people of Maycomb. Despite their cold indifference to racial inequality, Atticus sees much to admire in them. He recognizes that people have both good and bad qualities, and he is determined to admire the good while understanding and forgiving the bad. Atticus passes this great moral lesson on to Scout; this perspective protects the innocent from being destroyed by contact with evil.
Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus demonstrates himself as a loyal, humble man towards his family and especially towards Tom Robinson. Atticus respects and desires for everyone to be treated equally, no matter the color of their skin, thus he remains loyal to Tom since he believes that Tom deserves a fair trial. When Atticus tells Scout that “the main reason is, if I didn’t defend Tom I couldn’t hold my head in town, I couldn’t represent the country in legislature, I couldn’t tell you or Jem not to do something again” (86), he means that if he does not defend and show loyalty to Tom, he will have not stood up for true justice and equality, thus shaming himself forever. Therefore, even when faced with so much opposition, Atticus continues to stick up for Tom because he wants to promote and uphold justice and fairness for all to
Being an African-American and living in a generally prejudiced town like Maycomb, Tom was already licked from the start. Tom was allegedly accused of raping a white person and as Atticus says, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (295). During his trial, Tom could have lied about his reasoning for helping Mayella, to keep himself from getting into more trouble, but instead he showed real courage by revealing the real reason behind his actions: “I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em” (264). Since Jim Crow laws were active in Maycomb, Tom’s answer was seen as a terrible mistake: “Below us, nobody liked Tom Robinson’s answer” (264). It showed that he, being a black person, thought he was better off than a white person.
Boo Radley and Tom Robinson come from very different backgrounds. Both face similar stories of prejudice and unfair judgments. These men faced some of the same hardships throughout their lives. Boo and Tom are both good men who were put down because they are considered “different” than others in the town. Scout learns important lessons from the way the people in town treat Boo and Tom. The title of the book To Kill A Mockingbird takes on different meanings as the author tells the story of these two men from the south.