To Kill a Mockingbird
by Audra
by Audra
"He can make somebody's will so airtight can't anybody meddle with
it."(Lee 91)
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the author leads you on a
journey of a family living in the town of Maycomb during the Great Depression.
The book starts with Scout and Jem and their fantasy adventures on the
Radley place. From protecting Tom,
to defending him in court Atticus shows who he really is and that is a hero.
Even though Tom was given the verdict of guilty, Atticus showed the town of
Maycomb that he was not guilty but fully innocent, but the jury decided otherwise
for their social status. This journey that Atticus, Tom, and the rest of
Maycomb take in this wonderful story makes Atticus a hero, because he persuaded
the people to believe the truth even if the outcome was not the best.
The town of Maycomb was a child-friendly place that was filled with good and bad people which made it what it was. It was a slow moving town with many adventures at hand. Its people were mostly all kin in the heart of Maycomb County, Alabama. "Maycomb was a town but a tired old town..."(Lee 5) the people moved slowly and the days were long. The streets would turn to mud after rain and the summers were the hottest almost every year. Citizens from the town were extremely racist which lead into Atticus's trial. Tom Robinson was accused of a sin that he did not commit, but was used because of a family's shame and the color of Tom's skin. Atticus took the case after appointment and did not give in to anyone's insults or threats. "'I'm simply defending a Negro... his name is Tom Robinson'" (Lee 75). Atticus did have his doubts, like what would happen to his family or him. "..Atticus practiced economy more than anything."(Lee 5). He wasn't even a criminal lawyer he did wills and property deeds, but he still took the case and proved his point.
Calpurnia was like a mother to Atticus's children and had been with them since the beginning. "I had felt her heart presence as long as I could remember. She gave advice to Atticus and anyone else she was asked from. She was defensive of the kids and of her job. She cooked, cleaned, and watched over the home. She even took care of the kids when Atticus left for two weeks to the legislature. Atticus had gone to help with work that was to be done with the law and was gone for two weeks. He spent time doing work that nobody wanted to do. “He spends his time doing' things that wouldn't get done...."(Lee 116). Though Atticus still had many friends like Miss Maudie and Aunt Raychel. During the court case his friends were those of Tom's. After the case they even showed more gratitude. There always is a bad guy, like Bob Ewell. He was a poor man that spent his relief money on beer instead of food for his family. He was a rotten liar that thought he could get away with anything. ".. People like the Ewells lived as guest of the county..."(Lee 170). He was though hit very hard with the depression even though he did nothing to help himself.
Atticus did not only defend Tom in court he protected him from the public. On night in Maycomb some men came to lynch Tom, but Atticus was there to make sure he was alive and well for the trail. The group of men came and started to threaten Atticus and later Scout, Dill and Jem come to "help". "Atticus remained where he was."(Lee150). He stood his ground and with the help of the three children the men soon left and Tom was safe. Tom's trail became the biggest event in Maycomb for a long time and everyone came to town to see it, even the social outcast. The reason of its popularity was it was a black man's word against a white man's word. Bob Ewell claimed that his daughter was raped by Tom Robinson and with the evidence brought up it was not true. There were four witnesses and only one with a true story, which was Tom. Atticus asked many questions and proved a lot of the tales wrong. "Did you during all this running run for a doctor?'(Lee 175) The reply was no proving that no one had and care for Mayella's health. Atticus also proved that the person who beat her had to have two hands especially a left hand neither of those did Tom have. After all the witnesses had been questions, Atticus made a speech and reviewed the evidence. "I say guilt gentlemen, because it was guilt...” (Lee 203) That speech was so powerful it push the jury so far of the edge of the world they to hours to decide the verdict. The wait was the worst part of the whole trial.
When the verdict came it wasn't that good "Guilty, Guilty, Guilty....."(Lee 211). Atticus stayed calm and he gathered his papers and on his was out he whispered goodbye to Tom. He went down the middle of the court room and while he was passing, all the people in the colored balcony stood up to show him respect. He headed home disappointed, knowing there was nothing he could do for Tom now that the jury had decided. Tom then went to jail and was there for some time, before Atticus got the news. "They shot him said he was running....seventeen bullets in him"(Lee 235) Tom tried to escape from jail because he thought there was no way he would be set free. When he did he was shot seventeen times and died right there at the jail. Atticus did the right thing and took Calpurnia out to Tom's house to tell their family of the news. When the people of Maycomb heard about it some were furious and others didn't even care. After the trail the friend of Robinsons were very grateful that Atticus had gotten the trial and they showed their thankfulness through giving the family gifts. " The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family.." (Lee 213). The people were even with the outcome that was given to them. Others were mad, like Bob Ewell who threatened Atticus and later tried to kill his children only to kill himself. The town then went back to normal with a few smarter children and a stronger bond with a secret neighbors.
The town of Maycomb was a child-friendly place that was filled with good and bad people which made it what it was. It was a slow moving town with many adventures at hand. Its people were mostly all kin in the heart of Maycomb County, Alabama. "Maycomb was a town but a tired old town..."(Lee 5) the people moved slowly and the days were long. The streets would turn to mud after rain and the summers were the hottest almost every year. Citizens from the town were extremely racist which lead into Atticus's trial. Tom Robinson was accused of a sin that he did not commit, but was used because of a family's shame and the color of Tom's skin. Atticus took the case after appointment and did not give in to anyone's insults or threats. "'I'm simply defending a Negro... his name is Tom Robinson'" (Lee 75). Atticus did have his doubts, like what would happen to his family or him. "..Atticus practiced economy more than anything."(Lee 5). He wasn't even a criminal lawyer he did wills and property deeds, but he still took the case and proved his point.
Calpurnia was like a mother to Atticus's children and had been with them since the beginning. "I had felt her heart presence as long as I could remember. She gave advice to Atticus and anyone else she was asked from. She was defensive of the kids and of her job. She cooked, cleaned, and watched over the home. She even took care of the kids when Atticus left for two weeks to the legislature. Atticus had gone to help with work that was to be done with the law and was gone for two weeks. He spent time doing work that nobody wanted to do. “He spends his time doing' things that wouldn't get done...."(Lee 116). Though Atticus still had many friends like Miss Maudie and Aunt Raychel. During the court case his friends were those of Tom's. After the case they even showed more gratitude. There always is a bad guy, like Bob Ewell. He was a poor man that spent his relief money on beer instead of food for his family. He was a rotten liar that thought he could get away with anything. ".. People like the Ewells lived as guest of the county..."(Lee 170). He was though hit very hard with the depression even though he did nothing to help himself.
Atticus did not only defend Tom in court he protected him from the public. On night in Maycomb some men came to lynch Tom, but Atticus was there to make sure he was alive and well for the trail. The group of men came and started to threaten Atticus and later Scout, Dill and Jem come to "help". "Atticus remained where he was."(Lee150). He stood his ground and with the help of the three children the men soon left and Tom was safe. Tom's trail became the biggest event in Maycomb for a long time and everyone came to town to see it, even the social outcast. The reason of its popularity was it was a black man's word against a white man's word. Bob Ewell claimed that his daughter was raped by Tom Robinson and with the evidence brought up it was not true. There were four witnesses and only one with a true story, which was Tom. Atticus asked many questions and proved a lot of the tales wrong. "Did you during all this running run for a doctor?'(Lee 175) The reply was no proving that no one had and care for Mayella's health. Atticus also proved that the person who beat her had to have two hands especially a left hand neither of those did Tom have. After all the witnesses had been questions, Atticus made a speech and reviewed the evidence. "I say guilt gentlemen, because it was guilt...” (Lee 203) That speech was so powerful it push the jury so far of the edge of the world they to hours to decide the verdict. The wait was the worst part of the whole trial.
When the verdict came it wasn't that good "Guilty, Guilty, Guilty....."(Lee 211). Atticus stayed calm and he gathered his papers and on his was out he whispered goodbye to Tom. He went down the middle of the court room and while he was passing, all the people in the colored balcony stood up to show him respect. He headed home disappointed, knowing there was nothing he could do for Tom now that the jury had decided. Tom then went to jail and was there for some time, before Atticus got the news. "They shot him said he was running....seventeen bullets in him"(Lee 235) Tom tried to escape from jail because he thought there was no way he would be set free. When he did he was shot seventeen times and died right there at the jail. Atticus did the right thing and took Calpurnia out to Tom's house to tell their family of the news. When the people of Maycomb heard about it some were furious and others didn't even care. After the trail the friend of Robinsons were very grateful that Atticus had gotten the trial and they showed their thankfulness through giving the family gifts. " The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family.." (Lee 213). The people were even with the outcome that was given to them. Others were mad, like Bob Ewell who threatened Atticus and later tried to kill his children only to kill himself. The town then went back to normal with a few smarter children and a stronger bond with a secret neighbors.
The roller coaster of events that Atticus takes in To Kill a Mockingbird made him a hero, because he protected a innocent no matter the social and mental outcome it hade on him and his family. Atticus in this book made sure that Tom got his trail and that the evidence would be for him not against him. He had his doubts bur he surpassed them and did the right thing. He was upset when Tom was found dead because he had a chance of freedom, but he was more worries for the children of Bob than his own pride. He had friends and mentors that helped his on his journey and enemies that put him down. Through all of it this he showed that he was a true hero and a kind, caring person. In the story he taught and showed people how it felt to be cheated out of something because of who you are and he made people see the true and how the world should be.
WORKS CITED
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Warner Books: New York, 1960
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