As soon as people around Maycomb find out that Atticus is defending a black man, him and his family received backlash. Cecil Jacobs told Scout, “My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an’that bigger oughta hang from the water-tank!” (Lee 102). People begin to verbally abuse Atticus and his children. Atticus decides to defend Tom regardless of what other people think because he is an open minded man and he believes that no matter what racial background someone has, they are still the same as everyone else. Not many people agree with Atticus’ way of perceiving the situation. Jem informs atticus what Mrs. Divide told him, “She said you lawed for niggers and trash.” (Lee 138) The time setting in which this story is written allows for this type of behavior to be considered normal, many people acted this way towards colored people. Now, in this time period, these types of actions, whether in court or in normal everyday life, are considered completely unacceptable. As time has progressed, people have been more accepting of each other. Usually, everyone is viewed as an equal which is exactly how it should be. Race and stereotypes do not define who someone is. In conclusion, the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee includes negative context about a controversial topic. The irrational opinions that are voiced by characters in the story is logical for the time