Trevor Gibby
Sept. 5,2014
Justice in a Small Town
In Harper Lee’s “To kill a Mockingbird”, writes of small southern community and the lives its citizens; who are depicted are fair but are exposed as racist and unjust. Early on, Atticus is depicted as a fair and honest person and is the only character to remain mostly unchanged though out the novel. Miss Maudie states “He is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (pg. 87). Atticus is centered on justice, equality and his colorblindness allows him to perceive multiple viewpoints of the same situation.
Next, the injustice and demeaning of Boo Radley, by Scout and Jem, through his isolation and lifestyle are examples of how a behavior can easily become a means of discrimination. The fair and balanced Atticus makes a point of expressing his disdain towards the actions and play of the children as an injustice in speaking to Jem states "Son...I’m going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man. That goes for the other two of you." (pg. 65). This is especially poignant because Atticus speaks to and treats his children as adults.
Ultimately, Atticus accepts Tom Robinson’s case knowing that he has little to no chance of winning. Not caring for criminal law yet having a strong belief in the justice system, he proceeds to present the strongest case possible. The fact that Tom is black doesn’t stir Atticus as much as the fact that he is innocent. Civil rights movement had not yet
