To_Kill_a_Mockingbird_Equality

Michaela Roselli Mr. Breuninger Honors English II, Period 2 3 May 2013 Southern Pride and Prejudice The residents of the pocket sized, rural town called Maycomb are consumed by their pride for their town history, and only a small majority of them have an unprejudiced mindset when it comes to race and social equality. In Harper Lee’s provocative novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the author concentrates mainly on two ideologies, racism and social inequality, both practiced by hypocritical people. She depicts two story-lines: one of the town recluse and the other about an incriminated black man, both of which demonstrate the town’s lack of tolerance for those below them while showing favoritism to those who share the same social status. While most of Lee’s characters are disagreeable people, the protagonist Atticus and his children, Jem and Scout, exemplify equality and compassion. Atticus Finch is the best example of someone who practices equality because he vetoes the status quo by accepting those who are rejected by the society of Maycomb. Attorney Atticus Finch is assigned to represent a black man accused of raping a white woman. Although he is aware that his endeavors may be in vain because his client would never be acquitted in a court full of white men, he takes on the task because of his beliefs of equal rights for all. Due to his firm standing in his views, he is prepared to face harsh criticism from the town. When his daughter quizzically asks him why he would take on such a case, he responds, “For a couple of reasons...the main one is if I didn’t, I couldn’t hold my head up in town. I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something” (Lee 63). Atticus is appalled by the behavior of the people in his town and believes that if he does not legally help this victimized black man, he would be conforming to the ways of Maycomb society and would not be a proper role model to his children. As the trial proceeds and the verdict is about to be deliberated, he communicates to the court that they should remember that their duty is to be just and unprejudiced. In hope of successfully changing the minds of the jury, he implores the court to think with a different perspective. “There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no living man who has looked upon a woman without desire” (173). He makes the thought provoking argument that one cannot pass these judgements on a man simply because of the color of his skin, because all are guilty of sin. A white man does not always have a pure heart by default; in fact it can be as black as an African man’s skin. Atticus respects the neighborhood outcast, Arthur Radley, or “Boo” as the children call him because he is the subject of the community’s eerie and ghostly legends. Though he has not been seen for years, Boo is said to be a malignant man, as labeled by the wild rumors going around. Because of their absence in daily activities, the town is hostile toward the Radley family. “The Radleys, welcomed anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgivable in Maycomb. They did not go to church, Maycomb’s principal recreation, but worshiped at home” (6). Subsequent to their reticent behavior, the townspeople resort to creating ludicrous tales about what happens behind the perpetually closed doors of their run down house. The children believed this hearsay and are infatuated with this fearsome entity. They are quickly reprimanded by Atticus when they start to center their asinine games around Boo and mock him. Atticus, who is easily able to see things from the perspective of others, teaches his children not to follow the example of the townspeople who make fun of outsiders but to respect those who are prey to harsh gossipers. “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” (22). Atticus reiterates the significance of trying to understand another person’s point of view instead of jumping to conclusions and defining them without proper knowledge of the person. Another reason why he teaches his children this is to make them aware of the impact their words have on people. Instead of antagonizing people along with the majority of the town, Atticus sets an example and encourages them to be supportive toward Boo and empathetic toward the loneliness he must endure. Though people question his unrealistic moral ethics, Atticus does not let this change his view of those who criticize him. Atticus and his children are persecuted by family and neighbors because of his choice to represent a black person. When Scout calls to his father’s attention that he is labeled the derogatory nickname “Negro lover” by their elderly neighbor, he responds, “I most certainly am. I do my best to love everybody....I am hard put sometimes....so don’t let Mrs. Dubose get you down. She has enough trouble of her own” (90). Not only does Atticus fully agree that these accusations point to his true beliefs, he does not think ill of the person who is judging him. Instead, he has compassion on her and understands the pain that accompanies aging. He reminds his children that though they are being disowned by their community because of his choice to take the high road, they must remain loving toward them. “But remember this; no matter how bad things get, they’re still our friends and this is still our home” (63). Atticus stresses that though they are experiencing discrimination, they must not stoop to their accusers’ level and retaliate in the same way. Some people may perceive the children of Atticus, Scout and Jem, as the most prominent examples of showing equality, but it is clear that Atticus is the true model of practicing equal rights. The children do have compassion on his client, Tom Robinson, and are disgusted by the racism in the town and at the end of the story, they learn to respect “Boo” Radley and see beyond the tall tales. Though the children learn to distinguish right behavior from wrong, without the role modeling and guidance from their father, they would not be as sympathetic or deferential. Scout reflects on the advice that her father had given her a couple of years ago and says, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Standing on the Radley porch was enough” (237). Scout understands how Boo might have felt seeing children mock him as she stands on his porch and imagines her and her brother playing in the street in past years. As an adult, Atticus has the maturity to see the preconceptions that people have toward others who are different than they are; because of his life experiences he has been able to decipher right behavior from wrong. Without Atticus’ words of wisdom, she would have not grown in her understanding of others and would have continued believing the bigoted people of Maycomb and their prejudiced view of misunderstood people. Atticus is a man of character and refuses to conform to the racist opinions of the majority of his town. He acts on his beliefs by defending an unvalued black man, something that few would consider doing. Most people do not understand his views and they adamantly voice their disapproval. Despite this, Atticus shows love for them and instructs his children to likewise care for those who persecute them. He respects those who are different in appearance, and in lifestyle as well. By defending the odd customs of the Radley family, he leads by example and proves to be an excellent role model for his naive children. Though his commendable life and the legacy he leaves for his children, Atticus triumphs over the generational patterns of pride and prejudice in the deep South. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird; New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Inc, 1988. Print.