August Hogen-Esch

8th Grade Language Arts

1/31/2017

 

    In the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, there is a lawyer who has to decide whether or not he should defend a certain case. This particular case is one where a black man is charged of raping a white woman. Even though the evidence is stacked against the accuser, the black man is still found guilty. The entire town believes that this man should go to jail just because he is black, but not the lawyer. He decides to defend the case because he thinks he would not be a good person if he did not. And quite frankly, I agree with him.

 

   The first reason why he really should defend the case is his public image. Atticus, the  lawyer, believes that if he does not, then he would be shamed. He could not show his face in church, outside, and he said he wouldn't even have the authority to tell his children to do something. Personally, I think that is a bit extreme, but generally, he would be right. Would you not defend an important case, just because other people thought that you should? No, you wouldn’t. Because, according to Atticus Finch, if you really believed that all men were created equal, you, too, would stand up for Tom Robinson (TKM, page 273-274).

 

   Secondly, this case will also be a big step towards racial equality. If Atticus did manage to prove Tom innocent, then it would be a big step towards racial equality. This case could set a precedent for future white vs. black trials. Another character in the book is Mr. Raymond. He is a white man who married a black woman and has interracial children. The only reason townsfolk accept him is because he is rich and owns a lot of land. They also think he is a drunk, but instead he just drinks cola from a bag to give that image (page 268). The point is, if Atticus wins that case, then maybe the town would be more accepting of black people, and they wouldn’t judge each other by their skin color.

 

   Last but not least,  the third reason that this case is especially important is to put the Ewell’s in their place. The Ewell family lives in a ghetto area with the other black people because they are very poor. They are also the family that is accusing Tom Robinson of raping one of their daughters. The only reason they hold themselves higher than the black people around is because they are white. Most of the town still thinks that a white man is more of a man than if he were black. But, if atticus were to win this trial, it would show the town that just because you a white does not mean you can get away with crimes against a black.

 

   So in conclusion, Atticus really should win this trial. Not only will it help the immediate victim, Tom Robinson, it will also help the town and state as a whole on racial issues. Unfortunately, because the town is quite racist, a black man charged of rape against a white woman goes in favor of her even with evidence saying otherwise. But if Atticus could manage to win this trial, it will set a major precedent for future racist and biased trials.