Atticus displays immense courage by agreeing to represent Tom Robinson in his forthcoming trial for the rape and assault of Mayella Ewell. He knows it's an unwinnable case; Tom is a black man accused of raping a white woman, and at this time and in this place, that's enough to convict him in the eyes of Southern society before he's even set foot in court. Atticus knows that he and his family are going to be given a hard time by other folks in Maycomb because of his decision to act as Tom's defense attorney. But Atticus also knows that defending Tom is the right thing to do, and so he bravely goes ahead and gives Tom the best legal representation that he can possibly give.
Once he's made his decision, Atticus sticks by it, even when it endangers his life. Atticus comes close to getting himself seriously injured or maybe even killed when an angry, drunken mob led by Walter Cunningham turns up at the jailhouse to lynch Tom Robinson. When they arrive, Atticus is sitting out front calmly reading a newspaper. But the atmosphere soon turns ugly, and although he must be absolutely terrified at the sight of all these fearsome-looking men with hate in their hearts, Atticus doesn't back down and refuses to step aside to let the lynching party gain access to the jailhouse. He's absolutely determined that Tom will have his day in court, even if it means putting himself in harm's way.
No comments:
Post a Comment