Friday, February 20, 2015

In To Kill Mockingbird by Harper Lee, what societal values does Atticus Finch question and how?

Atticus Finch is a highly educated man and he knows a lot through his work and daily reading; but when it comes to human behavior in Maycomb, he stops to scratch his head once in awhile. For instance, as soon as word gets out that Atticus will defend a black man accused of raping a white woman, it seems like the whole county turns on him. During Christmas time, while talking to his brother Jack about the case, Atticus says the following:



". . . I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all without catching Maycomb's usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand" (88).



Maycomb's disease is racism and the obsession to keep the black community subservient to whites. Atticus doesn't understand why the people in his town are so threatened by equality.


Another time Atticus questions people in his town is the night before the trial begins. First, Link Deas and Sheriff Tate come to visit Atticus about protecting Tom from the Cunninghams. Deas spits out his concerns by wondering why Atticus ever took the case, since he has "everything to lose" by defending Tom. Atticus's rhetorical question to him is, "Do you really think so?" (146). Later on, the Cunninghams try to tell Atticus that he's lost the night's battle because they sent the sheriff off on a snipe hunt; that is to say, they tell Atticus that he doesn't have any backup to defend Tom against their mob. Atticus responds again with, "Do you really think so?" (152). In both situations, Atticus asks a question to a community member rather than shooting back by saying they're wrong. With Deas, Atticus doesn't agree that he will have everything to lose on the case; and with the Cunninghams, he doesn't divulge the fact that B.B. Underwood has a gun pointed from a window ready to defend Atticus if he needs help. It seems as if Atticus has the correct answers and the community does not.


Finally, Jem asks the question for Atticus after Tom is convicted and the case is lost: "How could they do it, how could they?" This is also Atticus's question about his community because all he has to say for Jem is the following:



"I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it--seems that only little children weep" (213).



The people in Atticus's community all have an opinion about something and they aren't afraid to speak their minds. Not only that, they vote with their opinions, too. For example, the jury voted to convict Tom, not because he was guilty--and not because there was proof--but because he was black and to send a message to the black community that they think whites are better than they are. And that's something Atticus just doesn't understand.

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