Adversity In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 1091
Pages: 5

Stand Tough; Stand Tall Adversity is a powerful thing. It is tough to face and even tougher to fight, amazing all when beaten. Unfortunately, the fight against adversity is not always won, but the progress made in surviving all twelve rounds and going the distance can still have a great effect. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Mr. Atticus Finch is at odds with own town and the society within it. Faced with an insurmountable task, Atticus is left with two choices, step down and become what he resents, or take on an emotionally testing battle that will affect him for the rest of his life. Although not the narrator or the main character of the novel, Atticus Finch stands as the single most important character in Harper Lee’s …show more content…
Aside from the obvious contribution Atticus’s decision made to help the length of the book, it also struck a chord in crafting the true theme of acceptance and compassion for all in the novel. In the story, Tom Robinson is representative of a mockingbird in Maycomb’s society. One who never intends to hurt another being, one who solely wants to help out and make other people happy, that is a mockingbird, and that is Tom Robinson. After receiving her new air rifle for Christmas, Scout is warned by her father that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” and it is later explained to her why for the same basic reasons above. Then, when the time comes, about halfway through the book, Atticus defends tooth and nail to defend the mockingbird by the name of Tom Robinson, and although ultimately unsuccessful, proves his point to Scout and the readers of necessary pursuit of innocence and justice for all, especially for those who cannot afford to defend themselves. Helping to write and shape the true theme and meaning of To Kill A Mockingbird, is Atticus Finch standing up for positive morals and justice and equality for …show more content…
Even though Tom Robinson’s trial has details that are very unique it is very comparable to the situation of Emmett TIll a fourteen year old boy who was beaten and shot in August 1955 by two white men after being accused of whistling at a white woman who was a cashier at a grocery store. Although no trial was carried out for Till, it was the trial for the men who brutally murdered him that showed the opposite side of the racial bias that ended up killing Tom Robinson. Ignoring the large amounts of evidence against the two men accused of killing Till, an all white male jury found the men not guilty, proving that race was the most impactful thing during a trial at the time, similar to the function of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. Risking ridicule, repercussions, and reputation, Atticus Finch bit the bullet and stood up for what he believed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Holding strong in the face of adversity, not once did he show a sign of giving up and even in defeat he was tough. Many lessons may be taken from the struggle of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and the tale of Emmett Till and if modern society can absorb one of which, the world will be far better