Writing Resources
If you had the opportunity to defend the defenseless despite public opinion would you Your choice will affect you and those around you This is exactly the choice that Atticus faced with Tom Robinson s case Atticus choose to defend Tom Robinson despite Maycomb s opinion of it His actions had a profounding effect on numerous characters from Harper Lee s To Kill a Mockingbird Cecil Jacobs bullies Scout during recess Harper states He announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch s daddy defended niggers I told denied it but told Jem Lee 99 This is Scout s first encounter with her loss of innocence Harper quotes But I must have been reasonably awake or I would not have received the impression that was creeping into me 281 At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird Scout thought that Maycomb was an upbeat and happy go lucky town This is shown by her playing the Boo Radley game and running up to touch his house Harper states As the summer progressed so did our game We polished and perfected it added dialogue and plot until we had manufactured a small play upon which we rang changes every day 52 By the end of To Kill a Mockingbird Scout begins to notice that Maycomb is racially biased and towards Tom Robinson and blacks alike Although Scout never truly interprets Tom s trial she loses her innocence as a result of Atticus choice to defend Tom Jem witnesses Atticus decision to defend Tom learned to accept racism while holding his views and learned how his actions affect others
