Topics Represented Through Evidence

Topic

Cited Evidence

Response to Evidence

Civil Rights

It couldnt be worse,
Jack. The only thing
weve got is a black
mans word against the
Ewells. The evidence
boils down to you-did-- I
didnt. The jury couldnt
possibly be expected to
take Tom Robinsons
word against the
Ewells--are you
acquainted with the
Ewells? (Lee,88)

There is an interesting thing about Atticus

and throughout the whole book he is the
only character to really embrace the idea
of the ideal american. Although,
considering that America was brought out
by european liberals who felt different
from their previous government and then
formulated a system of monarch
nationalist..well that aspect could very
well apply to the subject and purpose of
that Atticuss character brings. Atticus is
the minority that whose philosophy and
conditions with life will later be the
majority. In todays modernized society,
people have many mental preservations
that share similarities that Atticus holds.
To begin with, on the topic of civil rights,
Atticus hold the belief that all life has both
reason and a potential. This has him to
believe that all life is precious and value.
His preservation of life means that any
single person with a heartbeat has the
capability to have a purpose, of course
Atticus is a lawyer. So every person must
go with a case to case purpose. Meaning
that each person is a person of their own
defining characters in which play a role
within the role. Atticus hints this various
times throughout the book. More directly
at his client, Tom Robinson. In the eyes of
the other characters in the book, Tom
Robinson is black, black is bad, therefore
Tom is bad. Atticus tries to transform it
into, "Tom is a man, some men are bad,
some men are good, and now listen to the
evidence and decide which group Tom
belongs to." Convicting Tom because he is
black, Atticus argues, would be as silly as
convicting him because he is a human
being. Atticus, like the founding fathers
try to isolate themselves from their
sociopathic demanding monarchs. Atticus
and Atticusism is what he feels is a crime
to not be the sole fundamental of the
judicial and morals of America as it is
what it stands for, Equality and
significance for all. In which case, it is not
about being prejudice it is about logic and
reason, a sense of comprehension and
value not scapegoat kangaroo trials that
was a trend during these times.

Womens rights

I was not so sure, but

Jem told me I was being
a girl, that girls always
imagined things, thats
why other people hated
them so, and if I started

There is this constant mentality that had

been developed since the beginning of
mankind. The superiority and dominance
of MANkind. Not humankind as a species
but rather as a male dominated mindset.
This perception had been developed due
through the aspects of survival where it is
a necessity to hunt and kill for food. Men,
physically are more built, biologically they

Social Class

behaving like one I could

just go off and find some
to play with (Lee,119)

have a more built less fragile structure.

Men are to be seen as brutes of force as to
when compared to women. However, we
evolved into people. Hunting for food is no
longer a necessity. Including the times
during economic troubles, hunting for
food has become barbaric. Humankind
has developed into communities, with
skills (potential), and communication.
Scout is projected to be and prone to being
submissive. This manner is brought out
and developed because society deems and
claims that women lack the mental and
physical attributes to be considered of
worth. Anything that may disprove that
would just be abnormal and outright
ridiculous. In this scenario Jem does not
have any other siblings or friends (that
have been mention) that is as close to him
as scout is. As kids are they are in need of
friends. Despite his age, Jem has a
tendency to be frankly aware of his
surroundings, so he acknowledges the fact
that if scout was any more feministic, it
would be dishonorable to him and a
sincere oddity to society. He displays that
sort of concept within this quote, and
throughout the whole book, Scout is
treated as such. Enough to the point where
they think it is time for her to grow up
and get more personal experience and
ideals of being a woman that her aunt had
to move in with the Finch residence. The
elders whom cling to their old heritage
frown upon scout as if she is a disgrace of
a human being. Which is outright
preposterous in the context and
philosophy of the Atticusism. In which
says that women have potential and
purpose and have essential attributes that
are discovered by being explored upon.
Just as any man has the right and
capabilities of doing so. Making both sexes
equal overall as they both carry their own
powers.

You, Miss Scout Finch,

are of the common folk.
You must obey the law.
He said that the Ewells
were members of an
exclusive society made
up of Ewell's. In certain
circumstances the
common folk judiciously
allowed them certain
privileges by the simple
method of becoming
blind to some of the
Ewells activities. They
didnt have to go to

America is a capitalist country. The social

classes were invented as the products of
these said structure structure. Well, maybe
not always.. Going back in time to the
kings and monarchs, there are caste
systems in which keep the rich rich and
the poorer poorer. Peasants and
townspeople would owe much the king
and the royal family as the king sits back
on his golden throne. This is a trend that is
still in effect in modern times. Only now,
there are a few minor alterations to
modernize these governmental methods. It
is ironic to have something as historic as
these countries, not take any advice from
the past. Money is and has been a purpose
to live for many. There are billions of
people going to school to get a job to get
money to have a life. But there are sayings
and ways of living that go as work to live
and live to work. It is this quote that
corresponds with this quote. In the great

Society

school, for one thing.

Another thing, Mr. Bob
Ewell, Burriss father,
was permitted to hunt
and trap out of season.
(Lee, 31)

depression, the economy had entered into

a downward spiral. Everyone just about
had a rough time getting a meal. Although,
as seen today and was present in the book,
those like the cunningham who were
agricultural based people have revolved
their lives around back breaking hard
field work and suffer through pain for
their minimum payment. As on the upper
class you have men sitting, reading, and
living a life of luxury because they can
read and write (something highly valued
at the time). The way America is
structured, how its citizens live on a day
to day basis varies on their value (on what
is considered to be valued during said
time) and their environment. Whether
that may be behind the dump collecting
waste and cleaning or in town with a nice
yard to decorate as the residents have not
a worry of their next meal. A character
such as Atticus disapproves of this, and
has a level of comprehension. This would
explain why he accepts the offers of men
with value and potential such as the
cunninghams and shun the ewells.

Why reasonable people

go stark raving mad
when anything involving
a negro comes up in
something I dont
pretend to understand
I just hope that Jem &
scout come to me for the
answers instead of
listening to the town. I
hope they trust me
enough (Lee,88)

Society throughout time has proven over

and over that it needs a finger to point at
and it needs a scapegoat of some sort.
Their functionality is developed through a
mentality that the townspeople had
developed for centuries and those who
cling to their heritage support this said
ways. This ties in alot with community, but
citizens of america are constantly being
morphed and puppeted as people cannot
think or chose to not think for themselves.
Propaganda is given and distributed
throughout the media and people absorb it
like sponges. From the adults and
transferred down to the kids. The kids
become the later generations that make up
the country, and all their intellect is made
up of propaganda and biased illogical
basis. Atticus depicts this concept and
recaps it into this quote, it shows that the
community that they live and that
americas society as a whole is affected
with this mental brainwash corruption
that people and society make out to be and
transfer these ways of thinking to one
neighbor to another making it almost
normal to have a common enemy. Like
rallying an army of a sort. Society is made
up of a country and its characteristics.
During this time period, especially within
the south, their shared beliefs were
expressed in dignity and manners.
Although, like anything else, there are
exceptions and obligations and dos and
donts. A vast amount of unhonorable
actions were opposing the old ways. Such
as neglecting feminism if you were a girl,
or being acquainted or close with african
americans. Acts like these were heavily
frowned upon. As they were unlady like
or they were interacting with trash. This

is a constant oppression on the children

such as Jem or Scout, they are under those
influences constantly. With the exception
of Atticus who chooses to steer his children
in the opposing direction in which society
considers to be right. The thing about
kids,however, is that they center their
world with their environment first rather
than their parent figures. This worries
Atticus as he feels that they are only
attracting themselves closer and closer to
what he is trying to steer them away and
clear them away from.

Social Status

I dont want anyone

sayin I dont look after
my children (Lee,188)

Boo Radley. Atticus Finch. Calpurnia and

practically the Finch residence is a hot
topic within the topics of opposing society.
The oddballs or the blacksheep of the
country and or state. They seem to be a
topic of choice for a variety of reasons. To
begin with, society as a whole loves to
control crowds and the overall population
by having a common enemy, enemy of the
state, or a simple finger to point at. A
scapegoat if you will. Apart from that,
general gossip is a constant discussion that
goes on a daily basis. If there is human
interaction it is quite honestly inevitable.
In one of the most populate places, a
church on a sunday, Calpurnia comes
across a few folks who try to turn the
people around her against Jem and Scout
because simply, they werent their kind.
The thing about social structures, it is
narrowed down to quite a few sections.
Those of the approved from the approved,
the approved from the unapproved, and
the unapproved by the unapproved. It's a
kind of chain and structure that in a
metaphoric subconscious mentality that
values or undervalues people from other
people. Calpurnia is in the scenario where
the unapproved are
unapproving/approving two characters
(Jem and Scout) as they will be judged for
a variety of reasons. For one, racial
difference, two the affiliations they have
with Tom Robinson, dressing, and tongue
(language/vocabulary). African americans
are brought out to be devalued and so
logically they would be placed lower and
when confronted with a higher more
valued type of people they have their own
way of reacting. Calpurnia, finds a
median. She wants Scout and Jem
behaving and dressing well, to say that
they have a respectable manner and show
a level of respect. Apart from dressing
lazily and acting rambunctious as it would
set it to a more unapproved unapproving
the approved scenario. Calpurnia, and
her children are presented as guest for
said median and showing respect all
around. Although this is not what is first
felt when a member of the community
confronts the protagonist, it gradually
leads to it.

Community

Only thing I worried

about last night was all
the danger and
commotion it caused.
The whole neighborhood
could have gone up in
flames(Lee,72)

A couple of keywords to point out in this

little passage, such as only I worried
commotion night danger;...and so on.
A community is composed of a group of
people and when people know each other
well enough they like to talk about one
another behind each others backs and
generally gossip about things going on in
their lives. Consider Fowler for example.
It is a small neighborly town just as much
as Maycomb is. When an event such as a
play or a music concert is taking place, the
whole town comes to enjoy. Especially if
theres a home game such as football,
basketball, baseball...etc. Let us say that
something such as an incident (more
common a fight of some sort) takes place
in any one of these events. Not only the
adults will witness it, but they will discuss
the incident and remember that moment
as it is now a vital part to their memory.
Now the kids in the schools will surely be
bringing these new news to those who
have not already heard and to those who
have already heard will hyperbole and
giver their aspect and opinion about the
subject. Everyone knows everyone so
word gets around quick. Unfortunately,
this is simply the way some people are and
this is a common trend within a
community. The same concept applies.
Everyone is involved, everyone wants to
know all about the tiny details that
happened in the hop topic that everyone
talks about. If everyone talks about it, that
gives those who seek attention a chance to
become a star as they were involved a
little more by contributing as a person
who had an effect on that night. Although,
apart from all the bad commotion and
gossip, there are those who are simply
neighborly and that is what makes up a
community afterall. A collaboration of
people. The way they had all interacted
with one another is definitely a story to be
told. Whether it may be that people feel
all astonished or relieved, at the end of the
day it is each other who they have and
they choose to stay and live with each
other, greatening their community.

Humanity

You know the

This quote is the underlying summary of

Atticusism., Tom Robinson is an african
american, being of color is highly devalued
and frowned upon, therefore Tom is
devalued and frowned upon. Atticus
attempts to transform this mentality that
his community and country firmly believe
in, into his beliefs which depicts that Tom
is a human and like any human, some are
bad, some are good. After displaying his
evidence to the judge and jury, he leaves
them to question all their beliefs as it
defies all that they have constructed with
their social structures, biased opinions,
and feelings towards african americans.
Atticus furthers this into saying that "
Convicting Tom because he is black,

truth, and the truth

is this: some
Negroes lie, some
Negroes are
immoral, some
Negro men are not
to be trusted
around women
black or white. But

this is a truth that

applies to the
human race and to
no particular race
of men. There is
not a person in this
courtroom who has
never told a lie,
who has never
done an immoral
thing, and there is
no man living who
has never looked
upon a woman
without desire"

would be as silly as convicting him

because he is a human being. finalising
that he disapproves of the preservations
people have on african americans as he
feels they are just as human as any racial
type may be. As he says, this is a truth
that applies to the human race and to no
particular race of men ,practically saying
that people should not judge a man by
their opinions on a persons race and as a
matter of fact they should not mix their
emotions within the judicial system as that
is very down right not constitutional and
does not belong in a place within the court
of law. Evidence shows that it is a you did
- no I did not case, and so many decide a
mans fate (life or death sentence to a
human being) on their feelings towards his
kind or type of people. As Atticus
says, it is an unlikelihood that the jury will
decide his innocence due to their mentality
of maycombs poison that corrupts a
person. Although, feelings and emotions
are a very much human like thing, it is
impure after society has morphed it into
what is normal and right. What is
normal and right varies on what society
makes up after long periods of time,
decades even. It is merely an ongoing
process of what is gradually becoming the
human race. Evolution progressively
working its way throughout time,
constantly changing cultures, heritage,
and beliefs.