Battaglia 1
Daniella Battaglia
Ms. Acqua
English 1 5/21/13
Justice
Atticus Finch is committed to justice. He knows right from wrong, and wants morality for his children. Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, shares a story about a small family who goes through a lot of trouble and criticism just for doing the right thing. Throughout the novel, Atticus Finch remains a constant voice of conscience by morally educating his children.
Atticus is explaining to Scout why he is defending Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is an innocent black man who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus says, “The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up in in town. I couldn’t represent this country in legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something” (Lee 75). Scout asks Atticus why he is defending a Negro and he explains that he could not live with himself if he did not help the innocent man, even if he was black. Atticus is so committed to justice that he always chooses the right thing to do, even if it is hard, and he knows people will judge him. He educates his children by teaching them not to worry about what others think about them
Scout is telling Atticus that many people are saying that Atticus is wrong for helping a black man. Atticus replies, “They’re certainly entitled to think that, and
Battaglia 2 they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions” (Lee 105). Atticus only worries about himself, and he does not judge other people. He does