As a natural ultimate of human being, everyone shares the same right of pursuing equality, freedom and happiness. However, throughout the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee shows a totally unequal society with segregation during 1930’s in the United States. As a lawyer, Atticus is respectable and righteous, and he has no hypocrisy. The leading point is that Atticus has a sense of responsibility to this society. Secondly, Atticus has a perfect professional skill. Last but not least, Atticus fights against inequality in the society and he never gives up.

During 1930’s in the United States, inequality and segregation were still existing and affecting the American society even in more than 70 years after the law “Abolishing Slavery” has been published by Lincoln. The gap between black and white existed in every aspect of the society. In the novel, Atticus shows a sense of responsibility to his county that he decides to defend Tom Robinson because he believes in what is “right”. When Atticus intends to defend Tom Robinson, most of the people in Maycomb can not understand his decision and his action causes a lot of bad effects to his family (Lee). Atticus says to Jem that “shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 90), which reveals the sense of justice in Atticus’ mind. He decides to defend Tom to prevent him from being killed for no reason. Also, Atticus volunteers to defend Tom due to the fact that Tom is disabled and his family is poor which decides that Tom will not be able to pay the money to hire a lawyer. This shows that Atticus’ selflessness. Moreover, Atticus conveys a sense of responsibility when he requires Jem to be responsible for his own action. Atticus intends to turn Jem in when he wrongly assumes that it is Jem who kills Bob Ewell regardless of the fact that Jem is his own son. All of which discussed show that Atticus is a man full of a sense of responsibility to the society.

Secondly, as a lawyer, Atticus has acquired professional skills. First of all, Atticus shows his logical positivism in his defense in the trial. When he asks Mr. Bob Ewell to write his name down and Tom Robinson to catch a ball with his left hand, neither Bob nor Tom, or anyone else in the trial understands what Atticus’ purpose is. By holding these two experiments, Atticus proves the most important issue that he wants the judge and the jury to focus on which is the fact that Tom Robinson cannot beat Mayella with his left hand and Bob Ewell was a left-hander. This fact goes against the evidence provided by Ewell on Mayella’s face proving that it is not possible for her to be beaten up by Tom Robinson, but Bob Ewell. A bright logical positivism of Atticus in the trial has revealed. Furthermore, Atticus’s defense is artifice and he has a pure-hearted and strong voice on his belief. He presents his final statement saying “I am confident that you gentleman will review without passion the evidence you have heard, [……]. In the name of God, do your duty” (Lee 205). As a lawyer, his duty is to convince the judge and the jury to believe what he is saying is right. Atticus accomplishes his duty in a professional way. Moreover, Atticus is viewed professional because he can understand Tom’s situation and protects him as much as he can. When Atticus fails in the court, he comforts Tom by telling him that they still have a great chance to change the jury’s decision by appealing to the higher court. Atticus understands Tom because he strongly believes that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around it” (Lee 30). Atticus, to this extent, is a professional lawyer.

Finally, Atticus fights against an unequal society and he never gives up. Firstly, when Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson, the whole town disapproves his decision. They perform radically to show their strong disagreement. Atticus’s action makes his family trap into a bad situation that Jem and Scout become targets of other schoolmates at school and they are attacked in their own yard. However, Atticus never gives up even though everyone disapproves his decision. His strong belief is shown when he protects Tom Robinson in front of the prison at night. He insists in what he believes is right even when he has lost the battle in the court. Also, Atticus shows his strong perseverance even when he knows the chance to win the lawsuit is highly limited. This matter of fact does not change his will to fight for the right. Furthermore, Atticus appears to be brave even when Bob Ewell threatens his family and insults him right in the public. When Bob Eweel threatens Atticus by saying “One down and about two more to go” (Lee 241), no fear evokes in Atticus but sympathy instead. Atticus even tries to understand and help Bob Ewell. Although it results in a big trouble at the end of the novel, his action and kindness emphasizes that Atticus is a noble person.

All in all, Atticus has a sense of responsibility to the society. He aims to maintain justice with his outstanding professional skills and he has the quality of never giving up which is perfectly shown in his proceeds in fighting against the unequal society. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that as a lawyer, Atticus is respectable and righteous with no hypocrisy. Although there are a series of facts including the irresponsible action of the court which fails to keep its duty of maintaining justice in the society and people hold a biased point of view in understanding each other causes the gap between black and white, rich and poor gradually broadening at the end of the novel, it is still crucial to believe that there are still a lot of people who do believe in justice and fight for it in order to make the world a better one. Although darkness dominant the brightness in the sky, the mockingbird still sings.

Work Cited

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books Inc, 1982.