Atticus wants his children to rise above the "common"
behavior displayed by many of Maycomb's citizens of the 1930s. He employs Calpurnia and
gives her responsibilities and trust that most others would not have provided a black
housekeeper of the time. He also explains that a white person who takes advantage of a
black man is
"ten times worse than cheatin' a white man...
Says it's the worst thing you can
do."
Atticus tells Jem that
any white man who deliberately cheats a black man "is trash." Atticus also explains that
"I couldn't hold my head up in town" if he did not seek justice for Tom. Atticus tries
to teach his children by his own example, and Atticus treats all people equally. It is
clear that he is respected by the black community when they stand in unison following
the trial, and Atticus hopes that his children will grow up to respect people of all
colors in a like manner.
No comments:
Post a Comment