Atticus is treated very harshly by white members of the public for defending a black man in an era of racial segregation, and they disagree with him, even though he is a court-appointed lawyer. The townspeople continue to condemn Atticus for his position and they lose their respect for him because they do not believe at all that a black man should be considered innocent. In addition, Scout and Jem become outcasts because of their relationship with him, when they realize that the townspeople treat them differently. However, these are children who love their father and they do not fully understand what is going on. During part of the trial, Scout tries to understand this situation when she learns that he has not decided to defend Tom, but that it is his job. She explains: “The court appointed Atticus to defend him. Atticus wanted to defend him. That`s what they didn`t like about it. It was confusing” (Lee 218).

Her innocent mind tries to understand why people are angry with Atticus, and she doesn`t fully understand the racist attitudes responsible for this treatment. She tries to understand racism, but because she doesn`t see the world that way, she has a hard time understanding everything. Once the trial is over, Jem and Scout are outside their house when Miss Rachel tells them that “there is a danger that there will be a `Comin` (Lee 290). Scout soon discovers what the danger is: “This morning Mr. Bob Ewell Atticus stopped at the corner of the post office, spat in his face, and told him he would catch him if it took him the rest of his life” (Lee 290). At this moment, Scout and Jem really realize how hateful humans are and how much their lives are threatened because Atticus is determined to prove Tom`s innocence. Bob calls Atticus a “negro-amorous bastard” (Lee 291) and hates him for defending a black man against him. Despite the fact that Bob is actually the one who beat his own daughter, he refuses to let go of the fact that Atticus defended Tom. Losing the case would have meant that Bob would have lost to a black man, which would mean that he is a disgrace to society.

Bob is on the defensive because he believes that Atticus` defense against him has threatened his family`s position in society (Osborn 1140), even though that family has been in a low position from the beginning. At the end of the novel, after the trial ends, Bob attacks Scout and Jem for being Atticus` children. Bob is the representation of pure evil – the fact that he is described as a “massive figure” shows Lee`s association with him as a less than human character (Murray 79). By describing him in this way, she dehumanizes him and makes him look monstrous (Murray 79) by showing the idea that he has always been evil and that evil has supposedly triumphed over good so far. His intention is to kill her with a butcher knife, but Boo Radley saves her. Despite the fact that the children did nothing wrong, they are related to their father, and the negative treatment Atticus received is now spreading to his innocent children. In 1960s America, racial tensions and divisions dictated the norms of society. This is the society in which Scout, Jem and their father Atticus live in To Kill a Mockingbird. The story revolves around Atticus and his children as they face the backlash from Atticus` legal defense of a black man accused of raping a white woman. The concept of justice, racism and equality in this novel was one of the most timeless representations of the subject in classical literature of the last century. Lee`s symbolism of the mockingbird as a representation of innocence has been used repeatedly in popular culture and literature to this day.

This image of the mockingbird represents the end of innocence, because to kill a mockingbird would be to destroy innocence and therefore justice. In this story, some of the characters could arguably each be the mockingbird, such as Tom or Boo Radley, and their positions in society show how harsh reality was for those who were not considered part of the accepted norm. In Harper Lee`s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of justice is shown in three main parts of the plot: discrimination against Boo Radley, the treatment of Atticus` family while defending Tom, and the nature of Tom`s trial. Classic court dramas keep us all busy. These films portray the courtroom as a fascinating place where experienced lawyers never ask meandering questions or stumble over their words. The characters of the lawyers are often highly developed and are usually what leads the film to an often dramatic ending. Who can forget the climax scene in A Few Good Men1, where Colonel Jessup, brilliantly played by Jack Nicholson, shouts “You can`t handle the truth!” to military defender Lt. Kaffe, played by Tom Cruise? Tom`s trial is extremely important to portray the issue of justice, as the whole plot around Tom is based on the injustice he suffers against him due to racism, as well as his desire to seek justice in court and prove his innocence. However, since he is a black man and the situation occurred with a white family, the entire white population of the city assumes that he is evil and committed the crime. This is due to the negative views of African Americans that people had in the 1960s and the racial segregation that occurred.

When Scout and Jem discover that Tom is likely to receive a death sentence even though he didn`t kill anyone, they are outraged. Atticus told them, “Tom Robinson is a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world will say, “We think you`re guilty, but not very guilty” because of such an indictment. It was either a direct acquittal or nothing” (Lee, 294). At this point in the story, the children learn that racial segregation left Tom with no chance to prove his innocence due to prejudice in the minds of city dwellers. Simply put, black men have never had the benefit of the doubt and have always been convicted, despite evidence to the contrary. He goes on to explain, “In our judgments, if it is the word of a white man against that of a black man, the white man always wins” (Lee 295). This can be understood as a social commentary on the injustice of the time, especially since Atticus acknowledges that it is false, but there is nothing he can do about it. One wonders if Atticus himself is a symbol of justice for defending Tom, despite the repercussions that occur because he knows Tom is innocent. Atticus is a person who truly believes in justice, regardless of the consequences, and he tells Jem, “Mockingbirds don`t do one thing, but make music that we can enjoy. but sing their hearts to us. That`s why it`s a sin to kill a mockingbird”* The theme of justice is shown in Boo Radley`s To Kill a Mockingbird, threats to Atticus` family through racism, and Tom`s quest for justice through his trial.

Racism and discrimination are the causes of injustice in the novel, and the negative attitudes of the city`s residents are representative of the people who lived in the United States at that time. Lee`s use of the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence proves that if you continue to silence the voices of those who are truly good or innocent, the concept of innocence will die and evil will win. Through her portrayal of diverse stories as the ultimate idealization of justice, Harper Lee shows that black Americans faced grave injustice and prejudice in an era of racism and division.