Topic > What is power as depicted in the story of To Kill a Mockingbird

Power is a word we hear and use often; means having the ability or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. My definition of power is having something that others desire, such as money, knowledge, and strength. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch has power and people admire him. Atticus is an intelligent lawyer who is a leader in his community. He is an independent thinker who has moral courage. He uses the power of experts to help people in difficult cases and in this case he is helping Mr. Robinson, an innocent man falsely accused of raping Bob Ewell's daughter, Mayella Ewell. Atticus uses his admiration and power from the people in his community to try to save Tom Robinson from his false rape accusations. Atticus chooses to represent Mr. Robinson when he could have let him be falsely accused. When everyone is against him, he doesn't listen to them and defends the man anyway. He teaches his children to respect others, to think for themselves and to do the right thing. For example, when Walter Cunningham, a poor farmer and mobster, tries to give Mr. Robinson an unfair trial, Atticus tells him and his men to leave the courthouse. The men listen and leave; this is because he has greater power over them and men respect him. Atticus wants to defend this man because he believes he is innocent and will not allow someone to be falsely accused because of the color of their skin. Bob Ewell is a man rejected by society and has no power. No one knows him and he needs a voice in the community and he seizes the opportunity as soon as it appears. When his daughter begins flirting with a married black man, Mr. Robinson, he tells the police that he raped her. The man is sent to court and Atticus becomes his lawyer. During the court, Atticus shows three main points to prove Mr. Robinson's innocence. First, start by telling the people in the courtroom what really happened that night at Mayella's house. She was a white woman and seduced a black man. Next, Atticus states that Mayella's father was left-handed and then pointed out the marks on the right side of Mayella's face. The last thing he says is that all men are created equal in a courtroom. Later, the jurors return and Mr. Robinson is found guilty. As Atticus leaves, a group of African Americans show him their respect and thank him for trying. Even though Atticus lost the case, he still represented power because if he had not been there, Mr. Robinson would have had no change. Atticus had influence over the jurors, but because of the man's skin color they couldn't say he was innocent. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To have something that others want or to have influence over another person means that you have power. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch has power and uses it in an attempt to save the life of an innocent man. Although he doesn't win the case, he still shows power because he influenced the jury to take a second look at the man's case. If a large amount or community of people admired you and you had an influence on what they do or don't do, you would use it to help someone??