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What are three reasons why Atticus takes the Robinson case in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

There is no question that Atticus Finch has been asked to take the Tom Robinson case because of his integrity. For, Judge Taylor knows that he is, indeed, as Miss Maudie has said, "...the same inside his house as he is on the public streets."


Here are three reasons for his taking the case which involve his integrity:



  1. Atticus is assigned this case by Judge Taylor. Atticus tells his younger brother Jack in Chapter...

There is no question that Atticus Finch has been asked to take the Tom Robinson case because of his integrity. For, Judge Taylor knows that he is, indeed, as Miss Maudie has said, "...the same inside his house as he is on the public streets."


Here are three reasons for his taking the case which involve his integrity:



  1. Atticus is assigned this case by Judge Taylor.
    Atticus tells his younger brother Jack in Chapter 9 that he had hoped to get through life without having a controversial case involving racial issues. However, "John Taylor pointed at me and said, 'You're It'."


  2. If Atticus were to refuse this case, he would feel like a hypocrite before his children.
    In his conversation with Jack, Atticus also mentions that he could not refuse the Robinson case and face his children honestly again. For, all their lives, Atticus has taught Jem and Scout to treat people fairly, and, as he says in Chapter 3, to "climb into [another person's] skin and walk around in it. Atticus feels that Tom Robinson is owed the respect of being treated fairly, and Atticus realizes he is the best man to afford the man a fight for a fair trial.


  3. Atticus feels that the Robinson case goes to the principles of a man's conscience.
    Atticus feels that he must take this case because it involves the moral principles by which he has lived. He tells Scout,


This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience--Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man. (Ch. 11)



Clearly, Atticus feels that he must "practice what he preaches," as the old saying goes, or he will lose all respect given him.



...if I didn't [take the case] I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again…



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