To Learn A Lesson by Reagan

Reagan's entry into Varsity Tutor's October 2021 scholarship contest

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To Learn A Lesson by Reagan - October 2021 Scholarship Essay

Throughout High school, I have read many pieces of literature. From Animal Farm to Beowulf, I have had my fair share of books and “What was the lesson learned through this article?” Many of the books leave a lasting impression on our young minds, helping mold us into better people who make better decisions. I didn’t think when my English teacher pulled the book To Kill A Mockingbird out, my life would be changed forever.
A black man named Tom Robinson found himself in some trouble, and needed someone to defend him when it came time to go to court. The judge appointed Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch was a white lawyer during the Great Depression who was very well respected. Atticus looked at the case and knew it had no chance of winning in court, but to the surprise of us readers, he still took the case. Atticus went from a well-respected man, to getting treated like trash to the white people, because they could not respect a white man who would defend a black man in the court of law. The author made it clear to the readers that there was no way Atticus was going to win. When I realized Atticus was not going to back down, I asked myself, “If Mr. Finch knows he is going to lose this case, why is he doing it? Why would he ruin his reputation in a case that had no hope?” I know what the average person would do in this situation.
The day of court, every man, woman, and child of the town, both colored and non-colored, was watching Atticus. Many of Tom’s family and friends expected Mr. Finch to give up on Tom to save his reputation, but even under all of the pressure, he did not. Atticus did not stop trying until the gavel hit the sound block, forcing the trial to be over. He didn’t care about what the white citizens had to say about him, but he wanted Mr. Robinson’s community to know that he was behind them. When the jury made the decision which lost Atticus’ court case, he hung his head low and walked by the rows of white people glaring. The African American people gave Atticus a standing ovation for all of the work he put into Tom Robinson, despite their doubts. My young heart broke for both of the men. One man went from top lawyer to bottom of the barrel, and the other was going to be executed for something he was wrongly accused of.
Atticus stood beside Mr. Robinson and all of the African Americans in Maycomb, because he knew it was the right thing to do. It changed my fifteen year old heart, because this lesson would help me through important decisions I had to make in the future. While he may be seen as the stereotypical “white savior,” I see him as a man who was doing the right thing. Atticus did what he did for the good of his family, his community, and humanity. As a result of the lesson Atticus Finch taught me, I know that no matter what, I should always do the right thing, because even if it hurts me, it will help someone else.

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