When Atticus refers to a “Time-honoured code of our society,” the reader becomes aware that he his pulling on his understanding of society, he suggested that Mayella accused Tom because she was trying to cover up her own crime. This crime was kissing a Negro, this crime was punishable by being “hounded from [their] midst as unfit to live with.” The majority of Maycomb are filled with prejudice they are prejudice against a white woman kissing a black man, and this Atticus understands. This prejudice and how others relate to it is how he is able to make the conclusion, he knows why Mayella would try and cover up her crime because otherwise peoples prejudices would drive her out. Therefore he is able to show his understanding of Southern prejudice by explaining how it affects Mayella Ewell. He also refers to “ our society” having codes, these codes are prejudices. The people of Maycomb have these codes because they are prejudiced against the people which these codes affect. Therefore, when Atticus refers to “ our society” he is actually referring to the prejudice which forced Mayella into her actions.
Harper Lee is able to illustrate Atticus’s understanding particularly well in the summation speech where he talks about the Ewells assumption. They think all the jury believe that “ all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women.” Atticus understands the prejudice the Ewells have, and the prejudice which they assume the jury have, and is able to manipulate it to make the jury feel ignorant and guilty and to undermine the Ewells.
Atticus reveals some of his sense of equality when he appeals to the jury by saying the only thing a humble, Negro man did was to have the “ unmitigated temerity to “feel sorry” for a white woman” which implies that he believes it to be wrong for a black man to have to put his word up against “ two white people’s.”
When he is describing her as a victim of “poverty and ignorance” and yet he still cannot feel sorry for her because “ she is white” it is a reminder of Atticus’ feelings of how unjust the society is. As he cannot pity her because she still has a better life than most Negroes.
He is able to show his sense of equality in his speech when he refers to Thomas Jefferson’s phrase “ all men are created equal.” Here he illustrates that people are not born equal, however he implies that they should be treated so in law courts.
Throughout the speech Atticus is able to be so convincing because he understands how the people of the jury think, he understands why they are prejudice and what they are prejudice towards. He also maintains he own sense equality as he refers to the black and white division and societies unfairness.
