and walk around in it” p. 34. He makes a conversation using a topic that is familiar to Walter, farming. It seems that he enjoys his conversation with Walter.
Atticus insists his principle that he respects and loves all people equally, especially black people when Scout asks him whether he is a “Nigger lover”. It is
related to Atticus’ decision to defend Tom Robinson, a black people, in a trial. He answers, “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody…” p. 113. Atticus wants to
show to Scout that there is nothing wrong to love everybody equally, including black people. Everyone has the same rights to be respected and loved.
In raising his children, Atticus also demonstrates his democratic character. He puts his two children in equal position. He does not treat one more special than the
other. It can be seen from Scout’s statement when she protests his Uncle, Jack, for being unfair in treating her after quarrelling with her cousin, Cecil Jacobs. His uncle
does not give opportunity to her to explain why she quarrels with her cousin and blames her for it. She says to his uncle that Atticus always gives her or Jem the same
opportunity to explain what really happen when they are quarreling. “Well, in the first place you never stopped to gimme a chance to tell you my
side of it-you just lit right of me. When Jem an’ I fuss Atticus doesn’t ever just listen to Jem’s side of it, he hears mine too …” p. 90
4.2. The Motivation of Atticus Finch in Defending Tom Robinson
This analysis is divided into two parts. The first is the motivation toward his children and the second is the motivation toward the society. According to Bootzin,
motivation is the intentions, desires, goals, and needs that determine human and animal behavior Bootzin et al., 1983: 366. People conduct an action with motive.
This motive leads them to behave in their manner to get some achievement. It would
be impossible to discover motivation unless behavior was organized Bootzin et al., 1983: 367.
As stated in the chapter 2, there are some drives or reasons or motives which cause people to conduct an action. Maslow Quoted Goble, 1971:38-42 says that
people conduct an action to fulfill their needs. He develops a five-level hierarchy of needs that each need level must be generally satisfied before the person attempts to fill
those needs on the next level. Therefore, this analysis is also based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory.
Before the writer comes to the analysis, the writer needs to review about Tom Robinson, Atticus’ client, a black man. Tom Robinson is a black man. His age is
twenty-five years old. He is married and has three children from his marriage with Helen. He lives beyond the town dump. He works in Mr. Link Deas’ field. He has
worked there for eight years. Tom is a cripple-man. When he was a boy his left-hand caught in a cotton gin, -Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin. The gin “tore all the
muscles loose from his bones” p. 188. The accident makes his left-hand twelve inches shorter than his right one.
Tom Robinson is one of Calpurnia’s church members. According to Calpurnia Tom’s family is “clean living folks”. Nevertheless, Tom had ever been in trouble with
the law before. He got a fight with another man who tried to cut him. He got thirty days for disorderly conduct. One day, Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white girl.
Atticus tries hard to save him from death sentence. Next is the analysis of the Atticus motivation in defending Tom Robinson.
4.2.1. Motivation toward his Children 4.2.1.1 To Teach his Children about Being Kind and Sympathetic Person
Atticus is a kind and loving person. He loves his family and also kind to his surroundings. Atticus is kind to everybody including black people. He likes to help
other people. He feels enjoyment whenever he helps other. He finds the beauty of life in helping people. Atticus also finds the beauty of life in his action of defending Tom
Robinson, a Negro, in his case. He feels that Tom Robinson is just an ordinary man that needs his help. Atticus is having sympathy to Tom Robinson. Atticus kindness
and sympathy can be seen from his saying when he answered to Scout questions. “Scout,” said Atticus, “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean
anything—like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves.
It’s slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.”
“you aren’t really a nigger-lover, then, are you?” “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody. . . I’m hard put, sometimes—
baby, it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you. So don’t let Mrs.
Dubose get you down. She has enough troubles of her own.” p. 113.
From the quotation above, it is clear that Atticus has a deep sympathy to a Negro. He also has no hard feeling when someone calls him a nigger-lover, a nasty term. He
considers the term as nothing. In fact he enjoys being a nigger-lover because his action is in a right way. He enjoys saving people from a detention and that is what he
is doing as a lawyer, saving people. It is the effect of his trait as a kind and loving father. His love to his children also affect other people so that he also loves and cares
black people Atticus is a kind man. He is having high sympathy for humankind. Atticus, in
his life, realizes that every human is unique and every human is different from each
