Since Atticus Finch has always held to liberal principles, he feels that he must defend Tom Robinson as a matter of upholding his personal as well as his professional beliefs. In other words, he must "practice what he preaches."
It is, indeed, a matter of personal integrity for Atticus to act as the defender for Tom Robinson in his unjust trial for rape. As Atticus explains to his brother Jack in Chapter 9, he feels...
Since Atticus Finch has always held to liberal principles, he feels that he must defend Tom Robinson as a matter of upholding his personal as well as his professional beliefs. In other words, he must "practice what he preaches."
It is, indeed, a matter of personal integrity for Atticus to act as the defender for Tom Robinson in his unjust trial for rape. As Atticus explains to his brother Jack in Chapter 9, he feels that he must take on the task in the hope that by doing so, he can at least prevent his children from "catching Maycomb's usual disease." And, as the only lawyer in town who will truly try to uphold the "justice for all" under which legal trials should be conducted, Atticus feels it is his professional obligation to accept the position as defender.
Further, in Chapter 11, Atticus tries to prepare Scout for "worse things" than the insults of Mrs. Dubose as the trial for Tom nears. He hopes that she and Jem make look back on his defense of Tom
"...with some compassion and feeling that I didn't let you down. 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."
With these words to his daughter, Atticus expresses his personal obligation as a Christian to defend Tom Robinson as well as to affirm his personal and professional ethics.
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