Domenic Bellino

Owain Phillips
English 9A
10 December 2013
Good Cop, Good Lawyer
Mr. Ward and Atticus Finch are lifetimes apart, but despite this time and distance,
they possess very similar traits. The most prevalent of these traits - as seen in the book To
Kill a Mockingbird and the film Mississippi Burning - is their sense of justice and the
needed perseverance to uphold their beliefs. They are both involved in different cases.
Take Mr. Ward for example, he is sent to investigate the premeditated murder of two
freedom writers and a black man. Atticus on the other hand, has a considerably simpler
situation. He is to defend a black man in court. Despite their differences, these two
characters share their respectable traits.
Atticus sense of justice shines through as he is portrayed defending Tom
Robinson, a black man charged with rape. He looks beyond racism. He states that he
is Simply defending a Negro and his name is Tom Robinson (Harper Lee 41). This
demonstrates Atticus strong rationale. We see this as he defends Tom even when the end
result was clear and foreboding. On the other hand, Mr. Ward is practically the same as
Atticus. He strives to find justice for the two murdered freedom writers and even the
black man, who nobody else would have cared about. Even by the reviewers of this
movie, he is described as One of Bobby Kennedys bright young men (Robert Ebert).
We see Mr. Wards justice when Mr. Anderson says, You know, if I were a Negro, I'd
probably think the same way they doAnd Mr. Ward replies, If you were a Negro,
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nobody would give a damn what you thought (Alan Parker, Mississippi Burning). Mr.
Ward knows that nobody in Mississippi has any sense of justice, and he is there to show
them. This belief in justice that Atticus and Mr. Ward share is only supported by their
perseverance through all of the hardships they face.
No matter the case or situation, Mr. Ward does not fail to show his perseverance.
This is apparent in the swamp scene. As they inspect the swamp for any sign of bodies or
evidence, Mr. Ward shouts at Mr. Anderson, I want 100 more men; I want this swamp
searched to the inch (Alan Parker, Mississippi Burning). Although he is not able to find
the missing bodies, he calls in all the help he can get to see it through. The same goes for
Atticus, who does not fail to defend Tom Robinson, even if he knows that he was
doomed from the start. When speaking with his daughter, Scout, he explains to her that
Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started, It is not okay for
them to Not to try to win (Harper Lee 41). In short, he is saying that even if you do not
have the advantage there is no reason not to try your best. And he does, during his time in
court defending Tom Robinson, Atticus gains much respect from the black people, but
losing his respect from the whites. It is clear that Atticus is virtually the same as Mr.
Ward when it comes to their strength and perseverance
Mr. Ward and Atticus are clearly large influences in their respective novel or film.
They are signs of strength, perseverance, justice and even hope in the worst-case
scenarios. No matter the time or event, they are always there to solve the problem, and
that is the common goal that they both share. This leads them to be very alike in
characteristics and traits, making them a good cop, and a good lawyer.


























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Works Cited (MLA):

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central, 1982. Print.

Mississippi Burning. Dir. Alan Parker. Perf. Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman. Orion
Pictures, 1988. DVD.

Reynolds, Eileen. "To Kill a Mockingbird at Fifty." The New Yorker. N.p., 15 June
2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.

"Words Related to Phat:." Urban Dictionary. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=phat>.