Two Scenes: Language, Tone and Intent

In the courtroom scene from 1962 version of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, how Atticus (The Lawyer) talked was very strong and serious. He was very into the argument with the jury and others. His speech was very persuading -the way he talked reminded me of Martin Luther King’s speech. During the debate in the courtroom, Atticus talks about how all men should be treated equally no matter if their black or white.

In the courtroom scene from 1996 “A Time to Kill”, the lawyer was more relaxed, but still serious about the case. The way he persuade the jury and others in the courtroom was very different from how Atticus persuaded them. He told everyone to close their eyes and to imagine how much pain the little girl who got raped went through. His speech was very successful because it made people imagine the situation, which made everyone emotional. In the end of his speech, he asked them “What if she was white”. This sentence changed the whole speech. At first you’ll think the speech was about a case of the young girl who got raped, but he changes the speech fully to another point.

Both courtroom scenes both brought up the topic of racism between the blacks and the whites. However, how they talked/gave out the speech were two completely different ways. I think both of them were successful, but personally I think the lawyer from “A Time to Kill” was more successful because the audience put their self in the victim’s shoe.