How Does Atticus Use The Word Home

When Scout questions Atticus about the neighborhood tension over the Tom Robinson case, he replies, “‘It’s different this time,’ he said. ‘This time we aren’t fighting the Yankees, we’re fighting our friends. But remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they’re still our friends and this is still our home’” (87). In other words, Atticus reminds Scout to look beyond the hostility that is thrown at the Finch family for the Tom Robinson case and instead, prompts her to still believe that her neighbors are her friends. During the Civil War, the Yankees were the enemies of people who lived in the American South, like Atticus and his family. Therefore, by using this comparison, Atticus reminds Scout that their friends and neighbors are not their enemies like the Yankees were.
With this word, Atticus encourages Scout to think about the impact that all of her friends and neighbors had on her life. In addition, Atticus is shown to have a kind, patient tone, which emphasizes his role as a father figure in this book. With this quote, readers can understand the malevolence that is being shown towards the Finch family due to the Tom Robinson case. However, when Scout is upset about her neighbors’ disrespectful comments regarding this case, Atticus reminds her that they are not her enemies but rather, her friends and Maycomb County is still their home. Most of all, this quote foreshadows the building tension that is to come as the court trial for the Tom Robinson case