Atticus, as a lawyer, is asked to take a legal case that involves defending Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of abusing a 19-year-old Caucasian female named Mayella. Eventually, the news of his accepting the case spreads around town and puts Atticus in a negative light, leaving Jem and Scout angry about it. Atticus forbids Scout from fighting with the other kids. Once Walter Cunningham Jr., a child that Scout fought with, is invited to dinner. Atticus says that it is "a sin to kill a mockingbird", referring to the temptations to go after birds once children got their first guns., Atticus is a lawyer and resident of the fictional Maycomb County, Alabama, and the father of Jeremy "Jem" Finch and Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. He represents the African-American man Tom Robinson in his trial where he is charged with rape of Mayella Ewell., Atticus serves as the lawyer for Tom Robinson, tries to combat racism, and teaches Jem and Scout about prejudice. Unlike most Caucasian Southern men portrayed in the novel, Finch is someone who openly speaks out with racism..