Question

Tom is shot multiple times when attempting to escape over the fence at the prison. Atticus' explanation of why Tom would try to escape alluded to Tom's hopelessness.

Atticus leaned against the refrigerator, pushed up his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. “We had such a good chance,” he said. “I told him what I thought, but I couldn’t in truth say that we had more than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.