Atticus Finch Persuasive Essay

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Atticus takes a stand “Simply because we’re licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the main characters, Atticus Finch, is given a case to defend a black man. This changes the people of Maycomb, Alabama’s views on Atticus. Many call him names and mostly white people hate his choice to defend Tom Robinson. Taking the case put his children, Scout and Jem, in danger. However, Atticus knew that defending Tom was the right thing to do. After all the events that happened in To Kill a Mockingbird, I believe Atticus defending Tom Robinson is the right thing to do. Atticus Finch is one of the few residents in Maycomb that is committed to racial …show more content…

He believed that everyone was equal no matter what. Most of the town disapproved of Atticus’s decision to defend Tom because they didn’t want Tom to get a fair case. “.... without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand” (Lee 117). This shows that Atticus believes that no one should be treated differently because of their race. He views everyone as a human being. Atticus is trying to teach his kids to see others as a human being and view things in others point of views. “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view---until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). He believes that in order to truly understand a person, you need to see things from their point of view. This isn’t an easy task to accomplish with the disapproval of the white town’s people, but he believes in doing the right thing even if there isn’t a good chance of winning. “ Simply because we’re licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). Atticus’s drive is to be a good role model for his children, as well as to defend an innocent man, despite the fact that he is a black man. His world view may be different from his fellow town folk, but it is …show more content…

The kids were both bullied in school, the townsfolk that was against him defending a black man weren’t shy about sharing their feelings towards the Finches and most of all, Mr. Ewell attacked the kids. “He was out of his mind” (Lee 360). Atticus thought that Mr. Ewell cooled down after he spit in his face, but was clearly wrong when he went after Jem and Scout. The kids had a hard time in school and in town. Many people called them “nigger-lovers”, either behind their backs or in their faces. “ ‘Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers’ " (Lee 135). This was hard on Scout, who fought a lot, because she couldn’t fight back. Atticus may have put his family in danger but he did what was right and earned a high level of

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