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Amidst a warm summer afternoon under the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. along with several hundred-thousand people rallied for justice and equality. Dr. King spoke words which ushered faith into the hearts of millions of people who doubted the possibility of equality in the world: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, an African-American man, Tom Robinson, is wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, in a small, prejudiced community in Alabama. The county lawyer who defends Tom, Atticus Finch, is a well-respected man throughout the community, who fights for Tom to the fullest extent. Although Tom is ultimately convicted, the case is a milestone, because an African-American gains support, however small, within an otherwise hostile white community. While Dr. King’s words resonated with millions over a half-century ago, the fact remains that the arc of morality does not bend towards justice on its own, but rather tasks men such as Atticus Finch who displays empathy, courage, and fairness towards all.

Throughout the novel, Atticus repeatedly displays empathy towards others in the community such as Bob Ewell as well as many African-Americans by understanding and evaluating their distinct circumstances. Lee first illustrates Atticus’ empathetic manner after the trial when Bob Ewell spits on Atticus and threatens him as revenge for embarrassing him at the trial. When Atticus is confronted by his children as to why he did nothing to physically defend himself, Atticus qualifies his actions by stating “See if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility...if spitting on m...

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...based off the actions of one person. Altogether, Atticus’ responses in these situations reveal his true wisdom and illustrate him as a fair-minded man.

In short, Atticus’ disposition and actions displayed in Lee’s novel, manifest a character with extraordinary courage, empathy, and fairness, proving that he is far more than a “run of the mill man.” Lee emphasises these timeless themes by contrasting Atticus’ virtues with those of the community. Readers can learn these enduring traits embodied by Atticus Finch throughout the novel and utilize them to undertake many problems we have, from our own personal struggles to our biggest troubles as a people. Most importantly, from this immortal tale people are challenged to inherit the qualities embodied by Atticus and have the audacity to stand up and bend the arc of morality towards a better day and more just world for all.