Atticus as a Hero, in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

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Although they are critiqued, some people do whatever they can do to improve our society. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch proves himself to be a hero. This small-town lawyer exhibits bravery, strength, and modesty when faced with objection during Maycomb’s quarrel for justice. Without a doubt, Atticus proves that anybody can stand for what he or she believes is right. Throughout the novel, Atticus reveals his bravery. He demonstrates this quality by killing Tim Johnson, the rabid dog. Jem and Scout are looking for squirrels to shoot when Jem spots a suspicious-looking dog down the road. Immediately, he tells Calpurnia who confirms the dog is rabid and calls Atticus at his office. After she proceeds to tell the neighbors, Atticus arrives, along with Mr. Tate, the sheriff of Maycomb County. As the dog comes near the Radley house, Atticus and Mr. Tate argue over who is going to kill Tim. Atticus then steps out in the middle of the road and pushes up his glasses, and in unison, he pulls the trigger and Tim Johnson crumbles the ground—dead. Atticus again demonstrates his valor when he guards Tom Robinson’s cell. The Maycomb jailhouse is near his office; therefore Atticus passes it every day. With red bricks and steel bars along the windows, the jailhouse adds a solid look to the town. The jailhouse is the main conversation topic in Maycomb. Scout, Jem, and Dill are out for a walk when they spot Atticus. As Atticus sits outside Tom’s cell, a group of men walks towards him. The group of men want to get to Tom, but Atticus would not let them. Scout, Jem, and Dill walk up to the group, but that did not distract the men from their goal. One of the men grabs Jem, the man falls to the ground; Scout kicks... ... middle of paper ... ... not in need of an examination. Ewell writes his name for Atticus, who realizes he wrote it with his left hand. Mayella is next on the witness stand. Atticus asks questions similar to the questions he asked her father. The next person on the stand is Tom. Everyone could see Tom’s left arm was useless to him. Atticus asks Tom about the same as the other witnesses. Tom states Mayella asked him to chop a chiffarobe. Mayella asked him inside, and when her father sees him, he was outraged. Tom ran away before Ewell could hurt him. In the end, Tom is found guilty. Whatever occurs in Attius’ life, he shows you should always show modesty. In this world one does not often encounter a hero. A true hero dedicated his life to putting others before himself. Through his actions as a hero, Atticus plants the seeds of morality in his community and watches them grow.

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