In the article “What Makes a Hero,” Dr. Alex Lickerman argues that what makes a hero is ”the willingness to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others.” In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are a few characters that fit that definition of a hero. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird fits this definition of a hero because of his bravery and willingness to defend Tom Robinson in the court case. Dr Lickerman believes that in order to be a hero, you must first make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others. Dr. Lickerman references one of his patients when the topic of what makes a hero comes up. According to Dr. Lickerman, “What makes him a hero is that fifteen years ago, before he got sick, he donates one of his kidneys to his brother who had AIDS”. This patient sacrificed his kidney for his brother even though he knew that, “most AIDS patients died no matter what [they] did”. To Dr. Lickerman this sacrifice is honorable. Although Dr. Lickerman believes his patient is a hero, unlike many Americans, he does not believe …show more content…
Lickerman's description of a hero, Atticus Finch does. Atticus chooses to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, even though he knows that he could lose the town’s respect, his job and it could also put him in potential danger. Atticus knows that they are not going to win the court case but chooses to defend Tom anyway. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us to try not to win.”This shows Atticus’ bravery and strong will. Also, there are many personal sacrifices that he is willing to make in order to be the lawyer of this case. “I'm scared.(Jem said)... Scared about Atticus. Somebody might hurt him.” Even Atticus’ children are scared about his safety. But that is a sacrifice that Atticus is willing to take. Atticus fits Dr. Lickerman’s definition of a hero because of his willingness to give up many things that could affect his
One of the leading reasons to think that Atticus Finch is not a hero is because he was merely doing his job. His job as a lawyer was to defend Tom Robinson and to give him a fair trial. He did precisely what he was supposed to do, which is a reason to be called a good person, but not a hero. Atticus did defend Tom, but he did not end up with a fair trial. It was not Atticus' fault that the trial was biased and he tried to give him the fairest trial that he could. He may have opposed the allegations of the trial that seemed hopeless to win, but it was not at all heroic.
Bob Riley once said “Hard times don't create heroes, it is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” Author Lee shows the thoughts and feelings of each character carefully. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the character Atticus Finch represents Lee’s idea of social justice by demonstrating patience, wisdom and sympathy.
Our hero in To Kill A Mockingbird is Atticus Finch. In this story Atticus finch is a lawyer whose morality and reason makes him the hero of the story. For example in this quote “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you
Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ is a revolutionary classic that takes the reader through the life of a young girl named Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and her father Atticus. During the novel Atticus, a lawyer, is given the case of a black man against a white woman and her father. Because of this, Atticus has to make multiple bold decisions that not only affect himself, but those around him. The decisions he makes and how they play out all lead us to the same question: Is Atticus really the perfect hero?
Imagine yourself doing something that was completely unspeakable of in your society. Now, what if I told you it was something that came down to a concept as simple as black and white? Racial injustice is the biggest problem that is faced throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus Finch was put on the spot many times and during these many occurrences we see his moral and ethically inclined personality show. For this reason, Atticus is indeed a hero to a modern audience because he demonstrates an approach to situations that would better society. Not only does he expresses this through sticking to his conscience and morals; but Atticus also shows courage and puts himself and his reputation at risk in order to accomplish the results he wants to achieve.
Was Atticus Finch the true hero in the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’? Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ narrates the journey of Scout Finch. Scout is a young girl and at the start of the novel she is closed minded and very aggressive. Scout is the daughter of Maycomb’s positive but stern lawyer, Atticus Finch, who defends Tom Robinson, an honest and strong African American father and husband who has been wrongly accused of rape. Tom was accused by the young Mayella Ewell who was actually coming onto Mr Robinson. Through the eyes and experiences of Scout, Lee explores the themes of racism, segregation and rape just to name a few. But most notably she invites the reader to consider what it means to be a hero. Being a hero is helping and
To begin with, Atticus Finch is a hero due to his morality. Atticus shows his morals by his reaction to Scout saying the phrase nigger-lover. Scout asks Atticus what a “nigger-lover” is as a result of someone at school calling her father one resulting in a fight with Scout. “You aren’t really
Atticus Finch shows, in many ways, the true definition of a hero, but no situation was more important than the Tom Robinson trial. In Maycomb, the thought of taking a negro’s word instead of a white man’s was ridiculous to the citizens, especially over a matter as serious as a black man raping a white woman. Regardless of this information, Atticus still takes on Tom Robinson’s case and tries to make as big of a difference as possible. When Scout asks him if he thinks that he will win the case, Atticus subtly replies “No, honey” (76). Atticus goes on to explain, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win” (76). Basically, Atticus believes that just because it is unlikely that he will win, it does not mean that he should just give up without trying. Throughout all the discrimination, Atticus remains tough and tries to achieve his goal, no matter how hard it is. This was an example of moral courage. Even Scout knows how hard her father is trying by comparing Atticus’ efforts to “watching Atticus walk down the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but...
In Conclusion, Today in our world many people see someone as an admirable leader and heroic figure. Whether it’s a sister, brother, parent, or celebrity, everyone has someone they look up to. Just like the people of Maycomb look up to Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a good man who displayed so many characteristics and he is definitely the heroic figure of Maycomb. Atticus presented himself as a calm, courageous, and an open-minded person. His great qualities and personality also won him the respect of African Americans. Only someone with such great pride and honor would be able to accomplish that. When Atticus put his reputation at risk, he knew it was troubling but he was not going to be seen as a typical Maycomb person. Therefore, Atticus is a great impact in the novel, To Kill a MockingBird By Harper Lee.
In Harper Lee’s novel Atticus Finch is represented as a very courageous person whose courageousness the author of the novel brings to our attention all throughout the book but since our time is limited the student needs only to highlight three situations where they feel Atticus Finch is courageous for example he accepts a criminal case that involves a Black...
Atticus Finch is a heroic character in To Kill A Mockingbird. A hero is a person who is known for certain achievements and qualities. Atticus is known for many qualities he displayed during the novel, as well as various achievements. This makes him a heroic character. Atticus Finch is a hero because he defended a black man in court, proved his abilities and intelligences, and cared for everybody equally.
Assignment details: Analyze the components of the hero’s journey. Basically, support the argument that Jaws follows the epic hero cycle. Name specific examples from the movie and connect them to the hero’s journey. However, this is not a plot summary. You are not retelling the story, but selecting examples to support the analysis.
Without courageous people, human society would not progress. This is evident in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whereby a few heroic individuals inspire transformations in a racist community. One of the characters who shows bravery is Tom Robinson. Even though he knows he will most likely lose, he goes on trial and fights for justice and truth. Another person who displays inner strength is Boo Radley. He is able to break out of his comfort zone and stand up for what is right, despite his fear. The most daring character in the novel is Atticus Finch. Although most of the town is against him, he continues onward and faces hatred with dignity and respect. Each of these extraordinary individuals represent Harper Lee’s belief that real courage is doing the right thing, even if it requires standing up against the majority.
In my opinion, a hero is someone whose principal purpose, whether it be in one situation or over the span of their entire life, is to help others while simultaneously making the world a better place. When the word hero is brought up, the most prevailing image that comes to mind is superheroes like Batman and Superman. But I don’t think you have to have superpowers or even be well known in order to be a hero. There are people all over the world whose intention is to do selfless deeds and go out of their way for others without expectation of obtaining anything in return. These are the type of people I like to consider everyday heroes. They go through life just trying to be the best they can and trying to help as many people as they can. Whether
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.