Atticus Finch is a very outstanding man, especially for someone in that time and place. In the novel To Kill Mockingbird by Harper Lee, he represents the moral backbone of a county where morality is often tossed aside as if it doesn’t matter. Atticus is one of the few people there who actually think it matters, and isn’t afraid to show it. Unfortunately, very little people actually see the greatness within him, and instead consider him a traitor, rather than a man of revolution and change for the better of Maycomb County. One can grasp this concept through his fairness towards others who are different from him, his understanding of people that most can’t see, and his tremendous courage when most would back down.
Instead of backing down out of an unpleasant situation, Atticus uses his bravery to get through the toughest of times while staying calm, and without showing any regret. Even in positions with negative consequences, he is able to fight through and continue to do the right thing. The utmost, important example of this is Atticus representing Tom Robinson in court; he knows he has an extreme low chance of success, and will be ridiculed by many who disagree with him, yet he continues on anyway because it’s what he thinks is the best for Tom. At points like this in the novel Harper Lee clearly uses Atticus, almost symbolically, to try to let the reader know that true courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”(92) However, what seems like the majority of Maycomb can’t comprehend this, but some of the less ignorant citizens do. These people understand his bravery, such as Scout who once claims he is “the bravest man who ever lived.”(105) Th...
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... Walter fit in as an equal in a strange environment. Atticus views everyone as an equal, and respects peoples differences, whether it’s race, social status, or anything else that people tend to be prejudice towards and put down.
Atticus Finch recognizes equality, is very understanding, and is brave at heart. The qualities he shows in his personality and actions, proves that he is the ideal man of true morality. Harper Lee develops him this way to represent what she knows is right, and uses him to symbolize what people should strive to become. What they would become overall, is a better person. If important figures such as world leaders could show the moral values of Atticus, many problems within small counties, large cities, and throughout the world, would be resolved and world peace could be found.
Works Cited
"To Kill a Mockingbird" Harper Lee
Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society. He is a balanced figure who is able to cope with the unreasonable and highly emotional town in which he lives. He can manage the prejudiced white masses and still deal justly with the underprivileged Negro population of Maycomb. He is one of the few people who understand the individual worth of a person regardless of the color of his/her skin. This enables him to defend Tom Robinson based solely on the concept of justice and equality. In his closing argument, Atticus explains that, “there is one place all men are created equal. That place is in a court room” (Lee 205). This justifies the fact that Atticus believes in equality in a society, the equality not only of race, but also of sex, class, and religion as well. His view of equality and justice is a symbol of his own psychological stability throughout the novel. Accordingly, in the final analysis of the story, Atticus represents the “justice” in the community of Maycomb. His stability throughout the book is one of the many characteristics that depict Atticus Finch as the novel’s core.
Atticus’ statement on prejudice and racism characterises his moral integrity and his empathetic nature. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch is depicted as the complete opposite of what people would perceive to be a stereotypical southern man living in the Deep South during the 1930s. Contrary to the majority of his fellow townspeople of Maycomb, Atticus is a man of great virtue and moral strength. He in not bigoted or racist and is egalitarian in his approach to all people This sort of moral integrity is what he tries to instil in his two young children, Jem and Scout, despite the bigotry and inequality surrounding them. Atticus Finch stands as a moral beacon of the town, a label which causes much friction between himself and other members of the Maycomb community. A clearer idea of Atticus’ principles can be gained by comparing and contrasting them to three other characters in the Novel, Calpurnia, Bob Ewell and Aunt Alexandra.
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...
“You never really understood a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” Atticus Finch is a man of extreme integrity. He, as both a lawyer and a human being, stands up for his democratic beliefs and encourages his children to stand up for their own, though they may stand alone. Harper Lee showed how far respect went in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus defended Tom Robinson in his rape trial. He did not think twice about being ridiculed by th...
Atticus Finch is probably one of the bravest people in the novel. Throughout the book, despite being called "nigger-lover" by many people in Maycomb, he had lots of courage in him to take the case and defend Tom Robinson even with all threats of violence. He also is brave in the face of danger, when facing the mob of men outside the jail-house even though he know he could get hurt or kill. “In the obedience to my father, there followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers.“ You know what we want,” another man said. “Get aside from the door, Mr.Finch” ”.(pg.202) HE use himself as a human shield to protect Tom Robinson from the Cunningham. He knows that nobody in Maycoms is going to trust a Black ‘s man word against a White ‘man word and that he is probably going to lose the trial but he try his best to...
Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, he is a father of two children, Jem and Scout Finch. He is a man of wise character and considerate soul. He knows his morals and tries to help his children grow up to be successful and happy. Throughout the novel, Atticus acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly by the way he perceives the people in his life, how he succeeds in his job and treats his family.
During a time when black people were thought to be lower than white people, Atticus defended a black man in court. He said to his children, "I'm simply defending a Negrohis name's Tom Robinson," (pg. 75). It required a lot of confidence and caring for Atticus to defend Tom, and the black community knew that Tom did not stand a chance without Atticus' help. They respected him and looked to him as a hero. They showed this when they stood up for him in the courtroom. Reverend Sykes said to Scout in the courtroom, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin," (pg. 211). The entire group of black people who were there stood up for him. Also, the parishioners at Calpurnia's church made Jem and Scout feel welcome when they visited their church. This showed that the black people also respected Atticus' family. If Atticus were just trying his best in a difficult circumstance, then he would not be as respected as he was by the black community. The black people greatly acknowledged the qualities that Atticus displayed by defending Tom and looked to him as a hero because of these qualities.
Is Atticus Finch the true hero of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, well yes and no. Looking at the characters in the novel we will discuss how Atticus is a hero but not the true hero of the novel. It is easy to decide the answer to this topic by looking at what it means to be a hero. To be a hero it means to have the ability to help others that are in need even if it means you will suffer great personal loss. furthermore through the actions and examples of Atticus defending Tom Robinson and Boo saving the lives of many over only one even how Calpurnia is a very heroically figure by assisting with the growth and development of the two characters Scout and Jem.
Even though the odds go against him, Atticus Finch bravely stands up to his beliefs and morals. Furthermore, he
Atticu Finch is one of they key characters in the book who leads by example and shows what courage is. In chapter nine, Atticus takes a case to defend a Negro who has been accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter Mayella444. Atticus, the father of main characters Scout and Jem Finch, loves and cares for his children, although since the children’s mother passed away when they were at a young age, Atticus is not always sure of how to fill her role. In chapter thirteen, Aunt Alexandra stays with the Finch family so that she can help them if anything happens while Atticus defends the black man, Tom Robinson. Atticus has always been respected in the town of Macomb, until he takes the Robinson case, which leads to controversy within his friends and his family. On several different instances, the towns people tried to convince him not to, and o...
Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.
Atticus took many risks knowing that the outcome may not be favorable towards him. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee displays that Bravery and Courage are important life traits, and can help
Atticus Finch is the most significant character, in To Kill a Mockingbird, who challenges racial prejudice as he does not follow the norms, in Maycomb, of being racially prejudice towards others. At first, Atticus Finch is reluctant to take on Tom Robinson’s case; however in the end, he willingly accepts. Unlike the majority of Maycomb residents, Atticus is not racist and makes no distinction upon race, he sees Negroes, just like Tom Robinson, as the same equality as any other person in the Maycomb community. For this reason, he believes they should be trea...
Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch demonstrates himself as an honest lawyer, a loving father, and a symbol of righteousness through his beliefs that he instills in his children. Atticus Finch values empathy, respect, and bravery, and he proves himself as a moral compass by teaching both Jem and Scout these values in the form of life lessons.
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.