How Is Atticus Finch Wise

“Atticus, he was real nice. Most people are Scout when you finally see them.” - To Kill A Mockingbird. In this essay, the key concept that will be discussed is the significance a wise character can have on someone. This will be shown by using the subjects of a well-known novel to display how one becomes characterized as being wise, and how that person affects the people around them. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee portrays the idea that to be wise you must recognize people beyond their masks. This is shown through the character Atticus Finch, and how he interacts with his children and the rest of Maycomb. Atticus Finch is an older single father to Scout and Jem Finch and is a well-known and respected person in the town of Maycomb. He is respected for the reason that he is wise. Atticus is portrayed as a wise character as a result of how he observes people. As he voiced in the novel, you don't know someone until you hop into their skin and walk around in it, and that is exactly what he succeeds in. An example of this is with Mrs. Dubose. She is a mean elderly women who is cruel to Scout and Jem, but nonetheless Atticus is always compassionate to her. For reason that he knows she is a morphine addict and as a result of her being an addict she is also going to die soon.

Throughout the book, we witness character growth in both the children, but mainly Jem. As the book progresses, Jem becomes increasingly like his father in every chapter. An example of this is the impact that the Tom Robinson trials had on Jem. All throughout the trials Atticus was teaching his children the way of not judging people by being Tom’s lawyer. After the trials, Jem became open to different experiences and people relating to the coloured folks of Maycomb. He also defended the innocent. An example of his defending the innocent is when he stopped Scout from killing a bug that did not harm