Importance Of Old Father In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Atticus is not only a father, a lawyer, he is also a hero. As a father and lawyer, he is kind and fair; as a hero, he represents tolerance and persistence. At first, Jem and Scout think Atticus is just an old father. However, after facing some big events together, they finally notice that their father is different and a protector. They learn the meaning of the world “brave” from their father, learn how to respect others, and believe in themselves from Atticus. Atticus is brave, tries his best to defend Tom Robinson, and is not afraid of the threats from other people. He is one of the few people in Maycomb who notices that racial discrimination is wrong. Jem and Scout don’t understand Atticus at the beginning of the book, but due to some events
At first, they think Atticus is feeble. He is older than the parents of their school contemporaries, so when other students talk about their father, Scout and Jem have nothing to say about Atticus. So they are really shocked when they see Atticus killing the mad dog with good skill of shooting. Jem says, “‘.... an’ it looked like that gun was a part of him…’” (129). Jem and Scout start to know that their father is good at shooting, he also has a nickname, “One-Shot Finch” (128). However, Atticus is never proud of his talent in shooting. ‘“ People in their right minds never take pride in their talents,’ said Miss Maudie”(130). Miss Maudie tells them that good people do not boast. Since shooting involves death, Atticus only shows this talent when it is
After a few questions, Atticus clearly proves that Tom is not guilty. However, at that time, racial discrimination is normal in the South. Atticus is one of the people in Maycomb who think that all people are equal and he tries his best to make white people realize that point. Atticus says, “But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal...Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal ”(274). He then says, “‘In the name of God, believe him,’ I think that’s what he said” (275). Although his speech is very clear, he still worries about people not believing in him, because of the skin color of Tom Robinson. Atticus feels tired about this situation, it is hard for them to change the situation, because racial discrimination is the thing that they learn from their parents when they are young, so it is really hard for them to understand what he is talking about. It is the first time that Jem and Scout go to the court to see Atticus’s job. “‘Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.”(283) These are the words that said Reverend Sykes, although Atticus fails to defend Tom Robinson, he still earns all the black people’s respect in Maycomb. Scout starts to know that his father is a

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