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An essay about atticus finch
Importance of respect in life
Importance of respect in life
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Student X Teacher Date One of the most memorable characters in a novel of the 20th century is Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. In the beginning of the story Atticus teaches his children, as a good parent should, how they should treat others. Atticus treats his children like adults and explains things in a way they can understand. He also takes on the challenges for which he knows he will be ridiculed. He knows that if he doesn’t follow his conscience and do what he knows is right, he won’t be able to respect himself. He also knows that he is setting an example for his children both by what he says and what he does. Atticus is a great example of a good parent because he treats other people with respect, honesty, and integrity. Atticus always exhibits respect for other people. Because the children are fascinated by the odd character of Boo Radley, Atticus tries to help them understand that people are unusual. Atticus explained to his children, “ ‘ What Mr. Radley did was his own business…. What Mr. Radley did might seem peculiar to us, but it did not seem peculiar to him’ ’’ (49). Atticus goes on this rant telling his children to respect others even if they are different from them. Atticus does not want his children to buy into superstitions and prejudices the town holds for Boo Radley because he knows this type of discrimination is wrong. Telling his children the truth shows that Atticus trusts his children with certain information. He knows there are things his children won’t fully understand so he tells them in a way to help them understand it. For example Atticus said to Scout, “ ‘ You never really understand a person until you consider things form his point of view… until you climb into his skin and... ... middle of paper ... ...uld have sent lennie to the government or the police they would have put Lennie in jail. George was worried that lennie would have gotten hurt or killed in prison. George did the least painful option he could with Lennie. There was simply no other option. George realized that he could no longer take care of Lennie. Lennie can not be controlled and he has crossed the line in messing up. Lennie is a large man that could hurt of kill anyone that he wants to. George can not take care of Lennie. “Course lennie is a nuisance sometimes…” In this statement George clearly doesn’t want to take care of Lennie. If George doesn’t take care of him no one will. If no one attends to Lennie he will go around hurting people. George killing Lennie saved many people from death, having to take care of him, and finding somewhere to put him. George only did what was best for Lennie
As George becomes aware of the situation he begins to ponder what will happen if Lennie gets away. George understands that Lennie would not be capable of providing for himself out in the wild. As George contemplates allowing Lennie to be free of all the men, he “[is] a long time in answering” (94). George is one of the few men who understands Lennie’s mental limitations, he knows Lennie would not remember how to survive and “the poor bastard’d starve” (94). He
One important reason that shows George's actions of killing Lennie is a euthanasia is a very important reason. The reason is that Lennie can't really tell George that that he wants to die, but he actually does in a more indirect way. Lennie's mental state is very low and it would be hard for him to tell George directly and give his constant.
Although Atticus is not like every other parent, he shows his love to his kids in his own ways. He does not need to be kissing them, hugging them or buying them things to show his affection for them. His ways are unique ways that show that Atticus is a positive parental figure. Another good piece of evidence that shows that Atticus is a positive parental figure is that he sets a good example for the children. He sets a good example by being honest and telling them why he has to defend Tom Robinson even if that decision jeopardizes his reputation and the family. When Atticus was talking to Scout about defending Tom he said, “The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (100). These words show that Atticus values equality and justice and it is setting an excellent example for the kids to follow at such a young age. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, an African American man, because he believes in equality for all. Atticus also mentioned that before he tells the children to do something or follow values he, Atticus, must display them first, and he
George shouldn’t go to jail for killing Lennie, even though Lennie was completely innocent. Lennie is illiterate and ill-informed. He killed Curley's wife and many animals and to keep people safe from him would be hard. He might of had to just stay in one place all day alone, that isn't good for a human. Lennie's death could save many lives.
In conclusion, George killing Lennie was a murder because of lack of consent and Lennie was not suffering physically. In this society, people are scared of the unknown, and that is how they lived. No one realized what they were doing was wrong. But Lennie was just like everyone else, only different because of a small, mental setback. The characters did not seem to realize that Lennie believed in a future ahead of him, and that he had hopes and dreams just like them. Life is incredibly short, and no one should deserve
One of the reasons why George should have killed Lennie is to keep him out of an institution. It is clearly not on the bright side for Lennie to be put in an institution. This is backed by Slim saying “…An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good, George.”(pg. 97) Lennie would obviously be miserable without George anyway, his only kind friend. Without George, Lennie wouldn’t know a lot of things he does now, or what to do in situations. Lennie has one of the rare mentalities that always needs someone by their side. These are all good reasons that it would be a good thing for George to put Lennie away rather than in an institution.
Even though Atticus Finch is an exceedingly reputable and good-natured man, he has more than a few flaws as a character which contract him as the true hero of the novel. However, though Atticus is not a hero of the novel as many readers think, he is a well-rounded and well developed character. As a father, he always makes every effort to tell his children nothing but the truth; as a citizen, Atticus is courteous and gentlemanly to everyone in town, and as a lawyer, Atticus takes on a case with the dedication that no other white man would have – even when he knew that he was most likely going to fail. Every character has their pros and cons, some outweigh each other while some balance each other out. So although Atticus is not a very good role model for young lawyers, his gentleman-like nature is an exemplary photo for young, growing men.
At the beginning of the novel, George feels responsible for taking care of Lennie because he could have given him to another family. Since Lennie has the mentality of a child and the body of a grown man, George fails to be attentive towards him. However, they are wrong because George is justified in killing Lennie due to him murdering Curley’s wife; George is unable to defend Lennie from others trying to kill him. He is bold enough to take responsibility for Lennie when he gets used to “ Lennie just [coming] along with [him] out workin’” after his aunt died(40). During the Great Depression, people rarely consider each other family and chose to travel alone. Thus, George and Lennie’s relationship is unique. George cares enough to consider him family even though others view their relationship as an anomaly. In addition, their strong bond makes Lennie fear that George will leave him, but he knows that “George wun’t go away and leave [him]”,(73). This part of the novel is significant because although Lennie is scared and thinks like a child, he is still an adult. No one during this time period would take responsibility for him. George has no choice but to kill Lennie due the sufferings that the mentally disabled faced in the 1930s. Identically, Lennie was as hopeless as Candy’s dog who only relied in the assistance of others most of the time. He was described as an old dog who “ain’t no good
Atticus is a great leader of his family, teaching his children morals and life lessons. He makes them better people by showing them how to deal with the trial and people making fun of them. Atticus teaches Scout how to respect other people. First, Scout learns to respect Atticus, then to respect "Boo" Radley, and finally to respect a whole race of people, negroes. He makes it a common practice to live his life as he would like his children to live theirs, and thus displays the attributes of an honest, respectable, and kind man. Throughout the trial process, Atticus shows Jem and Scout that true courage is standing up for what you believe in and that all human beings, despite their race, deserve respect. "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This quote shows that Atticus wants his children to get along with people, and so other people will respect them for whom they are.
George wanted to be alone, away from Lennie because he could earn a lot more money without worrying about Lennie. George wants Lennie gone so he could live life without getting into so much trouble like Lennie does. When Lennie gets into trouble then they both get into trouble. George needed Lennie gone in general weather he had to kill him or
George is pretty much in charge of Lennie and is the brains of the operation. He thinks very big of himself and thinks he's got the rest of his life planned out. He wants to own a farm someday with Lennie. He really likes to cuss and get drunk on Friday night. He always says to Lennie "If you weren't around I would have a job by now," but he really cares about him. At the end George puts Lennie out of his misery and shoots him. He said "it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life."
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee suggests that Atticus is a model parent. Atticus gives guidance to Jem and Scout, and he treats them with fairness and honesty. He tries to bring them up as best he can as a single parent.
...fore reprimanding them, and treats his neighbors--even the seemingly odd ones like Boo Radley and Mrs. Dubose--and his clients, black folks included, in the same manner. Even though his own sister is preoccupied with distinguishing the Finch family from similar or slightly poorer people, Atticus remains stedfast in his convictions. He always tries to see the good in others, although he knows man’s tendency toward evil all too well. Atticus keeps hope throughout his life, always reminding his children to keep a positive attitude by not worrying when troubles come their way. By her father’s great influence, Scout finds, at the close of the story, that her father was right all along: the best way to interact with others is to treat all people with kindness and respect. Atticus serves as an accurate standard of good and evil indeed.
George understands that he can’t hide Lennie from the world forever and that the natural order of things is that the strong pick off the weak, and he will eventually have to let Lennie go. This motivates him to seize reality, meaning he had to kill Lennie, which itself was a sign of tremendous growth in himself. Killing Lennie had many effects on George; one of them being that he became one of the men he’d tell Lennie stories about. George believed that he and Lennie were not like the other migrant workers – travelling alone and spending all their earning on a whim. When George would te...
Although he is a strong figure in the community, people now see Atticus as a disgrace. They believe he is bringing shame to his family, and call him a “nigger-lover”. His children, Scout and Jem, also suffer the repercussions due to their father’s actions. It is unfair for these young, innocent children to be put through such traumatic events. Atticus Finch is a good role model to his children, as well as to the community. He himself is also like a mockingbird.