Atticus in Harper Lee´s To Kill a Mockingbird

“I ran in the direction of Jem’s scream and sank into flabby male stomach. Its owner said, “Uff” and tried to catch my arms, but they were tightly pinioned. His stomach was soft but his arms were like steel. He slowly squeezed the breath out of me. I could not move. Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying me with him. I thought, Jem’s up. The scuffling noises were dying:someone wheezed and the night was still again”(Lee 301). What happened was Jem and Scout were coming home and Bob ewell attacked them and kill them because Atticus beat him in court.So the person that is wheezing later turns out to be Bob Ewell who was stabbed by the mysterious Boo Radley who saved there life. This would be one of Atticus lessons of kindness to others because Boo Radley single handedly saved their lives. Atticus has a lot of life lessons that are taught throughout the events of what happens in To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the book Atticus points out lessons his children can learn from like the true meaning of life, understanding racism, stereotyping people, and human kindness.

One point that is brought up in the book is understanding racism. This is an issue because Atticus as a white man is defending Tom Robinson a black man who is accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Violet Ewell, Bob Ewell daughter which as expected their white. If this was to take place in the north no one would really care, but they live in the south where people still believed in segregation from blacks, and for a black man to challenge a white man in court, meant that they would probably lose their case because of prejudice against their race and color. Also a white man defending a black man in court which was unheard of at th...

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...o Blacks and not get lynched by the town people. Keep in mind this is the 1930’s in the south where everyone is highly racist toward blacks so its unheard of a white man having an affair with a black woman so to live the life he wanted to live he had to pretend to be drunk. He did this and people bought so when he talked to blacks people just said he just doesn't know better. His life also isn't the greatest because he hides his true beliefs just to fit in which is bad.”Wh-oh yes, you mean why do I pretend? Well, it’s very simple, Some folks don’t-like the way I live. Now I could say the hell with ‘em, I don’t care if they don’t like it. I do say I don’t care if they don’t like it, right enough-but I don’t say the hell with ‘em see?”(Lee 228). It shows here that he only lives this way so others will not question his morals and or thoughts he has toward other people.