Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
To kill a mockingbird essay on atticus finch
Major themes to kill a mockingbird
How did Harper Lee's life influence her novel
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: To kill a mockingbird essay on atticus finch
Have you ever read the book To KIll a Mockingbird by Harper Lee? The book took place in the 1930’s. It’s about a family from Maycomb County and the dad (Atticus) is defending a black man (Tom Robinson). It is important for Atticus to defend Tom Robinson even though it puts himself and his family in danger. Atticus should defend Tom Robinson because Atticus is the best lawyer in Macomb County. For example, Scout says Atticus was related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town.(5)”For his first five years in Maycomb, Atticus practiced economy more than anything.” This quote supports my claim because it shows that Atticus puts a lot of time and effort in his work. Another example is when Miss Maudie says that Atticus has never …show more content…
For example, when Scout told Atticus not to defend Tom Robinson. “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience- Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.(139)” This supports my claim because is shows that Atticus will try defend Tom Robinson. Another example is when Atticus is talking to Scout. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." This quote supports my claim because Atticus wants to see what real courage is. It is true that Atticus is putting his family in danger when he is defending Tom Robinson because Atticus is white defending a black man. Some people might argue that when Jem and Scout were walking home from the play, Bob Ewell attacked them. Scout says “He slowly squeezed the breath out of me, I could not move.(351)” However, Atticus is teaching his kids to do the right thing. It teaches them life lessons like racism is bad. “The main reason is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.(100)” This evidence supports my refute because Atticus says he couldn’t tell Jem or Scout not to do something
Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the year of 1960, and is one of the few American classic novels awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The racism that was prevalent in many southern American towns in the 1930s is brought to life with profound imagery in To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several characters in the book, yet the true main character is the narrator's father, Atticus Finch. He is a man of great integrity and intelligence. A very heroic figure in more ways than one, Atticus possesses traits like being principled, determined, and, more importantly, he teaches others.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written by Harper Lee. The novel is set in the depths of the Great Depression. A lawyer named Atticus Finch is called to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. The story is told from one of Atticus’s children, the mature Scout’s point of view. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the Finch Family faces many struggles and difficulties.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.
In this story, Atticus defends Tom Robinson with compassion. Atticus is a very respected upper class white. He comes from an old family and works for the state legislature. He was asked to just be the lawyer, not to actually defend. When Atticus states, "I'm simply defending a Negro.
Yet he took the case with no hesitation. Atticus knows the difference between what is fair and what is true justice. He is well aware that whites and blacks have many differences with one another, but is also educated enough to know that there truly is no diversity in equity, and tries to teach everyone including his children this. ”You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around it.(30)” Atticus is encouraging Scout to respect everyone and consider their true potential without considering false accusations in this quote. He applies what he teaches to his children to the people attending the Tom Robinson trial. Atticus is just one man, but with an unprecedented amount of sense of pride, intelligence, and justice. He reflects the image of the town’s people by showing them what they’ve allowed themselves to become based on their beliefs. He genuinely expresses their deepest consternation. In this quote he tells the audience what they are afraid to hear, but need to hear, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.(272)” After stating his point and releasing the profound truth Atticus causes for Mayella and Bob Ewell to lose their composure. Nevertheless people of most of the white people of Maycomb continue to refuse to believe that a white woman kissed a black man. But they undoubtedly believe that a black man with a useless left hand beat and raped an “innocent” white woman. Atticus could have predicted the outcome from before he even took the case and refused to defend Tom Robinson. But he
Atticus is a good father for teaching his children to respect everyone. Scout asks Atticus if he is a “nigger lover” and he simply replies, "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes—baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." This shows that atticus is not like the other people in Maycomb he considers every man to be equal to one another. Judge Taylor comes to Atticus to defend Tom Robinson because he knows he’s the only man in Maycomb that is fit to do to the job, and do it fairly. While thinking about taking the offer Atticus firsts thinks about his kids and how it will affect their lives. Atticus says “…do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anythin...
The book To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 by an author named Harper Lee. Harper Lee born was April 28, 1926 in Monroeville Alabama Lee had made 2 novels in the time she was alive she had wrote To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set A Watchman. Harper lee had also illustrated a few children's books. So what is courage? To Kill A Mockingbird gives the readers a look into how terrible things were in the south during the 1930’s from prejudice to racism to morality and even youth. When an African American man named Tom Robinson is wrongly accused of raping a young, white girl a lawyer named Atticus Finch takes the case. Atticus Finch is the main character's father. Atticus is very different from most people in Maycomb county, Atticus believes in justice for all and that
Atticus teaches a great lesson of "self" to his children when he decided to take the Robinson case. Atticus has proven to be an honorable man because he could have easily been a coward and refused to defend a "nigger". Atticus replies to Scout's question of why he took the case by saying that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't take it. He was determined to defend this innocent black man, Tom Robinson. He did a great thing and wasn't influenced by the other whites in the community.
The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a simplistic view of life in the Deep South of America in the 1930s. An innocent but humorous stance in the story is through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Scout is a young adolescent who is growing up with the controversy that surrounds her fathers lawsuit. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, with the charge of raping a white girl. The lives of the characters are changed by racism and this is the force that develops during the course of the narrative.
In the novel, Atticus tried every way to help others who were in need of help themselves. First of all, it is courageous of Atticus to take the Tom Robinson case. Even Atticus’ own family (such as Aunt Alexandra) disapproved of him taking the case. The reason was because of the bias. Many of his risks were taken during the Tom Robinson case. He risks the chance of criticism by the other residents in Maycomb county.It takes courage for Atticus Finch to do differently than people's beliefs in order to do what he sees as morally correct. The racist views of the town are against Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of doing wrong to a white woman, and Atticus is often discriminated against for not agreei...
Atticus shows great compassion and tolerance when he stands up for the Negroes. He stands up and represents Tom Robinson because he believes that everyone should be treated equally in the court of law. He knows that because Tom was a Negro there would be a slim chance of winning. That fact never discouraged him though because he says that the main reason he is representing Tom is because, ' if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature'; (75). He recited a speech, which clearly states that Tom Robinson is not guilty. In that speech he says, 'our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal'; (205). He believed that prejudice and stereotyping is wrong and he tries to teach these morals to Scout and Jem.
Atticus demonstrates his character by defending Tom Robinson. Atticus leads by example, showing the highest respect for everyone in Maycomb, not discriminating by color or class. His serious defense for Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, proves his high ideals. Atticus fights a hopeless battle against the racism in the town. Atticus not only shows his non prejudice through the trial of Tom Robinson, but also through his everyday dealings with Calpurnia. Atticus refutes Aunt Alexandra persistent attempts to fire Cal and claims that she is one of the family.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, racism has a negative outcome on most characters. Tom Robinson the man that was accused of raping a white woman, Helen Robinson Tom Robinson wife, and Jem atticus son were all affected negatively by racism.
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee's only novel, is a fictional story of racial oppression, set in Maycomb, A.L. in 1925 to 1935, loosely based on the events of the Scottsboro trials. Unlike the story however, the racial discrimination and oppression in the novel very accurately portrays what it was like in the 1920's and 1930's in the south. Tom Robinson, the black man accused of raping a poor low class white girl of 19, never stood a chance of getting a fair trial. This can be supported by giving examples of racially discriminatory and oppressive events that actually took place in the south during the time period in which the novel is based. In addition to actual historical events, events and examples from the book that clearly illustrate the overpoweringly high levels of prejudice that were intertwined in the everyday thinking of the majority of the characters in the book supports the fact that Tom Robinson never stood a chance of getting a fair trial.
Atticus was incredibly courageous taking on tom Robinsons case against the prejudice of Macomb County and he shows incredible courage when he says, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won." He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom Robinson, "That boy may go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." Chapter 15, Page 146. He was against the whole white community including his own sister practically said that he was a disgrace to his family Atticus tells scout when she asks him why he is taking the case he says "For a number of reasons. 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.