Harper Lee’s unforgettable novel To Kill A Mockingbird, illustrates the character of Atticus Finch to establish the themes of sympathy, empathy, and a symbol of the dying past. The setting of the novel takes place during the 1930’s in the small town of Maycomb County, Alabama. During the 1930’s, discrimination towards black people was heavily segregated in the south. All throughout Lee’s novel, Atticus is characterized as being empathetic towards all of the Maycomb County citizens, and encourages his children “to consider things from [other people’s] point of view.” He is appointed to defend an innocent black man on trial for accused rape of a white woman. Lee establishes the idea of injustice through Atticus’ integrity and beliefs that “all …show more content…
Atticus Finch is a Maycomb attorney who is widowed with two children, Jem and Scout. The first time the theme of empathy is presented is whilst Atticus is speaking to his daughter, Scout, about Mr. Walter Cunningham. The Cunninghams were “farmers” and in 1929, the Great Depression hit the United States. Due to the drought, farmers suffered immensely. Mr. Cunningham’s father used to be one of Atticus’ clients. Walter is extremely grateful towards Atticus and tells him that “[he] doesn’t know when [he will] ever be able to pay [Atticus]” for helping his father out. In this situation, Atticus understands the difficulty that the Cunningham’s are facing and Atticus reassures Walter that it “be the least of [his] worries.” Scout asks Atticus if the Cunninghams would ever repay them, and Atticus replies, “Not in money, but before the year’s out I’ll have been paid. You watch.” The payment that Atticus refers to is all of the crops that Mr. …show more content…
Cunningham and begins to speak of his actions towards Atticus. Prior to this day, Mr. Cunningham took part in a mob to try to attack Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, an innocent black man. Scout says to Atticus at the table, “I thought Mr. Cunningham was a friend of ours. You told me a long time ago he was.” In response, he replied, “he still is.” Scout then argues, “But last night he wanted to hurt you.” Atticus explains to Scout that “Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man. He just has his blind spots along with the rest of us.” Jem disagrees that Mr. Cunningham’s attempt to attack Atticus is considered a “blind spot.” “But son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, not matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man.” In spite of Walter’s menacing actions, Atticus understands that Walter was still a human who makes mistakes. Furthermore, Atticus expounds to his kids that they were the reason as to why Mr. Cunningham did not continue to harm him. Jem and Scout “made Walter Cunningham stand in
In addition to being a lawyer, Atticus enjoys being a father to Jem and Scout. When Jem and Scout found out that their father would be defending a black person, they knew immediately that there would be much controversy, humiliation from the people of Maycomb and great difficulty keeping Tom alive for the trial. It was not long when Atticus had to leave the house very late to go to jail, where Tom was kept because many white people wanted to kill him. Worrying about their father, Jem and Scout sneak out of the house to find him. A self-appointed lynch mob has gathered on the jail to take justice into their own hands. Scout decides to talk to Walter Cunningham, one of the members of the mob. She talks about how her father Atticus thought that "entailments are bad "(154 ) " and that his boy Walter is a real nice boy and tell him I said hey"(154). Upon hearing this, the mob realized that Atticus cannot be all bad if he has such a nice daughter as Scout. Atticus, with some unexpected help from his children, faces down the mob and cause them to break up the potential lynching of the man behind bars. Having gone to a black church earlier, the children found out that Tom is actually a kind person, church-going and a good husband and father to his children.
Children are known to mimic and pick up their parent’s every move. With all this admiration and responsibility, parents are expected to be the best person they can be as everything they do will have an impact on their child. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout is an example of how children are affected by their parents. Scout is a young girl who lives in Maycomb County of Alabama during the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Scout and her big brother Jem learn and grow with the help of their father Atticus. Atticus Finch is a respectable lawyer who puts in all of his effort to defend the innocent African American man, Tom Robinson against false rape accusations from Mayella and Bob Ewell. His sense of justice and beliefs are
“You never really understood a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” Atticus Finch is a man of extreme integrity. He, as both a lawyer and a human being, stands up for his democratic beliefs and encourages his children to stand up for their own, though they may stand alone. Harper Lee showed how far respect went in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus defended Tom Robinson in his rape trial. He did not think twice about being ridiculed by th...
In a desperate attempt to save his client, Tom Robinson, from death, Atticus Finch boldly declares, “To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). The gross amounts of lurid racial inequality in the early 20th century South is unfathomable to the everyday modern person. African-Americans received absolutely no equality anywhere, especially not in American court rooms. After reading accounts of the trials of nine young men accused of raping two white women, novelist Harper Lee took up her pen and wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, a blistering exposition of tragic inequalities suffered by African Americans told from the point of view of a young girl. Though there are a few trivial differences between the events of the Scottsboro trials and the trial of Tom Robinson portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the accusers’ attitudes towards attention, the two cases share a superabundance of similarities. Among these are the preservation of idealist views regarding southern womanhood and excessive brutality utilized by police.
Lee interprets the Finch family as unprejudiced by describing the way Atticus influences his children. During numerous occasions, Atticus corrects his children when they treat anybody poorly. By teaching respect, Atticus accomplishes his goal of raising his children free of the Maycomb disease, or racism. Scout and Jem’s ignorance about the social differences in Maycomb causes them to treat everyone equally and as if they are all the same. Atticus’ beliefs about inequality have been inherited by the children.
In To Kill A Mockingbird Lee tells the story of a Mr. Tom Robinson who is an African American who is being charged with rape against a white women. Atticus is the lawyer who must defend Robinson in court. In the Scottsboro case a central figure was a heroic judge who overturned a guilty verdict against the young men. The judge went against the public in trying to protect the rights of the African American men. In reading the novel you learn that Atticus arouses anger in the small community when he tries to defend Robinson.
Imagine being a white lawyer in the 1930s who has to choose whether or not to defend a Black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. This is exactly what happens in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is a white lawyer in the 1930s who chooses to defend Tom Robinson, an African American man, who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Some people believe Atticus was wrong to defend Tom because it put his life and his childrens’ lives at risk. However, Atticus was right to have defended Tom because he wouldn’t be able to face Jem and Scout if he hadn’t taken the case, and he cared about doing the right thing so he would have to live with regret if he didn’t attempt to defend Tom.
Outside the jailhouse before the trial began, Scout learned that as a child she could make angry men stand in Atticus’ shoes for a minute. There was a crowd who was made with Atticus, and they wanted to hang Tom Robinson. She talked to Walter Cunningham directly about his own family, which reminded him of what a decent person he really was. He then led the group away. (“Last night you made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough.”—Atticus (Lee, pg. 157)). Mr. Cunnigham was only in that group of people because he (and most of the other men) were afraid something bad would happen to them if they turned on Atticus’ side.
Atticus shows love to Walter when he takes away the burden of paying him back fast. The line, “…but before the year’s out I’ll have been paid…” shows Atticus has love and trust towards a fellow neighbour. Also it helps to identify Atticus’s unselfishness; he does not worry that Walter will never pay him back. This part of the novel Atticus also demonstrates to Scout how to have empathy for those who are less fortunate than them. Another important part in the novel where Atticus shows love is when, he gives a tip to Jem and Scout while they practice shooting with their air rifles. “Shoot all the blue jays you want…. but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird… mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s garden don't nest in corncribs...” (119) this quote truly expresses Atticus’s love and admiration for God’s creatures. By killing a peaceful, and beautiful creature for no reason is an extremely selfish act to do. Whereas blue jays who “eat up people’s gardens… nest in corncribs…” and are not kind. For this reason Atticus is okay if they shoot all the blue jays they want on purpose. This quote is a very symbolic
Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.
Walter Cunningham was one of the first characters to be introduced to us on the first day of school when Miss. Caroline realized he didn’t have a lunch and offered a quarter on the condition that he pays it back the next day. Walter, much like his father would have, turned down the offer due to his family’s code of ethics. Atticus, having been once of service to Walters father, accepted farmed goods from the Cunninghams as payment in lieu of money. Later at the courthouse when a group of men including Mr. Cunningham are trying to lynch Tom, Scout shames Mr. Cunningham when she says “‘I go to school with Walter,’ [she] began again. ‘He’s your boy, ain’t he? Ain’t he, sir? He’s in my grade, and he does right well. He’s a good boy,’ I added, ‘a real nice boy. We brought him home for dinner one time.’ “(154) reminding him of his and Atticus’ previous arrangement and also that she is his sons friend, and effectively reminding him that what he did next she would remember. That day Scout provided a protective role for Tom, much like Arthur Radley did for Jem as well as
Atticus Finch is a kind, strong-willed lawyer that lives in Maycomb County. During this time, Atticus is a single father that is trying to teach his kids about how racism is wrong. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch decides to defend an innocent black man that the town despises. Because of his selfless and caring personality it makes sense for Atticus to take this stand for Tom Robinson.
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, a black man is wrongfully convicted due to racism. In Macomb which is a small town in southern Alabama Scout and Jem Finch spend their days trying to find out who the mysterious Boo Radley is. When their dad Atticus which is a lawyer gets assigned Tom Robinsons case. Who is a black man accused of beating and raping Mayela Ewell. Throughout the story Jem and scout learn you shouldn’t judge someone until you walk around in their skin.
In the 1930’s, racism and strong feelings of prejudice caused an African American man to be falsely accused and convicted and then brutally murdered; these feelings caused a guilty man to walk free; these feelings caused two young children to almost be murdered. Although, despite these feelings, a shy recluse saved those two young children and made a friendship that will last forever. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression in Maycomb, Alabama, a town deeply rooted in racism. It focuses on the development of Jem and Scout Finch and their father, Atticus Finch’s work as a lawyer. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the characteristics of integrity, honesty, and having a conscience are portrayed by several
Throughout the novel, Atticus displays empathy by trying to understand other people’s perspectives and what their conditions are. Mr. Cunningham, father of Walter Cunningham, is a poor farmer who was a client of Atticus. Because of the Cunningham’s financial state he was unable to pay Atticus for his services, “Mr. Finch, I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to pay you” (Lee 22). To which Atticus replied, “Let that be the least of your worries, Walter” (Lee 23). Atticus never