Atticus Finch of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

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Atticus Finch of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird In the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird", by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is a most compelling character. Atticus grew up on a cotton farm and eventually became a defence lawyer. He is the voice of reason in the town of Maycomb and many of the people in the county are his clients. He served four years in the state legislature. He has two children, Scout and Jem, and his wife died when Scout was only two.He is self-educated, and tries to encourage his children to have a love of learning and enjoy literature as much as he does. Atticus is nearly fifty and wears glasses because his left eye is nearly blind. His strong sense of justice, sympathy, ability to understand others, and good parenting of his children, all reveal what kind of a person Atticus is. Atticus Finch is a consistent man. His code of honour is maintained, no matter what situation he is placed in. Miss Maudie states as she is talking to Scout, "Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets". This demonstrates his virtuosity. No matter what position he is placed in, he would deal with it in exactly the same way as anything else. When Atticus killed the rabid dog, his children gained a totally different view of him. The whole town had revealed to them the secret of their father, that he was an excellent marksman and a brave man. Scout and Jem saw that Atticus was once brave and daring. Previously they had shunned their father, but now they were proud of him and tried to be like him. Atticus' daughter, Scout, has great respect for her father. Atticus said, 'If you can learn a simple trick, S... ... middle of paper ... ...e did, because the reader realizes that his job was an extremely unpleasant one. In conclusion, Atticus is a heroic figure and prominent character throughout the whole novel. Even though he is incredibly busy, Atticus always seems to find time for Scout and Jem. He comforts them in their time of need, compromises, but always puts them back in their place, if they get out of hand. This shows great parenting, especially for a single father. Although we see his children's attitude towards him evolve, Atticus is characterized throughout the book by his absolute consistency. He stands rigidly committed to justice and thoughtfully willing to view matters from the perspectives of others. He does not develop in the novel but retains these qualities in equal measure, making him the novel's moral guide and voice of conscience.

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