Mr Dolphus Raymond tells Scout, Your pa’s not a run of the mill man. How far do you agree with this description of Atticus Finch? The novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee is set during the 1930s in the Deep South of America, during a time when there was a large racial segregation. The book is about Tom Robinson, a black man accused of the rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson’s lawyer is Atticus Finch. Atticus is a white, single father of two children, Scout and Jem. The family live in the town of Maycomb County, Alabama. It is a very close knit community and Atticus is family, friends or a neighbour to nearly all the people of Maycomb. He is frowned upon by nearly all the white citizens of Maycomb because he is defending a black man. Atticus believes Tom Robinson is innocent and so defends him, with or without the support of Maycomb’s citizens. Atticus Finch is ‘Maycomb County born and bred’ and is ‘related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in Maycomb’. Atticus has lived in Maycomb all his life and at the start of the book, before the trial, is highly regarded as a good citizen of Maycomb. Atticus is a fair and honest man. Atticus is one of the only men in Maycomb who does not share the prejudices of the other citizens. He is also very well educated unlike many others in the town, whether this is due to lack of money or simply the fact people cannot be bothered to go to school, like the Ewell family. On Scout’s first day of school we find out that every member of the Ewell family ‘come first day every year and then leave’. He treats black and white people the same and he gains a lot of respect from the black community of Maycomb. A few of the white citizens of Maycomb support Atticus during the trial but Mrs. Dubose is not one of them. Mrs. Dubose tells the children ‘Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!’ I feel that Mrs. Dubose deep down likes Atticus but she has been brought up in a world or racism and prejudice and more than likely was taught not to like black people. One person who supports Atticus throughout the book is Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie is a neighbour of the Finch family. Miss Maudie is the only person who never loses faith in Atticus. During a conversation with Scout she tells her ‘there are some men in this world that are
"There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life” (Lee ,223). Atticus told the jury thus quote. In tough situations Atticus always has great judgement. No matter the color, Harper Lee shows Atticus's character to be the most responsible out of most, he's also one of the most important characters in the book and is greatly talked about throughout the
They all have qualities that make them unique in their own ways. In the town of Maycomb, Alabama, citizens are put under stereotypes throughout the novel. Characters get assigned labels that aren't entirely correct. Dolphus Raymond, Mayella Ewell, and Boo Radley are all products of what it looks like to hide behind fear and the social domination in Maycomb.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is a very fair man and wants to do what is right. Throughout this story you see him teaching Jem and Scout differnet things that have to do with social justice. In this essay I will be writing about how he deals with the problems in court and how he is a kind and honest man.
This unfair prejudice was widespread throughout the south. " Maycomb" didn't actually exist but was meant to be the embodiment of a typical town in the south at that time. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, she has created characters who seem a little different and thus, isolated from the rest of Maycomb's. mainstream society. Prime examples of this isolation are Atticus and the Ewells; particularly Bob Ewell.
Atticus has an understanding of other people and can predict other people 's actions very precisely as seen by his condescending saying of "Do you really think...?"
“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...
Atticus Finch was a character from a small town called Maycomb in a time that we come to know is shortly following FDR’s first inaugural address. Times are hard in small town America and ethics as well as morals are shaped by the way people interact with one another. Atticus has many admirable character traits; tranquility, honesty, humility, and a strong sense of civic duty.
Even though the odds go against him, Atticus Finch bravely stands up to his beliefs and morals. Furthermore, he
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in the 1930s in a small Alabama county called Maycomb. The novel is about the Finch family of three. Atticus, the father, Scout the older brother and Scout the younger sister, who acts like a tomboy. Scout may be a lady, but does not like to act like one, she likes to play and get dirty with her brother. Being young, both children learn lessons throughout the novel by many different residents, such as, Calpurnia, the maid, Miss Maudie, the neighbor, and their father, Atticus. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird various citizens in the town of Maycomb play an important role in the lives of Jem and Scout Finch
Atticus is fighting for equal rights. In chapter 20, Atticus says ,”There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie,.. never done an immoral
Atticus treats everyone with fairness. He always hears both sides of the story. He does this after Scout has gotten into a fight with Francis Hancock. After a time Atticus hears Scout’s side of the story and realises that it wasn’t totally Scout’s fault. Scout also tells Uncle Jack that when she and Jem get into fights Atticus stops to hear both sides of the argument before placing the blame, if any.
Atticus is a good man, a just man. He upholds his morals, and judges by his conscience. He is shaken but not moved by the town of Maycomb in their gossip and hypocritical ways. When offered Tom's case, Atticus knows he will take it on. He won't just stand there with no proper defense for Tom, but he will let the truth be known, and prove that Tom is innocent. "...that boy might go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told."
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is another character who suffered from Maycomb’s racism. He was a respected, wealthy member of the community, but then he chose to live with the black community. This was considered a felony by the inhabitants of Maycomb. He knew they would never be able to understand his choice, so he made it easier for them by pretending to be the town drunk.
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.
...Scout, I couldn?t go to church and worship God if I didn?t try to help that man.?? Atticus would help a man if it is the right thing to do, he does not consider what people think of him, he will only be bothered if does not help, then he is going against his moral beliefs. Atticus shows his beliefs, truthfulness, and justice.