Atticus: A True Hero

A person with courage, selflessness, humility, determination, and a good heart is a true hero.In to kill a mocking bird there are verius characters who embody a few of these characteristic, but the one character that embodies all of them is Atticus finch.Atticus is the true hero of to kill a macking bird because he stands up for what he believes in even after descrimination.

Atticus is a great leader but some may argue that he taught his children to “run wild” as they express many times in the book. Many may find this as a bad thing, but really it was the right thing for the children. He does not discipline his children as some of the other families in town do. He likes to lead by example or let his children learn the consequences on their

own. Through this he teaches them a lot of his own wisdom and how to become good people. Some example would be these quotes from chapter 3 and chapter 9. “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” p. 31, ch. 3 “Do you defend niggers Atticus?” I asked him that evening.
“Of course I do.

Don’t say nigger, Scout. That’s common.”

“ ’s what everybody else at school says.”

“From now on it’ll be everybody less one.” p. 81, ch 9

Atticus shows that he is a true hero when he decides to defend tom Robinson showing that he stands up for what is right.

“If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it?”

“For a number of reasons,” said Atticus. “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 to do something again.”

“You mean if you didn’t defend that man, Jem and me wouldn’t have to mind you any more?”

“That’s about

right.”
“Why?”
“Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine.” this quote from chapter 9 shows that atticus feels a need to take this case because it is the right thing to do. Though he knew since the beginning he could not win the case because of the extreme racism that would occur in the court, but tried all that he could to save a mans life. Before the trail him and his family were both harshly discriminated against but this didn't stop him.“Well, most folks seem to think they’re right and you’re wrong…”
“They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions,” said Atticus, “but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself.

The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” ch11

After the trial when Atticus lost the case he still showed heroism by having a quiet dignity. Bob ewell threatened atticus and spat in his face then asking: “Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin’ bastard?”

“No, too old,” Atticus replied before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away.

He also later responded with empathy.“Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there. You understand?”

The hero throughout the whole book of to kill a mockingbird has been atticus finch.Putting his problems to the side to help others and embodying all the characteristics of a hero. So next time you think of a hero don't let your mind go straight to superman. Think of Atticu, the true

hero.