Atticus Finch Accused Innocent

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Guilty Until Proven Innocent In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a bitter coming-of-age story in which Scout Finch, one of the protagonists in this novel, goes through a plethora of experiences that shape her identity from an ignorant child into a mature young lady. Many characters had an effect on Scout and how she changed her worldview; one of the most important figures in her life had to be her lawyer father, Atticus Finch. Her hometown, Maycomb, Alabama, was an inherently segregated area in which the gap between blacks and whites was quite significant. The trial of Tom Robinson was also another turning point in the story; this defining moment taught Scout of the injustices of which she only had a vague notion of until …show more content…

The first thing this trial requires her to do is show restraint. Scout’s cousin, Francis, mocks her because her father chose to defend Tom Robinson in court. Because of his ignorant remarks, Scout chooses to respond by punching Francis. By the end of the novel, however, Scout has practiced restraint on many accounts, primarily through the influence of her father Atticus. Throughout her novel, Lee makes many biblical references; Atticus is a walking example of the biblical maxim, “turn the other cheek.” He had suffered many mishaps throughout the story but still remained a gentleman, displaying manners for his children to follow. At the end of the story when Atticus believes Jem has stabbed Bob Ewell, he says “I don’t want [Jem] growing up with a whisper about him, I don’t want anybody saying, ‘Jem Finch…his daddy paid a mind to get him out of that.’” (Lee, page 366) even though Heck Tate is trying to fix things so Jem won’t get in trouble. This just goes to show that he sets the same standards for everyone, including his family. The societal pressures of the trial lead Scout to understand why restraint is so important. After many different accounts of verbal and physical assault, Atticus requires Scout to refuse to retaliate to insults. Though learning to hold back from a fight takes time and effort for Scout, she develops remarkably with

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