Atticus Finch Hero Characteristics

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In comic books and movies heroes save people and stop crimes. However, in real life, our heroes don’t wear spandex and flashy capes or cool gadgets; they are ordinary people living ordinary lives. Insead, a true hero is someone who can be represented by Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird because he is patient, courageous, and compassionate. Being patient, courageous, and compassionate are the most important characteristics to being a hero. In To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is lawyer as well as father to Scout , the narrator, and Jem. He is their advisor and they treat him professionally, which is indicated through them calling him Atticus instead of dad or father. The story really heats up when …show more content…

Courage is needed so that he can be there to face the foe and/or to help a victim. We see Atticus having courage when he has to shoot the wild dog that has rabies. We also see him have courage when he is defending Tom Robinson in front of the jail. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” (Lee 112) This quote shows that not all men have courage because he has a weapon in his hand, that you know what’s gonna happen but you still try anyways. This is very true because in many hero shows nowadays we see the main character not sure or knowing what is going to happen, but he tries anyways and ends up winning. What did your father see in the window, the crime of the rape or the best defense to it? Why don’t you tell the truth, child, didn’t Bob Ewell beat you up?” (Lee 187) This quote shows courage because in this scene Atticus is telling everyone in the courtroom that Bob Ewell beat up his daughter and covered it up by saying a black man did it. This shows that Atticus has the courage to face Bob Ewell, an alcoholic who is ready to fight anyone he doesn’t

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