Atticus Finch Heroism Essay

Heroism comes in many forms; an integral element in any novel to bring peace to havoc and disarray. To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, takes an unconventional approach in the portrayal of its hero, Atticus Finch. In a time of racial, gender and socio-economic prejudice, Atticus appears as Maycomb’s beacon of hope and virtue. Firstly, he defends an African American man in spite of backlash and being aware that the chances of winning are slim. Furthermore, dialogue demonstrates that he treats everybody as equals, and finally he makes a personal sacrifice. By identifying Lee’s utilisation of dialogue and action in the characterisation of Atticus as a hero, audiences also come to the acknowledgment that morality will prevail.

Atticus’ continuous fight to bring justice to an African American man depicts him as a true heroic character. The most significant event which the novel centralises around is the false charges of assault placed on Tom Robinson. In the Jim Crow south, ‘when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins’ (p240). Moreover, as a result of taking up the case to

help an African American, he and his family received adverse responses for going against society’s ways. Despite this, Atticus perseveres with the case and treats it fairly, rather than ignore the clear miscarriage of justice. As he states, ‘real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see through it no matter what’ (p121). Essentially, Atticus follows his code of courage and although Tom is supposedly found guilty by the all-white jury, his innocence is made transparent to the townsfolk. His undeniable act of virtue demonstrates that moral will always triumph and dialogue also elucidates this idea.
To continue, Lee’s incorporation of dialogue from and towards Atticus exhibits his personal qualities of respect and fairness-key components of any protagonist. He is colour blind to race and overlooks the boundaries shaped by societal prejudice. For example, throughout the novel, it is evident his children always refer to him as Atticus rather than the title father. This exemplifies that he does not feel superior to them and views them with the same level of courtesy. In addition, he treats his African American housemaid equally and does not perceive her as a subordinate class, unlike many of the Maycomb white folk. As he describes, ‘Calpurnia’s… a faithful member of this family’ (149), instead of a mere servant. As opposed to conforming to the strict etiquette and intolerant attitudes of Maycomb, Atticus adopts his own belief of equity. Thus, Lee presents dialogue to reinforce Atticus stance as an honourable and fair person in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Furthermore, in the pivotal moment of the novel, he makes a sacrifice and displays the epitome of his heroism.

As a lawyer he treasures integrity and honesty, however, he abandons his set of principles in order to protect Arthur Radley from unwanted public recognition. He, along with Heck Tate agree on another story as to how Ewell died. Here he puts into place his earlier teachings, ‘you can never really understand a person unless you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’ (p31). If Atticus is not empathetic and does not recognise the extent of the situation from Radley’s perspective, he is, like Scout describes, ‘shootin’ a mockingbird’ (p302). Atticus’ chivalrous decision of giving up something, to protect somebody else, positions him as an everyday hero, highlighting that moral will always

succeed.
Overall, Lee demonstrates Atticus as a character with many heroic attributes through the use of dialogue and actions. From this, the theme that morality will overshadow injustice emerges. His acts of courage, corroborated with his words of virtue and interactions with others, depicts him as a hero of intellectual and ethical strengths. He seeks for the justice of an African American man, he treats everybody as equals and sacrifices something he upholds. Heroes, come and go and may be forgotten, but To Kill A Mockingbird’s Atticus Finch will remain a timeless literary exemplar of probity to all.