Atticus Finch says in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Atticus Finch, also the father of Scout and Jem Finch, plays a great role in To Kill a Mockingbird. He represents a strongly principled, liberal perspective that runs contrary to the ignorance and prejudice of the white, Southern, small-town community called Maycomb, Alabama, in which he lives. Atticus is convinced that he must instill values of equality in his children, counteracting the racist influence of the community around them when he steps up to defend an African American, which was seen as outlandish for a white to do in that time. …show more content…
The central symbol of the novel, the mockingbird, further develops the theme of racial prejudice. Atticus, Scout, and Jem experience tough decisions, humiliation, and especially for Scout and Jem, the realization that the world isn’t so innocent. They learn that in order to appreciate someone fully, one has to walk in their shoes. To Kill a Mockingbird is an intriguing and influential story about human rights and equality, as well as the maturing and independence of two young children growing up in a confusing and changing world full of racism and injustice. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story about a young girl, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, who grows up in the South and experiences moral awakenings. Narrated from her point-of-view, the novel demonstrates Scout’s hindsight perspective on the growth of her identity and her outlook on life. Scout and her brother, Jem, are young children who live under the care of Atticus and Calpurnia, the black cook and maid, who acts as a motherly figure to the children. Scout and Jem are mostly absorbed in childhood antics and school until the climax of the story, when Tom Robinson is sent to trial. Scout and Jem, along with Dill Harris, their neighbor’s nephew, explore the secrets of the neighborhood, especially Boo Radley. Boo, in most cases, acts like a mockingbird in the story. His story is an unfortunate one filled with gossip and rumors about how he attacked his parents and has been locked up in the house for years. The children taunt him and try to get him to come out of the house, but all their attempts fail. It isn’t until after the climax that he makes an appearance. This reference to the mockingbird shows that Scout and Jem never put themselves in Boo’s position, and imagined what it would have been like on his side. Later in the story, Atticus Finch is given a very hard moral decision, likely the biggest decision in his life.
He is appointed to defend the African American nigger Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The Ewells are a poor family with a very unethical, drunken father, Bob Ewell. Tom Robinson is charged with raping his daughter, Mayella, and beating her. Atticus makes the morally right decision and agrees to defend Tom’s case, even though everyone else thinks it is wrong of him to do this, because they believe all African Americans are bad. He takes a lot of wrath from the town for doing this. When the trial happens, Scout and Jem go to watch. Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of raping her, but Tom testifies saying he did not. Bob Ewell was in fact the one who beat Mayella, but he tries to blame it on Tom by forcing Mayella to say it was Tom who beat her up. Even though it looks as if Tom is telling the truth, the jury doesn’t want an African American winning a trial, so they deem him guilty as charged. Eventually, Tom was shot and killed “accidently” while he trying to escape jail. Tom was the mockingbird, the one who didn’t do anything to hurt anyone but got shot anyway. No one used Atticus’ advice to his children and put themselves in Tom Robinson’s shoes, to experience his
life. The mockingbird symbols in this book stand as a memento to the time of racism and injustice in Maycomb, 1945. Boo Radley, the one who was rumored about and taunted, ended up saving Scout’s life when she was attacked by Bob Ewell. Tom Robinson, the main mockingbird symbol in the book, was innocent from the beginning and had only tried to help Mayella. It shows the deep correlation to mockingbirds and these people; both show innocence, purity, and goodness. It shows that all people are equal in every way, no matter who they are or what color their skin is. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these Truths to be self evident that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Atticus Finch is the most significant character, in To Kill a Mockingbird, who challenges racial prejudice as he does not follow the norms, in Maycomb, of being racially prejudice towards others. At first, Atticus Finch is reluctant to take on Tom Robinson’s case; however in the end, he willingly accepts. Unlike the majority of Maycomb residents, Atticus is not racist and makes no distinction upon race, he sees Negroes, just like Tom Robinson, as the same equality as any other person in the Maycomb community. For this reason, he believes they should be trea...
Atticus Finch is a lawyer and father of two children whose names are Jem and Scout. In the novel, Atticus chooses to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman, even though most of Maycomb is against Tom Robinson due to its racist time setting. He understood that racism was inhumane and innocent people must be defended no matter what race they are. Atticus holds his ground and tries his best to defend Tom Robinson in court, despite the community being against him. Atticus even reminds his children to steadfast during this time of challenge regardless of what other people tell them.
Atticu Finch is one of they key characters in the book who leads by example and shows what courage is. In chapter nine, Atticus takes a case to defend a Negro who has been accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter Mayella444. Atticus, the father of main characters Scout and Jem Finch, loves and cares for his children, although since the children’s mother passed away when they were at a young age, Atticus is not always sure of how to fill her role. In chapter thirteen, Aunt Alexandra stays with the Finch family so that she can help them if anything happens while Atticus defends the black man, Tom Robinson. Atticus has always been respected in the town of Macomb, until he takes the Robinson case, which leads to controversy within his friends and his family. On several different instances, the towns people tried to convince him not to, and o...
The definition of a good father is as individual as the individuals involved themselves. A good father is able to support his children’s strengths, along with being able to help them overcome their weaknesses. He is able to do this without appearing to be a know-it-all. The ability to show by example how to live life, while not being afraid to make mistakes and not to be perfect all the time are also very important characteristic.
Martin Luther King and Gandhi are one of the few people who changed society, and stood on their own. They were individuals who didn’t worry what other people thought. They decided to bring a change in the society. King and Gandhi fought for their own rights and freedom. Lots of people get influenced by a person and make him as a leader, So he can do all the work for them while others were lazy. So this shows that a person can change a society. In “To kill a mocking bird” by Harper lee, in the county of Macomb, Atticus a lawyer defending a black man at that point of the time is changing the society. So lee clearly sends this message to his readers by using Atticus and some other characters in To Kill Mockingbird.
A lawyer in Maycomb and the father of Scout and Jem is a well respected person because of his judgment, intelligence, and morality he demonstrates to other people. Atticus practices the ethic of humbleness and understanding that he teaches to Scout and Jem to never hold a grudge against the people of Maycomb. Despite their cold indifference to racial inequality, Atticus sees much to admire in them. He recognizes that people have both good and bad qualities, and he is determined to admire the good while understanding and forgiving the bad. Atticus passes this great moral lesson on to Scout; this perspective protects the innocent from being destroyed by contact with evil.
Tom Robinson is a kind black man whom Atticus is defending against the charge that he raped Mayella Ewell. Atticus knows that he will lose because Tom is black, but he also knows that Tom is innocent and that he has to defend him. Tom Robinson is portrayed as a hard-working father and husband in the novel and he was only attempting to help Mayella since no one else would, but she made advances that he refused and her father saw them. On the witness stand, he testifies that he helped her because, "'Mr. Ewell didn't seem to help her none, and neither did the chillun.'" (256). Even though Tom helps Mayella out of kindness and pity, Mayella is trapped and must accuse him of raping her to save her own life. Shortly after being wrongfully convicted
Atticus demonstrates his character by defending Tom Robinson. Atticus leads by example, showing the highest respect for everyone in Maycomb, not discriminating by color or class. His serious defense for Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, proves his high ideals. Atticus fights a hopeless battle against the racism in the town. Atticus not only shows his non prejudice through the trial of Tom Robinson, but also through his everyday dealings with Calpurnia. Atticus refutes Aunt Alexandra persistent attempts to fire Cal and claims that she is one of the family.
Firstly, Atticus Finch acts justly, fairly, and always helps others who need it. One of his clients, Mr. Cunningham, pays Atticus in entailment. Scout asks her brother, Jem what the meaning of paying in entailment is, “Jem described it as a condition of having your tail in a crack … one morning Jem and I found a load of stovewood in the back yard … Mr. Cunningham had more than paid him” (Lee 20-21). Atticus believes that no one should get any disadvantages because of one’s lower financial state. He shows justice by allowing Mr. Cunningham to pay him in different sources other than money. Also, Atticus is a very wise man. He talks to his daughter with full empathy and understanding to try and help her. When Scout is complaining about her teacher’s attitude towards her, Atticus gives her great advice that, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his shoes and walk around it” (30). He is teaching Scout to be just. He tells her to look at things from a different perspective and notice the difference from hers to someone else’s. Similarly, Atticus who is a white lawyer takes on a case of a black man, Tom Robinson. Therefore, Scout is made fun of for having her father d...
Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson in a court trial. Tom was a black man that was being incriminated for allegedly raping Mayella Ewell (Lee 86). Her father, Bob Ewell, accused Tom
Reassuring that Tom Robinson’s case is dealt seriously, Atticus exchanges his identity as the noble man he is for the reputation of a villain that the town flames and calls names such as “nigger lover”. Sacrificing Atticus’s identity does not give him much room to speak during the case, in fact, without his title as an intelligent, helpful, and wealthy citizen, the people of Maycomb could potentially harm Atticus, which forces him to take a slightly more cautious approach with the people of Maycomb. Concerned with the matter of how her father finds that his actions are right when the majority of the town finds it is wrong. Atticus then responds strongly to Scout, saying that he could not live with himself or tell her and Jem to do the right thing if he did not take the case seriously himself. Atticus’s identity sacrificed for the intention of saving his kids from “Maycomb's usual disease” which is racism.
Atticus Finch as a parent teaches Scout and Jem moral values and tries his hardest to pass on to his children his way of thinking. Atticus worries that his children sees to much racism and injustice, and tries to show his children that all people are equal no matter the color of their skin. He teaches them to go against the norm in Maycomb which is prejudice and unjust in their actions.
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb, and a loving father to his two children, Scout and Jem. Throughout the book Atticus is faced with challenges of both his family and his community. Being one of the few who want racial equality in Maycomb, Atticus choose to represent a black man named Tom Robinson in a trial even though he knows that he has a racially biased jury. He also takes pride into teaching his children about racial equality and hopes that they don't become racist like most people of Maycomb. Atticus possesses the qualities of a mentor by helping his children through situations, and by sharing his knowledge.
talking to Scout, "Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on
“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...