Atticus Finch Is A Hero Essay

Title:)

Few people in the world are willing to stand up for the minority in society and even fewer have the courage to take the criticism that goes along with it. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a character who stands out from the prejudiced white southerners of Alabama in the 1930s. He strongly believes in equality in the human race and speaks up for those whose voice is too small to be heard. The iconic character Atticus Finch is clearly a hero who stands up for the downtrodden and we see this through his empathy, honour, and courage.

Atticus is a hero because he is one of the few people in society, then and now, who is able to step into people’s shoes and see the world from their eyes. Atticus does not react when

Bob Ewell curses, spits at, and threatens to kill Atticus when he sees him leaving the post office. When Atticus goes home, he tells his son, “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” (Lee 218). Atticus react to situations depending on how his actions will impact others. At the end of the novel, when Scout is looking out from the Radley porch, she finally understands Atticus’ lesson. “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 279). She realizes that most people are nice “when you finally see them” (Lee 281). Another incident where Atticus’ empathy is clearly shown is the morning after the event at the Maycomb Jail. Atticus sees that Mr.Cunningham, on his own, is a good man; however, in the mob the night before, he, along with other farmers, is driven by prejudice. According to Atticus, “Mr.Cunningham’s basically a good man, he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us” (Lee 157). Being empathic and forgiving towards the community’s outcasts, minorities, and anyone who does not have good intentions is something a true hero does.

Atticus is a hero because he is not only empathic, but also honourable in his words and actions.

After Atticus shoots Tim Johnson, a dog that’s gone mad, Jem and Scout are shocked. Ms. Maudie tells them “Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time,” and that “his nickname was Ol‘ One-Shot when he was a boy.” Ms. Maudie thinks that “he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to,” because “[p]eople in their right minds never take pride in their talents” (Lee 98). Even though Atticus is talented in shooting, he doesn’t pride himself in it because it is an unfair advantage over other beings. He believes that “[t]he one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” Atticus models honour for his children through the Tom Robinson trial. He tells Scout that “before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself,” (Lee 105) which means that he has to be able to live with his own decisions before he can live with other people. Atticus also believes that “[i]t’s not okay to hate anybody,” (Lee 246) no matter who they are and what they have done. Atticus’ humility and high moral principles make him an honourable man - a quality that sets him apart from the community and raises him above

others.

Looking at life from another person’s perspective and constantly listening and acting according to his own conscience makes Atticus a great man, but standing up for those whose voice cannot be heard against a system that has been good to him takes great courage, and this is what makes Atticus a hero.

After Mrs. Dubose’s death, Atticus tells Jem that she was a morphine addict and that she had taken morphine for years for pain-relief. Mrs. Dubose wanted to leave the world “beholden to nothing and nobody,” (Lee 111) so she tried to fight the addiction. Atticus tells Jem, “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,” because real courage is “when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 112). Atticus, in his defence of Tom Robinson, is in a similar position to Mrs. Dubose. This can be seen when Link Deas says to Atticus, “You’ve got everything to lose from this, Atticus. I mean everything” (Lee 146). Taking Tom Robinson’s case is a severe blow to Atticus’ reputation and how people in the community see his family. When Scout asks, “Atticus, are we going to win it?” Atticus knows that he is fighting an uphill battle, but replies “because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 76). To fight a losing battle, defending an innocent black man in a

prejudiced society because it is the right thing to do, takes great courage.

Atticus is the definition of a hero: empathic, honourable, and courageous. Stepping into the shoes of people who are looked down upon, standing up for them while being a gentleman, and always acting from one’s belief despite the community’s criticisms makes Atticus a hero. Even though heros are few and far between, we should all hope to be like Atticus Finch.