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The importance of atticus finch
Character essay atticus finch
Themes to kill a mockingbird
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In the 1930s standing up for an African American fairly was unspoken of in the small town of Maycomb. It was unspoken of until Atticus Finch looks past others feelings and focuses on what’s right. Atticus Finch is a character in the classic book To Kill A Mockingbird written by the brilliant author,Harper Lee. Atticus Finch is a successful lawyer in the small town of Maycomb and Tom Robinson is a respectful African American in Maycomb. Atticus is known to have a honest and selfless personality as well in the small town of Maycomb and decides to defend Tom Robinson fairly no matter what him or his family has to endure. Because of Atticus’s selfless personality and honesty it makes perfect sense for him to defend Tom. The first reason it
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who defends Tom Robinson, an African American man, against the Ewell family in court. Malcolm Gladwell is the writer of “The Courthouse Ring: Atticus Finch and the limits of Southern Liberalism”, where he discusses that Atticus Finch is an activist. Lance McMillian responds to Malcolm Gladwell’s critique of Atticus in “Atticus Finch as Racial Accommodator: Answering Gladwell’s Critique”, where overall he says that Atticus is not an accommodator but an activist. Lance McMillan's view of Atticus Finch is incorrect compared to Malcolm Gladwell because Atticus is an accommodator by not fighting against institutional racism.
Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.
“I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your fathers one of them.” (Lee 288). This quote proves that Atticus is a great father in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, because he respects them, He cares about what they have to say, and Atticus wants them to be happy.
In addition, Scout learns about morality from Atticus after she is taunted at school. Cecil Jacobs begins giving Scout trouble at school because Atticus is defending a black man. Scout isn’t sure what he means by that or why it is such a bad thing, so she consults Atticus to learn more about the matter. Atticus explains to Scout that he is defending Tom Robinson, a black man, in a trial. Atticus says he has to do it although he knows he isn’t going to win, he says “‘ If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t this county in the state legislature. I couldn't even tell you and Jem not to do something again’’’ (100). Atticus wants to fight for what he believes is right, even if there is almost no chance of him winning. In addition, Atticus asks Scout not to fight when someone makes comments about him or this case. Through Atticus actions, Scout learns to have integrity, even if it means making tough decisions. For example, Scout walks away from a
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.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.
Almost everyday one decides to sacrifices an aspect of their life, but is limited to only so many on their behalf of their morals. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch and Jem Finch sacrifice their identities, perspectives, well being, and time for their beliefs. The book takes place during the great depression where racism is a normal day to day behavior. Atticus is a lawyer who is assigned to take on a case defending Tom Robinson who is an african american man accused of rape. While knowing that the usual act of a lawyer being appointed to defend an african american, during the great depression, is to not try to defend the defendant at all, Atticus believes that he should give the same amount of effort to defend Tom Robinson as he would to a
Scout always listening to the knowledge of her teachers when she was younger makes her innocent and naive. First, Scout’s constant obedience to her teachers and lack of retaliation for her beliefs express her naiveness: “Now tell your father not to teach you anymore. It’s best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage...Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now” (Lee 23). This quote expresses how Scout was belittled by her teacher for reading outside of school. This aggravates Scout, however she holds in her anger, like any child, and she is forced to sit down at the command of her teacher, Miss Caroline. Also, Scout couldn’t defend herself when she explained to
Parenting can be one of the most demanding jobs that a father or mother engage in. In
Atticus Finch shows, in many ways, the true definition of a hero, but no situation was more important than the Tom Robinson trial. In Maycomb, the thought of taking a negro’s word instead of a white man’s was ridiculous to the citizens, especially over a matter as serious as a black man raping a white woman. Regardless of this information, Atticus still takes on Tom Robinson’s case and tries to make as big of a difference as possible. When Scout asks him if he thinks that he will win the case, Atticus subtly replies “No, honey” (76). Atticus goes on to explain, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win” (76). Basically, Atticus believes that just because it is unlikely that he will win, it does not mean that he should just give up without trying. Throughout all the discrimination, Atticus remains tough and tries to achieve his goal, no matter how hard it is. This was an example of moral courage. Even Scout knows how hard her father is trying by comparing Atticus’ efforts to “watching Atticus walk down the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but...
Atticus should not give up his character, parental authority, and position in town to please the racist beliefs of others in Maycomb. Atticus cannot stand racism and says, "As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash. " Atticus should take a stand and defend Tom Robinson, to treat his children with valuable lessons and to keep his conscience clean. For these reasons, it does make sense for Atticus Finch to defend Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
I’m dying and I know it. I also know there ain’t nothing I can do about it. That’s why I have this morphine. Keeps me from feeling the death coming for me. Knowing it’s coming and not having control over makes me hate everything. And those wild kids Jeremy and Scout always running around don’t help any. Scout don’t even act like a lady. She runs around like one of the boys. I hate it all. Then one day, that father of theirs, Atticus, changed things for me.
The first “mockingbird” that is featured in the novel is a man named Atticus Finch. Not only is Atticus Finch the sole representative of Maycomb in the legislature, but also he is a brilliant lawyer. In addition, he has a good reputation in both Maycomb’s black and white communities because of his exceptional character. However, his reputation is soon shattered when he is faced with a case in court that affects him personally: he must defend an African American man in court in Maycomb’s segregated society. If Atticus chooses to try defending the man, he will lose his good status in town, since his racist American neighbors will soon disrespect him for treating the African Americans as equal to the Americans, which is highly unacceptable in the United States during the 1930s. However, Atticus still accepted the case believing that if he does not, he w...
In a racist town where people are overly judged based on rumors spread around. A man who has yet to be seen named Boo Radley is made into the town monster. Little do they know that Bob is one of the only people in Maycomb who does not judge people by their race. In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, the main character Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the little town of Maycomb. Atticus Finch the father of Scout and Jem has been faced with one of the hardest cases of his life. Atticus is forced to defend a black man named Tom Robinson on the fact that he raped a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Some people may argue that it does not make sense for Atticus to take a stand to defend Tom Robinson, because he will lose his trust
“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...