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Essay on atticus finch as a person
Strengths and weaknesses of atticus finch
Essay on atticus finch as a person
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Is it possible for someone to be a reflection of a person or group that has a completely different upbringing, life, and/or skin color? Atticus Finch, in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird proves that this question can be answered with a simple yes. Atticus Finch can be mostly portrayed as a reflection of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and James Zwerg. Atticus Finch could be compared most to Martin Luther King Jr. King was one of the most influential civil rights defenders. King used peaceful protest as a political tool. He was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, especially the Montgomery bus boycott that led to desegregating bus systems in the South. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech grabbed the nation’s attention. King and Finch both did things that were thought useless and looked down upon. When Atticus defended a black man, Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, in 1935. The whole town was in shambles after this bold occurrence. Many people in town began to call Atticus a nigger-lover, even …show more content…
his own family members. One man, Mayella’s father, even attempted to kill Atticus’s children Scout and Jem. Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. was also faced with hatred and violence while protesting for equal rights for African Americans. King was even shot and killed while advocating in Memphis, Tennessee. Atticus Finch is also a reflection of James Zwerg. Atticus and Zwerg were white advocates in a time and place where it was disdained in the eyes of their white peers. Zwerg was a college student from Nashville and he had been forsaken by his parents to join the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. But instead, Zwerg told them, “I have no choice. I have to.”(Blake) James Zwerg then joined the Freedom Riders, an interracial group of college students who took a bus through the segregated South in 1961. The young adults hoped to desegregate the bus systems in the South. On their journey, James Zwerg was met by a swarm of angry white men. Like Atticus Finch, James Zwerg was also called a nigger-lover and the mob beat Zwerg up violently. Although many whites have treated blacks poorly, not all blacks look at every white person as a racist.
Martin Luther King Jr. believed that not every white person was racist, and King once said during a speech, “...the Negro community must not lead to distrust all white people, for their presence here today, have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.” To paraphrase the quote, King is saying that white people can not be judged by their ancestors or their past. Not every white person is racist because some are fine with blacks; furthermore, some are even advocates for blacks. In conclusion, Atticus Finch is a reflection of Martin Luther King Jr. and James Zwerg. Although their advocacy occurred during different decades, they are still very similar because all of these men fought against adversity and did not let anyone stop them from doing what they believed was right and
just.
Atticus Finch from, To Kill a Mockingbird, is characterized as a wise man that is an exceptional father to his children and always teaches them the right perspective about life and the people around them. He was appointed to the lawyer for a black man who “raped” a white woman. This was a bold task because it was a white woman’s word against a black man’s. While Atticus took this challenge as an opportunity to really try and win this case, everyone saw it as already lost. Atticus wanted the trial to be fair and for it to be evident that Tom, the man he was defending, was innocent. He show...
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.
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...
Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the year of 1960, and is one of the few American classic novels awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The racism that is prevalent in many southern American towns in the 1930s is brought to life with profound imagery in To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several characters in the book, yet the true main character is the narrator's father, Atticus Finch. He is a man of great integrity and intelligence. A very heroic figure in more ways than one, Atticus possesses traits like being principled, determined, and, more importantly, he teaches others. When looking at To Kill a Mockingbird, one can see that Lee uses lots of description, dialogue, and actions to portray Atticus as a heroic individual.
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.
Atticus Finch’s unique, courageous personality and contrarian mindset are proven through his unconventional actions throughout the novel. His stoic nature correlates with his extreme courage, a moral facet of his multi-layered personality that he highlights with various acts of nobility that many in Maycomb do not expect and often despise, but he continues on regardless. Early on, Atticus shows an aspect of his moral courage when he consoles Scout on the topic of getting bullied about his decision to defend Tom Robinson. In this specific instance, Atticus explains to Scout that, “no matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change” (Lee 101). Letting insults and rude remarks fly over
Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society. He is a balanced figure who is able to cope with the unreasonable and highly emotional town in which he lives. He can manage the prejudiced white masses and still deal justly with the underprivileged Negro population of Maycomb. He is one of the few people who understand the individual worth of a person regardless of the color of his/her skin. This enables him to defend Tom Robinson based solely on the concept of justice and equality. In his closing argument, Atticus explains that, “there is one place all men are created equal. That place is in a court room” (Lee 205). This justifies the fact that Atticus believes in equality in a society, the equality not only of race, but also of sex, class, and religion as well. His view of equality and justice is a symbol of his own psychological stability throughout the novel. Accordingly, in the final analysis of the story, Atticus represents the “justice” in the community of Maycomb. His stability throughout the book is one of the many characteristics that depict Atticus Finch as the novel’s core.
When people think about heros it is a person in a cape flying into burning buildings to save people or fighting a villain to save the world. According to Oxford Dictionary a hero is a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. This shows how just normal people can be qualified as heros. A book that exemplifies this is To Kill A Mockingbird because it is filled with people that went out of their way to help others or the society as a whole. A person who did this in particular was Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch was a hero because he fell under the definition and was admired for his courage, achievements, and noble qualities.
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 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...
In Conclusion, Today in our world many people see someone as an admirable leader and heroic figure. Whether it’s a sister, brother, parent, or celebrity, everyone has someone they look up to. Just like the people of Maycomb look up to Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a good man who displayed so many characteristics and he is definitely the heroic figure of Maycomb. Atticus presented himself as a calm, courageous, and an open-minded person. His great qualities and personality also won him the respect of African Americans. Only someone with such great pride and honor would be able to accomplish that. When Atticus put his reputation at risk, he knew it was troubling but he was not going to be seen as a typical Maycomb person. Therefore, Atticus is a great impact in the novel, To Kill a MockingBird By Harper Lee.
Lee created a character, Atticus Finch that in To Kill A Mockingbird demonstrates equality, morality, and wisdom. Atticus teaches Jem and Scout differently from the others, he teaches them with respect, equality, and empathy while with good virtues. Atticus is one of the few ones in Maycomb that is committed to racial equality. Atticus is a modest person, he does not like expose his abilities, he rather keep it to himself. In addition, Atticus had a courageous move on defending an African American, Tom Robinson. Not to mention that Atticus an upstanding mortal, he has extraordinary parenting skills.
When a student is given the task of writing a persuasive essay on heroes people can think of a million real people in this world who they consider to be heroes they can choose from a wealth of individuals like firefighters, doctors, police officers, and soldiers to name a few and still some people will look inside their family structure for the topic of their essay they might choose to write about their grandmother, mother, father or any of their relatives that they feel possess heroic qualities. While these are not bad topics to write a persuasive essay about it becomes infinitely harder when the teacher says that the writers cannot chose a real person but the person that they choose as a topic for their essay must be mythical though they can still choose people like Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, or Wolverine they can even choose the topic of their essay from their favorite book or movie as most people have done when faced with an essay of this nature. For example lets just say a student choose to write about the main hero Atticus Finch in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. She would say that she believes the author uses the character Atticus Finch to convey the overall message of the book which is there are both evil and good people in the world and the good ones must fight everyday of their lives so that they do not become evil themselves.
“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...