Stubbornness In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper E. Lee is brimming with complex, diverse characters. When people hear the word “uncompromising” used to describe someone, they usually think of an obstinate, arrogant person that doesn’t listen to anyone. However, Harper Lee presents a different quality of stubbornness, evidenced in the lives of honest and open-minded people standing up for what they believe is right. Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch all demonstrate this unique uncompromising character in their everyday lives. 
 Scout Finch is a strong-headed figure who stands up for what she thinks is right, especially when defending her father. Even though she might not understand the exact implications of a slight to her father, she is quick to rush to defend him. Although her anger is sometimes misplaced, Scout’s frustration initiates from a boundless love for Atticus, and a wish to protect his reputation. In one instance, after Atticus is called a “nigger lover”, Scout pounces and pummels the instigator of the taunt. She later told her Uncle Jack, “I ain’t very sure what it means, but the way Francis said it…

Townsfolk told him he was crazy, told him he’d never win. He persevered anyway, defending his client whom he believed was innocent, no matter what the popular sentiment was. His character is displayed when he tells Scout “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (101). Even when all the odds are stacked against him, Atticus doesn’t shirk his responsibility. He shows unwavering tenacity to fight for justice and truth. In the end, justice doesn’t prevail, but Atticus can live with himself, knowing that he lived his principles and gave himself fully to the defense of an innocent man. Atticus’s fierce determination to defend Tom Robinson was a step toward fighting the prejudice of the