To Kill a Mockingbird: Argumentative Essay – Atticus Is a Hero a Modern Audience

Imagine yourself doing something that was completely unspeakable of in your society. Now, what if I told you it was something that came down to a concept as simple as black and white? Racial injustice is the biggest problem that is faced throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus Finch was put on the spot many times and during these many occurrences we see his moral and ethically inclined personality show. For this reason, Atticus is indeed a hero to a modern audience because he demonstrates an approach to situations that would better society. Not only does he expresses this through sticking to his conscience and morals; but Atticus also shows courage and puts himself and his reputation at risk in order to accomplish the results he wants to achieve.
Like many famous activists, Atticus Finch sticks to his conscience and morals over all else. If we consider those who have done such a thing such as Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and even Nelson Mandela as heroes for doing what they did to better the lives of everyone around them; then why should Atticus Finch be any different? There are many cases in which we can view Mr. Finch in the context. One major piece of evidence of this occurring is when Atticus is talking to his daughter, Scout. During this time the young girl asks her father why he is defending Tom Robinson if it is completely against social norms. "If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?"
"For a number of reasons," said Atticus. "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again." (Lee, 100-101) Although Atticus is fully aware of the truth that he wil...

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...he race question than he is to the civil-rights activists who are arriving in the South as Lee wrote her novel.” From this we can conclude that like Folsom, who was a politician fighting for civil rights during the time of this novel, Atticus strived for overall equality of all people no matter the color of their skin. This overall bettered their society, making them both heroes in this aspect.
To conclude, Atticus should be considered a hero to a modern audience. Not only does Atticus stay true to his morals and ethics throughout the entirety of the novel, but he also stands for what he believes in despite any ramifications. These along with other aspects of Atticus and his personality make for the best fit of the title of a hero. Much like what Atticus believes in, the controversy of his heroism is as simple as black and white; he is in fact of the heroic class.