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A true Gentleman
Harper Lee’s brilliant novel To Kill a Mockingbird changed the lives of many. To Kill a Mockingbird was voted number one on the 100 books everyone should read the poll. To Kill a Mockingbird even beats out the Bible as the most inspirational book of all time. Just to clarify how phenomenal that achievement is, the Bible has been translated into 2,223 different languages, on top of that, it is estimated that over five-billion copies of the bible have been sold. The book is about two young children by the name of Scout and Jem, who slowly lose their innocence and start realizing the world isn’t what they thought it was. Atticus teaches his children this through him defending a black man of rape. Atticus finch is what every young boy should strive to become because he exemplifies courage, wisdom, acceptance/empathy. strength without raising his fists or using a gun.
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One of the moments when readers begin to admire and respect Atticus is when he tells Scout that 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.”(pg.149) Atticus is speaking of courage through his case of defending Tom Robinson. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the Jim Crow South, a time when a black man accused of the rape of a white woman would most likely be killed in a lynch mob or be given the death penalty. Atticus, knowing that Tom Robinson is innocent, believes it would be unjust if he didn’t get a fair trial. Everyone in the town does not want him to take the case takes the case anyway. When discussing with his 8 year old daughter Scout how the town is not pleased with his decision to take the case, Scout brings up an inquiry. She says, "If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?"(pg.86) Atticus responds by
saying, "For a number of reasons,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…Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess." (page 86). It is undoubtedly courageous of Atticus to take this case. Atticus knows he is most likely licked, but he’s going to defend Tom Robinson anyway. Atticus’s character has a very wise demeanor. Even though Atticus himself considers himself old, Atticus is someone very wise for someone in his mere forties. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(pg.30) This statement is ahead of Atticus’s time. Atticus says this about scout's teacher who is ignorant enough to say the mistreatment of the Jews in Germany was wrong meanwhile Blacks are being oppressed in her own country. It is no accident that Harper Lee uses the word “skin”. In the 1930’s a white man from the south would be appalled at even the thought of looking at things from a black person's point of view. Meanwhile Atticus says to not only to look at things from other people's point of view but other races points of view. Atticus is making such a bigger lesson than it appears at the moment of the book. Atticus slyly refers to Tom in a way because if you look at things from Tom’s perspective, he knows he might die for a crime he didn’t even commit and he has a wife and kids at home. Atticus also says that whatever Ms Dubose says, considering the state that she is in, Atticus feels it is unfair to hold her accountable or judge her for what she says. This is wise of Atticus because he knows what Ms Dubose is going through and that it is very grueling and unpleasant. that considering the state that she is in Atticus feels it is unfair to hold her accountable or judge her for what she says. Atticus’s wisdom changes Scout and Jem’s views from black and white to full color. Harper Lee depicts Atticus an empathetic man in the not so empathetic town of Maycomb County. When Scout asks Atticus if he hates Hitler Atticus responds by saying “It’s not okay to hate anybody.”(pg. 246) This is probably one of Atticus Finch’s most controversial lines. Atticus means it as though a rule to live by. If he says it’s ok to hate Hitler than it is ok to hate many other people as well. Hate is the cause of many of our world's most appalling and sad incidents, moments, and time periods. If the world thought like Atticus finch and didn’t hate anybody or anything the world would be a whole lot of a better place. The line in which the name of the book comes from is arguably his best quotes. “Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”(pg. 98) Earlier in the book, Atticus described why it was a sin “'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”(pg. 94) The mockingbird in the book is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson had never harmed nobody and had only helped Mayella Ewell only to be convicted of raping her. Atticus teaches readers what some parents strive to teach their children over the course of their entire life. Atticus slowly reveals the real world to his own children who will strive to be as good a person as their father. Atticus not only preaches being a gentleman, but shows one how to become a great human being. Atticus does this through his actions of courage, empathy, and wisdom.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written by Harper Lee. The novel is set in the depths of the Great Depression. A lawyer named Atticus Finch is called to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. The story is told from one of Atticus’s children, the mature Scout’s point of view. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the Finch Family faces many struggles and difficulties.
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.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by Harper Lee, that teaches many themes, one of which being very important is courage. Many people think that courage is a man with a gun in his hand, but Lee’s definition is much different. She thinks that courage is when you know that you’re beaten before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. The first quote I have to further explain this is early in the story when Atticus tells Jem and Scout about the court case he is handling. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). Atticus knows he won’t win the court case, but he still tries his best and doesn’t falter whatsoever. Many people scrutinize him for defending a negro, but he ignores them like he should, and shows maturity and courage.
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.
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
The Importance of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird The core character of a novel is responsible for maintaining the stability of society within the novel, exhibiting qualities of a true hero, and constantly emphasizing the novel’s central themes. In the classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch serves as the core of the novel by displaying a character of stability, humility, and high moral standards. Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society.
Atticus Finch is a heroic character in To Kill A Mockingbird. A hero is a person who is known for certain achievements and qualities. Atticus is known for many qualities he displayed during the novel, as well as various achievements. This makes him a heroic character. Atticus Finch is a hero because he defended a black man in court, proved his abilities and intelligences, and cared for everybody equally.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a story of hope. It is learnt that hope is always there. Without a doubt it is a story of hope. Atticus is the positive character, who believes in the good of everything. He brings hope into the story and tries to pass it on to others, especially to his children. No matter how hard life becomes Atticus does not give up. The Finch family becomes hopeful, as Atticus educates the children to accept everyone. Scout and Jem discover hope throughout the novel, from their father, Atticus teaching it to them. Hope comes in many different forms in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The cruelty of Maycomb, when being racist and prejudice, gives hope for an equal and fair future. It is present throughout the book, but is discovered by Scout and Jem in the end. To an immense extent, To Kill a Mockingbird is a story of hope.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a heroic tale of leadership and courage during racial times. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus, To, Jem and Scout are unfortunately exposed to a really racist and prejudice society and town. Which ends up causing them to lose a case and really confuse Jem and Scout when they are young. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird it uses characterization to help show a theme which is loss of innocence when people are exposed to surprising and unfair situations.
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...
Bravery and Courage are such important traits during a hard time or a period of loss. Atticus knows that the trial will most likely not go his way and that Tom Robinson will most likely be convicted guilty, but he still tries his hardest to prove Tom’s innocence. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”(Lee 101.) This quote explains when Atticus tells Scout why he is defending Tom in the trial. Atticus tells Scout that she and her brother needs to be brave and that it would be the right thing to defend Tom.
Lois McMaster Bujold once said, “Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself. Atticus Finch a heroic figure in the novel To Kill a MockingBird by Harper Lee is known as a white lawyer who defended a “black” man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a disturbing man, Bob Ewell. Atticus knows his reputation is at risk, when he decides to take a black man’s court case. He is appointed to this case because Mayella Ewell blamed an innocent black man, Tom Robinson of raping and beating her. She fails to admit the truth due to obeying her father. In the 1930’s racism was extremely crucial and no matter what the truth was a white person was most likely believed over an African American. Miss Maudie, The Finches neighbor tells the kids, “There are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them” (Lee 219). Atticus Finch is highly respected and someone everyone can look up too in Maycomb, Alabama. Throughout the novel, Atticus presents himself as calm, courageous, and an open-minded person.
To Kill A Mocking Bird-courage Within the novel "to kill a mocking bird" the character Atticus finch defines courage as, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. " Atticus takes the first step by being courageous to take the Tom Robinson case, defying the towns liking of prejudice, even his own sister thinks that he is disgracing the family by taking the case he explains with concern " The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells'. The evidence boils down to you-did-I-didn't. The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells'.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a great way to show how actions of people can change the face of a community. It wasn’t just the trial, but the actions of the people everywhere; from whites going to church with the blacks, to a black woman like Calpurnia caring for two white kids. These actions define the book, and start the dawn of a new era.
The life lessons and values taught in To Kill a Mockingbird is important as it teaches us many things. Through the protagonist, we are able to find the true meanings and actions of courage, how fairness and equality can create a better society, and to get to know someone before making a judgement. By learning from this novel, we can strengthen our values and morals to improve ourselves as