Essay On Heroism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Lauren S.

8A

What Makes Somebody a Hero? “Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee, p. 90). This is an iconic quote said by Atticus Finch, the father or Jem and Scout in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He spreads the idea that no innocent being should be harmed in any way. To many people, a hero is somebody who saves a life or who makes an influential change. However, heroism comes in many forms. This is clearly shown throughout the book, and Atticus is the perfect example because despite him not being able to save Tom Robinson, he stood up for what he believed in, defended Tom Robinson, and raised an accepting family that would have an influence on Maycomb.

In Maycomb County, the small town in Alabama, racism is very prominent as is seen as normal. Atticus is the only man in Maycomb who openly speaks out about racism, while some find it wrong but don’t speak up. When an African American man named Tom Robinson is accused of rape, Atticus Finch

The trial taught his kids that you can’t always win, and it also taught them that wisdom is power. Tom Robinson’s trial shed light upon how biased court cases were against African Americans. Maycomb continued to be racist after the trial, but you could tell that a few of the people who were against Tom knew that Atticus was right during the court scene. Atticus uses logic to prove his point, rather than biased opinions based around stereotypes. One example of this is when he debunks the Ewells’ accusations by pointing out the fact that Tom Robinson didn’t have the ability to attack Mayella’s face because he had lost the use of his left arm. When Atticus talks to Mr. Ewell outside after Ewell had won the case, Mr. Ewell responded in a petty way that made it look like he felt defeated. Atticus is incredibly talented with his logic, his ability to stay calm, and his