Throughout, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Atticus shows his great value and intentions towards the people around him and the society. Atticus reveals this trait from his influence on his children and equal views of race. Because of his positive influence on others, he aids his children to respect others and is highly respected by his movement to fight for equality. Being young and immature, Jem and Scout need a guide when associating with the society around them. Atticus played a perfect role. The author shows Atticus's characteristics through dialogue by stating, "Just one more week, son," said Atticus. "No," said Jem. "Yes," said Atticus (Lee 146). Jem is arguing with Atticus because he does not want to read to cranky Ol' Mrs. Dubose,
By being strong in his belief of what's right, Atticus is a true role model. When Scout and Jem are lost Atticus is there to give them advice and take care of them. “His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me” (Lee 281). Atticus is a loving father that wants to take care of his children. “Depends on how you look at it, what was one negro, more or less among two hundred of ‘em” (Lee 235).
Atticus Finch is in many ways the pivotal character of To Kill a Mockingbird. Although Scout narrates, Atticus is the person who drives the story forward, giving the story multidimensional color. On the most superficial dimension, Atticus defends a man falsely accused in the courtroom, and cares for the needs of his family after he dies in an escape attempt. At another dimension, he wins the respect of his children by doing so. Even deeper, we see that he also started to soften peoples’ hearts to the plight of the black people in the community, and won the admiration of the black community.
To Kill a Mockingbird has many excellent characters that readers incline to either love or hate them. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, is the primary example the former. He has a nearly impeccable character. No matter the situation, whether at home with his kids, or in the courtroom, he reflects Christ is all he does. Atticus’s honor, wisdom, and ability to show courtesy in any circumstances are a main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Although Jem encounters many conflict throughout the novel, but his dispute with Mrs. Dubose marked the most important coming-of-age scenes in the book. From Jem’s perspective, Mrs. Dubose is human by birth but she displays no actions of humanity. Jem’s conflict with Mrs. Dubose is the result of her ruthless, cruel and racist insults that was directed at him. Therefore, Jem believes that it was wrong of Atticus to punish him, by making him read to Mrs. Dubose for a whole month. Atticus hopes by spending time with Mrs. Dubose, Jem would understand what true bravery and courage mean.
Because of this event, Jem starts to act more empathetic towards others, and he learns to stand by his beliefs even if all the odds push against him. The latter lesson ties in to the scene when the children visit the jailhouse to find Atticus defending Tom Robinson from a lynch mob. Atticus demands Jem to “Go home... [And] [t]ake Scout and Dill home…” but to Scout’s notes with surprise that “... from the way [Jem] stood Jem was not thinking of budging” (152).
Atticus is a character full of morals, and honesty. Atticus throughout To Kill a Mockingbird faced many hard trials. He faced many trials from Jem and Scouts fascination with Boo Radley to Tom Robinson’s case, Atticus could not seem to stay up. Throughout all the trials Atticus parenting style, morals and courageous behavior never changed. Atticus’ parenting style is very firm and patient.
Atticus knows that to be the decent man in a town of indecent people, he must show commiseration and respect to everyone regardless of who they are, where they come from, or what they look like. The main messages that Atticus as a character sends to the reader are messages telling the reader that indifference can destroy relationships, bonds, communities, and promote the generally wrong heterogeneous philosophies (especially in the fictional town of Maycomb) society has cultivated. Atticus “does his (my) best” to “love everybody” throughout the book and demonstrates this when he defends Tom Robinson, even when everyone thought the contrary of him. Atticus is a people-pleaser, but knows the boundaries and when to stand his ground or back down. This trait of Atticus’s consociates with the theme of empathy shown by a ‘handful’ of characters in the book.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about a young white, inquisitive girl, Scout Finch, and her family, who live in the quaint town of Maycomb, Alabama. This story takes place in the early 1930’s, the years of the Great Depression and Jim crow era when poverty and unemployment were spread through the United States. Scout learns about the racist world she lives in when her dad, a lawyer, defends Tom Robinson, an innocent, black man, who was charged with the rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Although Harper Lee, the arthur of To Kill a Mockingbird, intended Atticus to be the hero of the novel, the true hero is Tom Robinson because he was victim to the antagonist of racism during the Jim Crow era. Harper Lee intended Atticus to be the hero
He teaches them to be fair and to consider everyone's point of view. He makes sure that everyone knows that they have a voice. Atticus is characterized as an angel. He helps make them open their eyes the quality and has a view that most of the characters you're not. And two, here.
Sophie Bennett Bennett 1 10-12-16 Dr. Bayazitoglu English 1.4 “A Good Man” Imagine it is the 1930 and you are a African-American living in Alabama, where racial discrimination is huge. How would you live in this time? Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird just follow how others act but some were able to go their own way and have their own opinions.
Dubose. Atticus explains to them that sometimes in life one has to do things one may not enjoy in order to serve others. Atticus then connects Jem and Scout’s struggle with Mrs. Dubose to himself and the trial. Atticus says to Scout and Jem “ ‘Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience- Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man’ ”
The characterization of Scout reveals that she is very sympathetic and worried about Jem risking his life. This further heated the argument, leaving Jem feeling moody and silent. While trying to comfort her older brother, Scout is reminded of Atticus' advice, “As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it” (77). The characterization of Scout highlights her mentality maturing. At the beginning of the novel, Scout has a difficult time understanding others until Atticus gives her important advice about sympathy.
They became children who saw the value in all people regardless of skin color or social class status. He was fair. Atticus’ fairness also shows he is a good father because he believes that everyone deserves a
Atticus is effective as a parent. An effective parent teaches their kids right from wrong. They teach them to not look at someone and automatically judge them on their look, color, or speech. The parents warn their child if they do something wrong and expect that the child knows what they are doing wrong and to stop. Atticus is very effective in his way of parenting.
Atticus is one of the very few characters who never has to rethink his stand on a subject. Many of the other characters such as Mayella Ewell do not think about other people or the situation they are in when they say or do something. Atticus Finch is an admirable father for his morality, persistence, and for his wisdom. Atticus Finch presents this in the situations he is portrayed in, in To Kill a Mockingbird.