This shows Atticus being courteous even in a private situation. In addition to being courteous, Atticus is also courageous. Atticus shows his courage when he accepts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a
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, '" Atticus solemnly explains this to his brother. First of all, Atticus demonstrates courage when he undertakes the task of defending Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape. Atticus knows he won 't win the case and like Mrs. Dubose in her battle against morphine, he is "licked" before he begins. Nevertheless, Atticus knows that Tom is innocent and that he must fight for him, since no one else will.
Strangely enough, Atticus was also able to see the good in Mayella Ewell, and it tore him apart having to destroy her testimony on the stand. In chapter eighteen Scout says, “Atticus hit her hard in a way that was not clear to me, but it gave him no pleasure to do so. He sat with his head down..”(Lee 252). When Atticus had to defend Tom he also had to show the jury that Mayella was speaking lies which made him upset to do so. He knew Mayella was a victim in the situation too and did not want to hurt her more than Bob Ewell already did.
This pushback is shown by multiple instances in which Jem and Scout are made fun of for their father is a “n****r lover”. Secondly, Atticus knows he is going to lose the case for he knows that the moral character of Maycomb is not high enough to be able to see true innocence on account of evidence. This realization did not deter him, for he believed that “the one place a man should get a square deal is in a courtroom” (295). Thus he delivered on behalf of his morals and completed the case. This again shows moral courage, for Atticus knew that he if he forfeited his defense of Tom Robinson the ridicule would stop.
Atticus strives to be the best father he can possibly be, constantly enriching his children. Furthermore, Atticus undertakes numerous challenges in order to create a positive framework for his children 's portrayal of the world, by leading a true and positive existence. His strong morals are the foundations of his parenting. Atticus believes that only through his teachings can he facilitate his children to be the change they want to see in the world. In essence, love and his best intentions are
He tells his daughter, Scout, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win. (p. 101)” By this, he is telling scout that even though it seems that there is no way he can win, he will try because his conscience tells him it is the right thing to do. Even if the town is against him for it, he feels it necessary to do the right thing. Atticus’s courage is shown when he says, “Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what… (p. 149).” In this, he shows courage by taking on a nearly impossible challenge, to defend a black man in court. Moreover, he wants his children to understand that courage is not doing what is easiest, but what is right.
Atticus allows his kids to watch the trial of Tom Robinson. For example, “Tell you what, you all can come back when you’ve eaten your supper-eat slowly, now, you won’t miss anything important--ant if the jury’s still out, you can wait with us” (Lee p. 277). Atticus permits his kids go wherever they want and whenever they want. For instance, “Yes, said our father, when Jem asked him if we could go over and sit by Miss Rachel’s fishpool with Dill, as it was last night in Maycomb” (Lee p. 67). Scout does not usually get in trouble with her father.
Atticus thinks that the kids should not mess with Boo because his property is his property, and the children would not want someone “playing tricks” in their yard, and treating them differently than anyone else. Jem and Scout state that “they want to keep it that way” (Lee, 57) meaning they do not want Atticus to punish them for what they did. If they act the way they should, then Atticus would not have to punish them. Atticus is a good father that teaches his children to treat everyone equal. Lastly, Atticus Finch is a good father to both Scout and Jem for many reasons.
This is shown through the actions of Atticus both in and outside of the trial. Atticus tries his best to teach and show others-specifically Scout and Jem-how to judge what is right and what is wrong. First, Atticus tells Scout a very valuable life lesson. This is said when Scout was complaining to Atticus about her day at school, he said to her, “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” (Lee 30). Atticus is telling scout that she cannot truly judge someone's actions until she sees things from their side.
Character Essay Atticus's character traits are an important part of the book To Kill A Mockingbird. He is a crucial main character who has great influence on the plot and other characters in this book. There are many things to talk about when it comes to Atticus. Atticus is a middle-aged man. He is tall by the standards of Maycomb men and is relatively strong for his age.