Atticus Finch Character Analysis To Kill A Mockingbird

1) Atticus is an empathetic person who tries to make sure people are treated equally, and in the case of his children, that people should grow up and make a positive difference. Atticus shows his empathy by telling Scout to try to understand what Miss Caroline is going through. Harper Lee is trying to show that with empathy, everyone benefits, and there would be less hate and injustice. Atticus says, “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 39). Atticus is telling Scout to look at the world through Miss Caroline’s eyes, to see why Miss Caroline reacts the way that she does. Atticus believes that if Scout can see how scared Miss Caroline is, with teaching a new school in a new way, then Scout can understand what makes Miss Caroline act the way that she does. When Scout asks Atticus why he is angering the town by defending Tom Robinson, he says that he must, or else he would no longer be reputable. Atticus says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (Lee 101) Atticus leads by example, and that if he did not hold himself to the same standard that he wants Scout and Jem to be at, then he is no better than the rest of the town. He knows that he is going to lose, but wants to show his children that it is important to do the right thing no matter the consequences or result, and

Despite living in Alabama in the 1930s, Atticus Finch expects his children to treat everyone- regardless of race or class- with respect and dignity. There are many opportunities for Jem and Scout to concede to the Southern stereotypes of the 1930s, but with the guidance of Atticus and their housekeeper, Calpurnia, the children challenge the common stereotypes of the South- with some lessons learned. These stereotypes are based principally on race and social class. Several cases of these stereotypes arise throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Many racial and social class stereotypes come out during Tom Robinson’s trial as well as during the children’s everyday lives.

Atticus is a wise father and helps his children accept people no matter how they look or act. This is evident when he says “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” (Lee 33). Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout mature at different paces. Atticus guides his children as they begin to grow and mature. “It ain’t right, Atticus,” said Jem.” “No son, It’s not right.” (Lee 243). When Atticus lost the case, Jem expressed how he felt. He had tears on his face. Here was a turning point for Jem because he was old enough to understand the case. Atticus comforted him and agreed it was not right. Atticus shows affection towards his children when they saved him from trouble with “the mob”. “As they passed under a streetlight, Atticus reached out and massaged Jem’s hair, his one gesture of affection.” (Lee 176). At first, Atticus may have been frustrated with his children being at the office. Then, their innocence saved him. Atticus has many characteristics and is a loving father. Atticus displays a valuable lesson about equality and fairness for his children.

Atticus Finch is one of the major characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb, Alabama, and the father of Scout and Jem Finch. Throughout the story Harper Lee portrays Atticus Finch as a courageous, wise man that is filled with integrity.

However, the kids are not quick to accepting people most of the time. Without Atticus being there to guide them along the path of righteousness, Jem and Scout would be just like any other kid in Maycomb. When the kids are confused as to why Atticus was trying to do the ethical thing and defend Tom, Miss Maudie has to explain to them that he was making "baby steps in the right direction" (183). When Jem is still absent minded about the ordeal, Miss Maudie says, "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.' 'Oh,' said Jem. 'Well.' 'Don't you oh well me, sir,' Miss Maudie replied, recognizing Jem's fatalistic noises, 'you are not old enough to appreciate what I said'" (183). The kids are impetuous to judge people, like Boo Radley, and Atticus has to stand up for him against the children. Even if Scout and Jem do a good deed of exemplifying equality, they are following by Atticus' admirable example since he is their father and they live under his influence.

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (Lee 149). The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an optimum book for teens in 10th grade. It shows Atticus Finch teaching Jem and Scout the importance of tolerance, empathy, and courage. As they grow up they watch their dexterous father as he collaborates with an African American man whose name is Tom Robinson, as he is on trial for rape. They also have experience with a few gregarious people from their neighborhood. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee uses the character of Atticus Finch to teach the importance of tolerance, empathy, courage.

Atticus teaches Jem and scout a number of important lessons which will help them in life. However tolerance is one of the most important, because if people tolerate one another then things like war or racism will not exist, and they are two of the biggest areas of conflict in the world. Atticus models tolerance for his children by taking the case of and accused rapist. He defends a black man even though most of the town is against it and treat him discourteously because of it. Scout went against her father’s wishes by not

In the case of to Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee crafts a clear idea of family dynamic between the main characters, using the parent-child relationship between Atticus, Jem, and Scout as the main example. Atticus, who raised Scout and Jem as a single parent, passes his morals to his children in order to help them see the world in a more productive and open minded way. While talking to Scout about how to better get along with people, Atticus explains to her that “ ‘[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 39). This advice from Atticus affects Scout and her outlook on how she has dealt with others, and this change is how her family, mainly Atticus, impacts her and makes her a better person. This family influence also applied to Jem. For Example, when Bob Ewell dies and Heck Tate is trying to explain to Atticus why Jem should not come forward as guilty, Atticus tells Heck Tate that he needs Jem to be treated fairly: “ ‘If this things hushed up, it would be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've raised him. Sometimes I think I’m a total failure of a parent, but I’m all they've got. Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so that I can look squarely back at him…” (Lee 366). Atticus wants Jem to be treated like an adult because Atticus raised Jem to take responsibility for his actions, and although he questions how he raised Jem and Scout, he wants to stay committed to what he is trying to teach them. This family relationship shows how Atticus taught his children, but also

Growing up in a town where racism is common can affect how an individual grows up and how s/he sees certain people. This can be especially challenging for young children to deal with these things at such a young age because of how innocent they are. These individuals might even learn from these experiences and grow to know what the right morals to follow are and how to deal with specific encounters with racism. In Harper Lee’s Novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, moral growth is demonstrated through multiple characters and how they display their actions, courage, and their understanding of certain things. An example of one of these characters is Jem Finch, Jem shows how he begins to understand society better and how he changes from the innocent person he was to a more matured and understanding young man.

Atticus Finch, the 50-year-old father of Scout and Jem Finch, “was Maycomb County born and bred” and is related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in town. In comparison to the fathers of the other children at Scout and Jem’s school, Atticus is much older and repeatedly tells Jem that he is much too old to play football with him. He is a passionate, hardworking and unbiased defense lawyer; consequently, the town views him and his family as wealthy and educated people. It is seen as bizarre that he works in an office since the fathers of other children in the town have less refined careers. Scout describes that “he wore glasses…was nearly blind in his left eye” and also that he has “graying black hair and square face” and gradually the book paints a picture of Atticus. He is quite tall, wears a three-piece

In “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus defines courage as “ knowing you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyways, and you see it through no matter what, you rarely win but sometimes you do.” Atticus fits his own definition of courage in many ways because he never gives up on what he believes in. He never gives up on what he believes in because he knows what's best and he thinks that if he shows he can stand up for himself and others he will be respected. Atticus Finch is a lawyer and a father of two, he needs to be very bold and he has to show a lot of respect for himself and these kids. People of Maycomb very well might see Atticus as a courageous person a lot like me because of how he acts and the pride he shows in what he’s doing.

Firstly, through the Finch family, Atticus teaches both his children that they should never judge a book by its cover, and that courage is one of the most important qualities one can have. Near the beginning of the book, Scout comes home from school, extremely flustered about the day. She then continues to rant about how awful the children at school are, as well as her teacher. Atticus, her father, replies “... 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”. Later in the book, Atticus sends his son, Jem, to an old woman’s house, whom he hates, to read to her. Unknowingly by Jem, he is being sent to help the woman out of a morphine addiction. After Jem has completed his service, they find that the woman has died and sent a gift to Jem as a thanks for all he has done. In turn, Jem is completely dumbfounded by the gesture to the point that “[His] eyes nearly [pop] out of his head”. Atticus comforts Jem, then continues to explain the courage of the woman and the heroism of Jem, and how courage is “... when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”. Not only does this show how Atticus’ core values as a parent, it also shows how he parents and how he wants his children to grow up to be. On the other side of things however, the Ewell family has incredibly loose family values, and certain members of the family are unwilling to help the family improve their way of life.

Every famous literary character has one thing in common, a side character that manages to reveal the best qualities in them. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the esteemed and distinguished Atticus Finch is balanced out with the straightforward Heck Tate. This foil relationship illuminates the meaning of the work, demonstrating how everyone needs a watchful protector.

Atticus and his children both had to deal with the adversity against them because of the communities differences in opinion. They kept their integrity through it all with Jem and scout having their father’s moral advice and support to help them. Though many succumb to the pressures put on us, there are also many Atticus’s out there that have a moral and ethical conscience backing them up. They become a role model that breeds integrity through their moral practices. “Before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” (Lee, pg.108)

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents Atticus Finch as a principled lawyer, committed but single father to Scout and Jem, and a law-abiding citizen. Atticus is a respectable gentleman in society and a role model for his children. Throughout the book we see evidence of his honorable intentions, though he doesn’t seem to reap the rewards. He is morally upstanding, even-keeled, and daring. Because of these things, Atticus is a man who deserves great respect and admiration.