Atticus Finch Moral Compass

Atticus is one of the major characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, and he appears in almost every chapter. Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout and appears in every chapter. While some might think Atticus is not a proper role model, he is a good role model because he treats everybody with respect, he sees other races as equal, and he fights for equality.

In chapter 11, Atticus and Jem are talking about Mrs. Dubose, and how she was the bravest person Atticus has ever met. Atticus is talking about how she has courage, and implies “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” (149) This shows that Atticus wants to stick to Tom Robinson’s side because he is courageous. He knows he is going to lose, but is sticking to his views and fighting for Tom Robinson anyways. In chapter 20, Atticus is giving his speech in the courtroom. Atticus says “ To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white.” (271) Atticus means that it is obvious on who is going to win, but he is going to defend Tom Robinson, no matter what because that is the type of person he is. It didn’t matter if Atticus knew he was not going to win because he wants to prove a point that race should not matter, and everybody should be treated equal. He wanted to just have one person see past color and think that Tom Robinson might not have committed the crime. In chapter 22, Miss Maudie says “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that.” (289) Overall, Atticus knows how to make the right decision and follow what he

After Scout confronts Atticus about “defending negros”, Atticus replies on how this decision is for his own dignity: “‘For a number of reasons’, said Atticus. ‘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.’” (123; ch.9). Out of the lots of prejudice in Maycomb County, Atticus is one that looks passed race and gender. He holds equal respect for those who abide by the laws of being human. Not much of population consist of people like Atticus, who is not just fighting for Tom for the sake of the town, but for his own virtue. It takes a lot of integrity to stand up for what is right during that time and that is exactly what Atticus is making an effort to do.

Atticus believes that everyone, no matter how bad they seem, has some good in them. He displays his views on the town when he declares, “‘Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand’” (Lee 117). At the moment, Maycomb is dealing with a rape case with an African American. Atticus is willing to contradict the prejudiced town’s opinion on this racial issue because he is following his moral values. He hopes people will see situations like these as moral issues instead of racial issues. Atticus wants people to realize that everyone, including those of different social classes and origins has some merit in them worth saving. Atticus sends Jem to apologize to Mrs. Dubose

Atticus is a lawyer and installs just and right values into his children, Scout and Jem. He is one of the very few people in To Kill A Mockingbird that provide an optimistic approach to life, and persevere for equality. He fights for what he believes in, and never gives up, even when he knows the cemented outcome. One major example from the book reflecting Atticus and his will to persevere, is his journey fighting for Tom Robinson and the trial. He is well-aware of what is said about the case, and the effects it could have on his family, but Atticus has hope for humanity.

Atticus is an independent worker that left the family business. He is very fair and respectful when talking to anyone not just his children. Atticus states, “Try fighting with your head for a change... it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning” (Lee 87). Atticus is revealing to Scout that she should not approach someone the same way as she always has.

Was the moral ambiguity of Atticus in Go Set A Watchman more effective in portraying the issues within racism than Atticus as an upstanding scrupulous character in To Kill A Mockingbird?

However, to people who desire equality, Atticus was a hero inspiring change. Judge Taylor assigned the Tom Robinson case to Atticus due to his trust in him to fight for justice. “Whether Maycomb knows it or not, we’re paying the highest tribute we can pay a man. We trust him to do right. It’s that simple” (Lee 240). Even though most of the town treated Atticus fairly, they knew that Atticus is quite different. As Miss. Maudie explains to Aunt Alexandra why the town chose Atticus to defend Tom Robinson, it is clear that the case has taken a toll on all of the Finches. When a person is poor and convicted, especially a coloured man, their cases are given to new lawyers looking for experience. Usually, the verdict would be guilty due to the prejudice against coloured people and the lack of effort of lawyers. However, Atticus was the most open-minded lawyer in Maycomb and always strived for justice over prejudice or the perception of himself through others. No matter the situation, Atticus continued to fight for what is right. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 78). Even though the chances of winning the case was slim, Atticus persevered and listened to his own conscience to be able to face Jem and Scout. Atticus was different from other lawyers as he believed that achieving justice and being true to oneself is more important than society’s prejudicial standards, which for a lawyer, is a vital quality for saving many innocent

In To Kill a Mockingbird, the undertones of justice and morality are highlighted and become more apparent through the use of symbols such as dynamic characters and instances of great irony. Atticus Finch stands as the stronghold justice throughout the entirety of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee uses him and his ironclad code of ethics to serve as a model of morality in the community and more effectively, in the court case of Tom Robinson. Atticus believes greatly in the idea of justice in the courts and the basis of morality of the townspeople.

In many circumstances, people show different ways of reacting to a problem. People react with anger, or revenge. Yet some react with wisdom and level-headedness. Although fictional, the character Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird has the attributes of the wise father figure of the classic novel. Atticus never spoke out against anyone or acted for his own selfishness; but kept his eyes focused on the ones he loved.

Atticus is a wise man, committed to justice and equality, and his parenting style is based on fostering these virtues in his children—he even encourages Jem and Scout to call him “Atticus” so that they can interact on terms as equal as possible. Throughout the novel, Atticus works to develop Scout’s and Jem’s respective consciences, through both teaching, as when he tells Scout to put herself in a person’s shoes before she judges them, and example, as when he takes Tom Robinson’s case, living up to his own moral standards despite the harsh consequences he knows he will face. Atticus is a kind and loving

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells the story of how two children, Jem and Scout Finch, grow up and start to understand the world in more adult ways. In the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, racism and prejudice spreads around. Atticus Finch, a lawyer, defends an African American man who is accused of raping a white woman. This is a journey of learning new morals and compassion through experience and practice. The kids learn important life lessons from their father, Atticus. He educates them on the true meaning of sympathy, understanding toward others, courage, and standing up for what is right through lessons and his examples.

Atticus is considered very wise and in numerous ways, it was his intellect and foresight that helped him relate to others. He also always tried to do right next to Scout and Jem which makes him very compassionate and understanding. He has proven over and over his emotional connections and has shown incredible acts of empathy. And above all, Atticus’s ability to comprehend people emotionally proves that he is the most empathetic person out of

Atticus, aware of the prejudice in his town, took the case with the intent of proving prejudice to be wrong. When Scout learns about the war going on in Germany because of Hitler, she asks Atticus if it is okay to hate Hitler. He responds by saying, “It’s not okay to hate anybody” (330). Scout learns about the horrible things Hitler is doing to the Jewish people and assumes it would be okay to hate him because of it. Although Atticus would never agree with the things Hitler had done, he still does not hate him, or anyone. Atticus disagrees with the way many people in Maycomb show hate towards black people and tells Scout she should never hate anyone. Additionally, he shows respect after Tom Robinson is killed when he drives to his home to tell Tom’s family the horrible news. Once he arrives, he sees

In recent literary history, perhaps the strongest contender for the one character that has had the greatest influence on a generation is Atticus Finch, father of the protagonist in “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Both as a father, and a lawyer, he has served, and still today serves as a pillar of righteousness and morality. The ability for his morality to translate to all people, across ages, races, and cultures, is a feat preformed by Harper Lee in her masterpiece, “To Kill A Mockingbird”. She establishes Atticus Finch as the moral center of the novel by juxtaposing his actions and the relationships with those of the majority of Maycomb. In doing so, she has made him a cultural, and oftentimes personal icon.