Atticus Beliefs

Atticus stands up for what he believes in in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, even if his opinion is generally disagreed with; which is reflected greatly in his children as they learn to become part of society. He stands up for what he believes in by defending Tom Robinson even when the odds are stacked against him, and making Jem read to Mrs. Dubose even if she says awful things about him. These actions define Atticus’s character and shape his children into becoming the people they are. Atticus stands up for what he believes in by defending Tom Robinson and making Jem read to Mrs. Dubose; which influences his children become better people.

When Atticus was selected to defend Tom Robinson, he decided to give him a full defence instead of giving him a half-hearted one. When the whole town starts to stir that he’s defending a negro, all Atticus is thinking is “I’m simply defending a Negro -- [] they’re clean-living folks”(100). Atticus is showing that he believes all people are equal and deserve a fair trial; and even though the rest of the town can be harsh towards his views he sticks to them because that’s what he believes is right. This concept is also reflected onto his children, when

Dubose every day for a month. Mrs. Dubose wasn’t a kind lady, she would frequently insult Jem and Scout as well as Atticus on their actions and behaviors; but Atticus saw past that. Atticus saw Mrs. Dubose as “a great lady”(149), someone who doesn’t give up. While she was a grumpy person, she was also fighting a morphine addiction so she could be free before she died. Atticus wanted Jem to read to her so he could “see what real courage is”(149), so he would see that as courage rather than “a man with a gun in his hand”(149). This teaches Jem that Atticus doesn’t have to be like the other dads to be special; that even if he is the best shot in Maycomb he wants to be seen for his real