Atticus Finch Heroism

To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless novel by Harper Lee; in the book Harper Lee illustrates the heroism of Atticus Finch. The novel is set in the early 1930s in Maycomb County, Alabama. At the time of the book racism was a part of life and the divide between blacks and whites were unprecedented. To Kill a Mockingbird is about Atticus Finch, a white lawyer, who defends an innocent black man in a corrupt court system and challenges the ideals of his community, while teaching his children integrity. Atticus Finch is a hero because of his courage, courtesy and morals.

Atticus is a courageous man who fights for what he believes in and is not afraid of others and stands up to evil. Throughout the book Atticus is not afraid of Bob Ewell and is willing to face him face to face, and refuses to back down. “Atticus told Miss Ruth not to fret, that if

Bob Ewell wanted to discuss Atticus ‘getting’ his job, he knew the way to his office” (Lee 285). Atticus shows his courage, because he is willing to talk to Bob Ewell and is not scared of Bob’s threats. Later in the book Atticus shows courage in a more traditional facet, by using a gun and proving his acumen of firearms. Atticus shows that his physical prowess cannot be overlooked and is skilled in many

By this definition Atticus Finch is definitely a hero, he is always courteous of others and is a gentleman through and through. Judge Taylor expresses this thought during the trial when he claims “Atticus is always courteous to everybody” (Lee 207). This quote shows that Atticus is polite even to those he is cross-examining, when most lawyers are ruthless. Atticus is also a man who is kind at home as well, when nobody is watching. “For once in his life Atticus’s instinctive courtesy had failed him” (Lee 306). Scout talks about how surprising it is for Atticus to miss an opportunity to show his courtesy, even in his own