In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird there are some very courageous characters. The most courageous would be Atticus Finch. Atticus is one of the main characters in the book. He is the father of the narrator.
In 1960, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was published during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The story takes place in a small town in the deep South in the 1930’s. Lee wrote the novel to challenge her audience’s racist views of society. Atticus Finch, a white lawyer defends Tom Robinson, a black man who was accused of raping a white girl. The novel explores race relations and questions whether people are inherently good or evil.
To Defend a Black Man Would you defend a black man in the 1930’s in the south? Atticus Finch’s decision to defend Tom Robinson is questionable as Atticus had endangered the lives of family and friends, but on the other had Atticus was best fit for the job and the only lawyer who had a chance to help Tom. Atticus from to To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee in 1960, was the father of Jem and Scout; the main protagonists. They had lived in an imaginary town called Maycomb set in Southern Alabama in 1930 in the years of the great depression when poverty was great in much of the country. Atticus had a court case for Tom Robinson, who had been filed for rape by Bob Ewell.
As the hero of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch has an unorthodox outlook on racism. He says, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it— whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.” (252). This outlook allows him to approach the obstacles that come with a trial of a black man vs a white woman. Harper Lee, the author of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, worked on revisions for 2.5 years on the novel before it was published in 1960.
To Kill a Mockingbird portrays Atticus Finch as a rather fierce civil rights supporter, where as Go Set a Watchman depicts Atticus as a blatant racist. Although the novels do not go hand in hand, it is obvious to see how the society Atticus is placed in is intensely racist and prejudiced, inherently forcing preconceived notions upon him. The test to real character is whether or not a man can uphold his moral values in a society so small minded. Atticus Finch defies societal norms in the South in To Kill a Mockingbird when he resists backlash and defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Contrastingly, Go Set a Watchman illustrates Atticus as an old white man who is part of various clubs against black civil rights.
The book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a fictional book that covers the roots and consequences of racism and prejudice. The book introduces a character, Atticus Finch, as an intelligent and diligent lawyer who works in a trial to defend a black man, who is introduced as Tom Robinson. Once Atticus was selected for the trial, he experienced numerous setbacks during the process. Atticus has the difficult duty of defending Tom in a legal system tainted by prejudice and hostility. Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, Atticus stubbornly upholds his beliefs and refuses to be persuaded by the rampant unfairness all around him.
Is Atticus Finch a Hero or Disgrace? To Kill a Mockingbird Essay “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (Lee 101). Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird wrote an inspirational story that discusses racism at the time of the Great Depression. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a character named Atticus Finch, who is given a difficult task to be the lawyer of a black person, Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white women.
Atticus Finch is a well respected lawyer in Maycomb County. However, many individuals in the community turn their back on Atticus when he plans to defend an African American man, Tom Robinson, in court. Taking place in Alabama during the 1930s, “To Kill A Mockingbird” accurately portrays the hostile environment for
Compassionate,dramatic,and deeply moving ,To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roofs or human behavior. The unforgettable novel of a child in a sleepy,Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it,To Kill A Mockingbird,by Harper Lee. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird readers learn how to take a stand,and most importantly the golden rule. Readers also learn many valuable things. In the book Atticus Finch takes a stand For Tom Robinson.
Atticus Finch is very courageous and this is evident when he stands up for what he believes in despite the prejudice of other people in Maycomb. Since he goes against the status quo, he gets discriminated against. Other people criticize his actions behind his back, and
"It's when you know you're licked before you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”(Lee 149). Atticus has no chance of winning the Tom Robinson case, because of society's views on African Americans, but he tries the case anyways because he knows it’s the right thing to do. While some may say that Atticus is unloyal to his portrayed character due to his drastic role change in Go Set A Watchman, many critics say that even though To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set A Watchman have the same characters, the two books were never meant to be perceived as a set, due to the fact that almost everything in Go Set A Watchman contradicts Lee’s original views on Social Justice in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Atticus acts courageously in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird and teaches not only his children, but also the people in Maycomb county an important lesson about self respect and respect for others. Atticus is known for many outstanding qualities that he portrays throughout the novel that make him seem like a heroic figure. A hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage or noble qualities. Atticus models respect and equal treatment for all humans, making him a hero for a diverse group of Maycomb’s citizens.
Sophie Bennett Bennett 1 10-12-16 Dr. Bayazitoglu English 1.4 “A Good Man” Imagine it is the 1930 and you are a African-American living in Alabama, where racial discrimination is huge. How would you live in this time? Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird just follow how others act but some were able to go their own way and have their own opinions.
Atticus leads by example for his children, especially when interacting and speaking with the other Maycomb citizens. He has a subtle, yet impactful influence on Jem and Scout while conversing with others. He reveals to his children how to be a good host and connect with someone when he has a conversation with Walter Cunningham. Atticus and Walter talk about farming, which is a topic that makes Walter feel included and welcome. Scout may have applied this lesson when she found Mr. Cunningham in the mob outside the prison and asked him about his entailment.
Dillon Lindstrom Mrs. Engelstad English 11, Hour 7 22/03/16 Critical Analysis “If you can learn a simple trick, you 'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." [30] . The character, Atticus has a hand in three buckets throughout the story.
