Atticus Finch Qualities

Atticus Finch: The Person Lawyers are often perceived as devious and employers of chicanery. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is an exception to this perception. Atticus continuously shows himself to be a excellent figure in Maycomb County and an even better father. Throughout the novel, Atticus demonstrates three main qualities- courteous, courage, and wisdom. Atticus indicates he is courteous through two major incidents. The first incidents occurs when Atticus walks home from work pass Ms. Dubose, a mean, old lady who hurls insults about Atticus at Scout and Jem. When Atticus walks past Ms. Dubose, he would sweep of his head and compliment her appearance and her camellias. Sometimes he would also discuss the courtroom news. When Jem mentions

Dubose’s insults to Atticus, Atticus tells him, “You just hold your head high and be a gentleman.”(Lee 133) This event demonstrates Atticus’s courtesy because even though Ms. Dubose was insulting him and his children, Atticus showed his courteous nature and remained a gentleman. Another situation which shows Atticus being courteous is when he goes to tell Helen Robinson about her husband’s death. When Atticus arrives at her house, he notices a small, female child attempting, unsuccessfully, to climb down the stairs. Being the gentleman that he is, Atticus removed his hat and offered his finger and helped the child down the stairs. This shows Atticus being courteous even in a private situation. In addition to being courteous, Atticus is also courageous. Atticus shows his courage when he accepts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a