Discloses Atticus Finch In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.,” discloses Atticus Finch, a main character in To Kill a Mockingbird, explaining the importance of empathy to his daughter, Scout (Lee 39). The moment the judge appoints Atticus Finch to defend an ill-fated black man, becomes one of the most pivotal moments in the history of Maycomb County, that would provoke deep thought and reconsideration in the narrow minded, Alabamian town. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee demonstrates various situations, which all strongly prove that role models greatly impact their community. Lee’s comparison between the immoral Ewells and the mature Finch

Atticus deftly imparts maturity, poise and courage onto his children, and as Lee uses Atticus as vehicle of delivery she displays the same values in him. Lee uses the developing perspective of Miss Maudie Atkinson, to symbolize Maycomb’s dynamics and views on Atticus. When first introducing Miss Maudie’s relationship to Scout, the author implements Scout’s confrontational question regarding Atticus, to which Miss Maudie responds, “Gracious child, I was raveling a thread, wasn’t even thinking about your father, but now that I am I’ll say this: Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.” (Lee 61) In clarifying Miss Maudie’s view on Atticus, Lee projects the same views on the ethical Atticus on all of Maycomb, showing the town’s indifferent, yet respectful opinions on Atticus. Atticus’s strong reputation and strong character set the stage for him to pioneer a change in Maycomb’s view. After defending Tom and losing the controversial case, the town notices Atticus’s impact. The long amount of time the jury took to decide Tom’s verdict, showed the town that Atticus sparked thought and true consideration in their decision, a tough goal to achieve with a biased, ignorant jury. Later, in response, Miss Maudie explains to Scout, “ . . . I thought, 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. And I thought to myself, well, we’re making a step—it’s just a baby-step, but it’s a step.” (Lee 289) Miss Maudie’s cheering Atticus’s monumental impact, proves that even Atticus Finch, the man all of Maycomb was opposing, had the ability to plant a seed in Maycomb; a seed of change. In Miss Maudie’s observation, Lee shows that a proper role model brings