ATTICUS AS A CHARTER In a period of widespread poverty during the Great Depression, Atticus is unusually well-off as one of the most well-known residents of Maycomb. Even the extremely poor hold Atticus in respect because of his perceptive intelligence, collected knowledge, and admirable character. He serves as the moral center of Maycomb, someone that others can turn to when they are struggling or have doubts. However, the same conscience that makes him so admirable also leads to his eventual fallout with Maycomb residents. He consents to defend Black man Tom Robinson because he cannot stand the town's cozy, deeply established racism. Because of his actions, Atticus is mocked in Maycomb, but his status is too great for him to be disregarded …show more content…
Atticus finds a lot to admire in them, despite their callous indifference to racial injustice. He is aware that everyone has both good and terrible traits, and he makes it his mission to respect the positive traits while acknowledging and letting go of the negative. Scout learns an important moral lesson from Atticus: this viewpoint guards against the destruction of the innocent due to interaction with evil. Neither Jem nor Scout intentionally adored Atticus at the start of the book, despite the fact that he is a revered man in Maycomb and a heroic figure in the story. The fact that he is older than other fathers and doesn't go fishing or hunting embarrasses them both. However, in the end, they revere Atticus for his astute parenting with the words, "Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I've tried to live so I can look squarely back at him." By the book's end, Scout, who is still a young child, loves Atticus without question, and Jem in particular is utterly devoted to him. Even though his kids' opinions of him change throughout the course of the novel, Atticus remains steadfastly