Atticus lives by a code: let your conscience be your guide. That’s why he takes on the case at the heart of the story, the defense of a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Scout tells Atticus that most people in the town think it’s wrong to defend the accused man. But Atticus explains that “they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions. But before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” If he didn’t take the case, Atticus tells Scout, “I could never ask you to mind me again.” We don 't know exactly how and why, but he managed to earn respect of people around him. It is very important for kids to know their dad is respected. Whatever he was, he managed to earn deep respect and love of his children as well. Somehow he managed to install his love to learn, his understanding of the world, his ways to deal with situations into his kids. All that came, according to the story, without any special pressure, but more by his own example. …show more content…
Atticus later tells an outraged Jem, “See if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does… He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children.” This quote coexists with a previous quote of his “ you can never fully understand someone until you step into their skin and walk around in it for a while” In this example Bob Ewell brings the quote to