According to the Oxford DIctionary, the definition of integrity is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”. Obviously having integrity is a good thing, but is it easy to keep with so many bad things and people in the world? The evil within the world would challenge anyone’s morals, making it hard to stay true to them. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written in the 1930’s, and one of the bigger issues is the prejudice of Maycomb depending on a person’s race, gender, and class. Atticus Finch, the main character’s father, is one of the few in Maycomb with integrity and doesn’t hide it from others. It prompts many difficulties and questions concerning integrity. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the character of Atticus to teach us how integrity is hard to keep, but worth it in the end. He faces many obstacles concerning his morals, but he pushes through it and does the right thing, winning in his own way. It seems like almost no one in the small town of Maycomb has a shred of integrity. This is …show more content…
A couple of townsfolk were talking about Atticus taking the trial in front of Jem and Scout. One told the others that Atticus had been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, but another doesn’t care that Atticus didn’t have a choice, with his mindset being that “Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it” (Lee 163). Therefore, Atticus’s integrity was challenged. It’d been much easier if he just refused to defend Tom Robinson, or not give it his all. But since Atticus does everything in his power to help Tom, the people who don’t want a fair trial turns their anger towards him. They could ruin so many things: his business, his life, even his children’s lives, as seen in Bob Ewell’s threatening “he’d get him if it took the rest of his life” (Lee 217). Because Atticus followed his integrity, every aspect of his life is put at
Atticus must protect Tom Robinson despite the fact that he knows he will fizzle since he should do the equitable
Most people probably don’t show integrity everyday of their lives. There are many examples of Integrity in To Kill A Mockingbird and in our world today that show that a little integrity can go a long way. Atticus showed great integrity throughout the whole book as well as Boo Radley during the final chapters of the book. When times are tough, it can be hard to show integrity. When people send their children to schools they cannot afford and “steal education”(Hechinger
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
Do you know why people in Maycomb, Alabama have such a high level of respect for Atticus Finch? In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch isn’t just respected from the character’s viewpoints in the story, but also from the reader’s perspective. Atticus, was well respected for his ways of parenting. He was also respected for his diligent hard work and tireless hours within the courtroom. Even though Atticus has different thoughts and disagrees with all most everyone in Maycomb, people still has a great deal of respect for him.
“Lemme tell you somethin’ now billy, you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger.” “Yeah but he aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it.” (Lee, 165) This quote is purely just ignorance and prejudice, this quote is a good example of how most of the town feels, they are mad at atticus not for taking the case, but for actually trying to give Tom a fair trial.
Personal values and morals are instilled into children by their parents . Jem and Scout Finch, characters from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, are open minded, educated, young children that have a father named Atticus Finch who tries to teach his children to have sound morals and personal values . The children have not been sheltered from life's hardships due to their father Atticus's views on parenting instead they have learned right from wrong. Atticus Finch believes that not sheltering his kids from the world allows them to form strong morals and values. Atticus Finch does what he believes will help make his children into strong citizens with outstanding values and morals.
Jem further understood the true meaning of moral courage when he saw Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man. Although Atticus was hugely outnumbered and even cornered by Mr Cunningham and some other people, he did not back down from them. Instead, he seemed even more determined to win the case and prove Tom Robinson 's innocence to all of Maycomb County. Almost everyone in Maycomb County had criticised Atticus and his children for taking up the case of defending Tom Robinson and they were even called "nigger lovers" by many. At first, Jem did not understand why his father chose to defend Tom Robinson when he knew that people would whisper and gossip about it and that the possibility of him winning the case was very low.
Argumentative Essay “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”. Atticus Finch decided to defend Tom Robinson when he was accused of raping a white woman. I would’ve done the same thing as Atticus because I believe that back then it wasn’t a very fair world. As soon as a white person blamed a black person Police or the Judge would automatically take the word or the white person.
Atticus takes the trial knowing the consequence that him and his family will be harrassed by the town because it is the right thing to do. Atticus finch decides to defend Tom Robinson to be a good role model for his children and prove that the “Golden Rule” is a rule to
As a father Atticus has done everything he can to maintain his children, Jem and Scout, informed of what really is like out there in the real world. Honesty seems to be Atticus rout when dealing with life. In times Atticus will lose trial but the courage he has won’t allow him to give up on innocent people, like Tom. Atticus is the definition of role model to follow. He’s a great father to his children showing the the truth will always push them forwards in life.
As the book goes on and the characters change, ethical dilemmas about fear, and racism are seen. Additionally, what the book has to say about moral values and how things are done is mentioned in this essay. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts the crude reality of Ethical Dilemmas in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1950s. One of the first Ethical Dilemmas presented in the book is what are the morals of the people in Maycomb. It is clear that Maycomb has differences in how people act, but that is different on what their moral values are.
Atticus Finch like most people had struggles: he struggled between justice and fidelity. He showed fidelity to his children and always did his best to make sure they never hated anyone out of fidelity to him. He showed fidelity to his own siblings despite his disagreements with Alexandria his sister. He showed fidelity to his maid Calpurnia and made sure she kept her job, despite his sister trying to get rid of her. Atticus showed justice to everyone he met.