How Is Atticus Finch A Good Role Model

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Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, created Atticus Finch, a character with pros and cons. He is a great father who lived in a house in Maycomb county, Alabama during the great depression. In 2015, another version of Atticus was revealed in Harper Lee’s novel Go Set a Watchman. In this book, Jean Louise finds Atticus at the KKK which is an American hate group. In Go Set a Watchman, he is claimed to be an accommodationist and gentleman bigot. This version of Atticus caused controversy about whether the book To Kill a Mockingbird should be read in schools. Atticus Finch is portrayed in a positive and negative light. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a great role model for his children and teaches them important …show more content…

In chapter three Scout tells Atticus about how her teacher Ms.Caroline doesn't understand the ways of Maycomb and how Ms.Caroline doesn't like Scout because she can read. Atticus responds to Scout by saying “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.” (Lee 33) Atticus explains empathy to Scout and encourages her to use empathy to understand her teacher which relates to Cep calling Atticus a model for everyone. Even though Ms.Caroline was rude to Scout, Atticus still wants Scout to “consider things from his point of view” and understand why her teacher acted in that way. Demonstrating that Atticus is a great role …show more content…

In chapter nine Atticus talks to his brother Jack about the case and says “I’d hope to get through life without a case of this kind but, but John Taylor pointed at me and said You're it.” (Lee 100) This indicates that Atticus is not choosing to do the case and is being forced to instead. In her article “The Contested Legacy of Atticus Finch” Casey Cep describes Atticus accommodationist and gentleman bigot. Showing Cep's words because Atticus would rather be an accommodationist than help Tom Robinson in the case that could lead to the death of Tom Robinson. Cep states “Criticisms of his accommodationist racial politics, his classism, and his sexism went mainstream a few years ago” (Cep 2) Cep is saying that people have found his words prejudice. This agrees with the fact he is a person who values politeness over equality and also brings up different views of Atticus being portrayed negatively. Atticus is described as someone whose ignorance allows them to support someone with a racist view. Similarly, in chapter eleven, Atticus tells Jem about Mrs.Dubose who was a very racist and rude person, and described her Atticus saying “She was a great lady.” (Lee 128) This demonstrates Cep's words Atticus is a gentleman bigot because he can forget all the horrible things about Mrs. Dubose and only remember the good. Atticus is compromising with Mrs. Dubos’s views and in doing so he