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How Is Atticus Finch Presented In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee there is a character named Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a gentleman. All of the townspeople comment on how respectful Atticus is and how “‘Atticus Finch is the same in his home as he is on the public streets’” (Lee 61). He is never two-faced, Atticus has the same manner everywhere he goes. Mr. Finch has a very polite and respectful manner for everyone in Maycomb County. Mrs. Dubose, says awful things about everyone, specially about Atticus in particular. However when he would walk by her house “... Atticus would sweep off his hat, wave gallantly to her and say, ‘Good evening Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening’” (133). Mr. Finch would do that every time he passed her house to show his respect. Atticus never cared about how Mrs. Dubose talked about him. And towards the end of her life she asks Atticus for help. Because she realizes that Atticus will try to help her to the best of his capability. Mrs. Dubose passes away and Jem doesn’t understand why his father did what he did for her. He replies to Jem with, “‘She was the bravest person I ever knew’” (149). …show more content…

Aunt Alexandra is the stereotypical southern belle. During one dinner discussion she tells Atticus to get rid of Calpurnia. Her reasoning is that Calpurnia is no longer needed in the Finch family household. Politely Atticus tells Alexandra, “‘... Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to … She’s a faithful member of this family …’” (182). In Maycomb African Americans (like Calpurnia) were not treated as equals by many Caucasians. Atticus however can see pass skin color and see just another equal human being. He has accepted her into the family as his own, “‘... and another thing, the children love her’” (183). Calpurnia has raised his children, she is the only motherly figure they really know. Because of Atticus’s morals he treats Calpurnia very respectfully and is genuine about

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468 Words | 2 Pages

Since their mother pasted away, Atticus seems to not know what to do with the children. Due to this, he hires Calpurnia. She acts almost like the mother figure who dresses Scout. She also disciplines the children and attempts to teach them proper manners. Toward the end of the story, due to life threatening events, Atticus’ becomes closer with his children.

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965 Words | 4 Pages

She was hired to be the Finch’s families cook but she had put more into that job then required, she built a close relationship with these kids over the years of her working there, she became a parental figure to them. This was not very common in this time because most families had mom and a dad and if a white family both were white and if it were a black family both were black. Calpurnia was a black worker and was the closest thing the kids had to a mom in the family. During the time of preparation for the trial Atticus was gone a lot and was not able to take the kids to church one Sunday, Calpurnia decided she would take them to her church.

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672 Words | 3 Pages

The main character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus Finch, a middle aged man living in Maycomb Alabama. Even though he is a southerner he isn’t racist and he believes that everyone should be treated equal, Atticus teaches his children empathy and not to discriminate against other people, he does his by telling them “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.” Even though Atticus treats everyone as equals he gets affected by the town and their prejudice way of thinking. Because Atticus accepts Tom Robinsons case he gets called a “nigger lover” and him and his children get treated differently by the town.

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811 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus was out of town and the kids didn’t know what to do. Calpurnia was going to church and she invited them to come with her. Even though Calpurnia isn’t always the nicest she does everything she can to keep them safe and out of trouble. Scout states “ I had caused Calpurnia to deny my entrance to the house every time she saw me with a stick in my hand.

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443 Words | 2 Pages

Calpurnia and Atticus are characters who behave like other people expect them to behave. First, Calpurnia code switches when she goes to church. She says she has to do this because then other will think she is “better” or “too good” for them in a derogatory way. She is expected to behave a certain way to be able to “fit in” and blend among others. Also, when Atticus is speaking to the jurors, he makes himself comfortable to get on the level of others.

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916 Words | 4 Pages

So, when the kids went to Calpurnia’s church, Alexandra didn’t care for it too much, And when the children wanted to go to Calpurnia’s house, She forbid it. It shows Alexandra is inconsiderate of Atticus’ way of raising his kids she criticized him for letting Scout to dress and behave like a tomboy. She also disapproves Atticus on having Calpurnia be the kids motherly figure having the say and authority on Jem & Scout. Throughout the lives of Jem & Scout, Calpurnia is a big part of their family after the loss of Jem and Scout’s mom they see Calpurnia as a motherly figure who cares and looks after them and has lessons of politeness and

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620 Words | 3 Pages

Calpurnia serves as an amazing role model and mother figure to the children, and yet Aunt Alexandra wants to fire her. She had raised Jem and Scout, and plays an indispensable part of their lives, showering them with discipline, structure, and love. Aunt Alexandra, however, barely existed in the children 's lives up until she moved into the Finch’s home, yet she inflicts great injustice on Calpurnia by failing to recognize the necessitous part of the family that Calpurnia fills. Scout even overhears Aunt Alexandra saying, "...you 've got to do something about her. You 've let things go on too long Atticus, too long.

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1176 Words | 5 Pages

The novel starts by saying that Jem, the narrator’s brother, broke his arm at the elbow when he was about thirteen. From there the narrator foreshadows on two later events one related to the Ewells and another with Dill and Boo Radley. The story goes on to talk about how Simon Finch, their ancestor, made his homestead on Finch’s Landing, and how it was customary for the Finch men to stay at Finch’s Landing while making a living from the cotton. Atticus Finch the narrator’s father broke this tradition then he went to Montgomery to read law. Atticus was admitted to the bar and returned twenty miles east of Finch’s Landing to begin his practice in Maycomb, This is where he and his family now resign.

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1492 Words | 6 Pages

Atticus stands up for what he believes in and demonstrates how important it is to sacrifice everything in the search for the truth. When Aunt Alexandra, Atticus’s sister comes to visit during the family visit to Finch's Landing at Christmas, she disapproves of Atticus’s parenting style. Aunt Alexandra believes that Calpurnia, the Finch’s housekeeper is a bad influence on the children and wants Atticus to fire her. Atticus defends Calpurnia by saying “If anything, she's been harder on them in some ways than a mother would have been... she's never let them get away with anything, she's never indulged them the way most coloured nurses do” (Chapter 14 Page 151).

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2375 Words | 10 Pages

In her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee introduces and builds upon a wide variety of characters, who all have a wide range of interests, likes, dislikes and common philosophies; they are best described as either being a mockingbird, or a blue jay, both complete polar opposites of each other. Atticus Finch, as well as Scout Finch, would best be described as mockingbirds, whereas Miss Alexandria Finch would be described as a blue jay. This extreme contrast would represent the difference between people who are relentless for social justice, who are also willing to sacrifice themselves and their reputation to uphold egalitarian principles, and those who are intolerant of people different than they are- superficial beings. In nature, mockingbirds

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1279 Words | 6 Pages

Scout’s Lessons of Compassion As children grow up, they begin to understand compassion. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, a six year-old named Scout learns a thing or two about the world around her in the 1930’s small town of Maycomb. She is going through many hard events such as racist trials, nasty neighbors, and real-life monsters. For such a young girl, certain things are hard to come by on her own, but because of these events, and many more, her naive spirit is changed forever.

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461 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus has always been accepting and fair as he tries his best with Scout and Jem. Atticus is the only character in the book that was accepting everyone. He always respected everyone equally. When Judge Taylor was explaining how Atticus acts to Mayella he said, “‘Mr. Finch is always courteous to everybody’” (243).

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113 Words | 1 Pages

Another model that belays that………………………is from American literature, written by Harper Lee, “To kill a mocking bird”. In the story, there was lawyer named Atticus Finch; He was pleading a black man who assaulted a white woman. All through the story, you can find that: in the past if there were a white person and a black person who fought, the white person would always be the inculpable although he might be culpable. Atticus fought against segregation and cushion the black man.

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864 Words | 4 Pages

Miss Maudie and Scout sit on her porch because Jem is off doing something else so they talk about life and look at the sky. “Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn’t jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot…” (42). Miss Maudie lets Scout spend time with her so that she does not get sad that Jem and Dill went to play without her. A neighbour, Mrs. Dubose insulted the Finch Family all the time and yet Atticus is still kind to her because “she is sick and old”. Atticus tells Jem “Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your contemporaries about me lawing for niggers, as you say, but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable” (103-104).

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1095 Words | 5 Pages

Thus, whilst slightly unconventional, Calpurnia has a distinct role in teaching the Finch children respect and responsibility. In conclusion, Atticus Finch and Calpurnia are contrasting characters with the same purpose in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus maintains a fair, wise character throughout the novel, in comparison to Calpurnia's cogent, blunt personality. What brings them together is how they set the correct example for and give life lessons to Jem and Scout.

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