How Is Atticus The Upstander In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a young white girl named Scout who has a brother Jem, and a father, Atticus. They live in Maycomb, Alabama where segregation and hatred is rampant. In the 1950’s blacks were treated horribly and the need for upstanders was crucial. Atticus and his family fill part of that need. Atticus Finch is an upstander in the town of Maycomb which is very rare. He fights for what is right and will do anything to make sure justice is served. Atticus being an upstander which shows through his actions impacts how he is treated and how he treats others. How he treats blacks and how he speaks to everyone shows his upstanding ways.

Atticus and his family have Calpurnia who helps out in the house.

Atticus heard that a mob was planning to lynch Tom which was normal for the people of Maycomb to do to a accused black person. Atticus did not try to talk the mob out of it. Instead, he went to the jail and put himself in front off the angry mob to stop them. Atticus could have been hurt or even worse killed for physically getting in the way of a lynching mob. “He is [in the jail cell]...and he is sleeping. Don’t wake him up” (Lee 171). Atticus told the mob that was trying to lynch Tom that he was sleeping. Atticus was lying about Tom sleeping. Tom was awake but when Atticus saw the mob he told Tom to pretend to sleep. The mob was going to push through Atticus anyway they had to, just to get to Tom. Luckily Atticus’ kids came. Atticus will do anything including putting himself in danger just to get justice for Tom. Atticus, again, does anything he needs to do to serve

As kids, Jem and Scout do not fully understand why people are so mean and full of hatred. They also sometimes do not know what happened to certain “friends”. Atticus always explains to them why those “friends” are bad people. Mr. Cunningham was thought to be a freinds by Scout but later was full of enmity. “Hey, Mr. Cunningham… I go to school with Walter,... He’s in my grade” (Lee 174). Scout is trying to get Mr. Cunningham’s attention but after calling his name does not work she starts talking about his son. This got his attention and made him embarrassed. Scout is at the jail where Atticus is to stop the mob from lynching Tom. Scout does not fully understand what all the men are doing at the jail. She resorts to looking in the crowd and seeing Mr. Cunningham. She talks to him like in a normal setting. This shows Scout’s innocence by bringing up Mr. Cunningham son when he is trying to lynch a man. Atticus tries to teach his children his ways and what is going on in the world around them but Scout’s innocence hold her back from