Authors show character 's personality through their actions and their words. There were many instances in the book that Atticus used his actions and words to fight for social justice. By looking at impartiality, moral conviction, and selflessness Atticus showed through his actions and words, it is clear that Harper Lee believed that everyone should be treated equally, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, or religion. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents the idea that moral conviction is demonstrated by doing the right thing even if everybody is against you. The author states, “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.” This quote …show more content…
According to the text, “So, if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that 's something I’ll gladly take.” This citation clearly states that Atticus was willing to put Mayella before himself, even though she was not very nice to him. Atticus says, “I’m afraid our activities would be received with considerable disapprobation by the more learned authorities.”This quote shows the reader that Atticus was willingly to make Scout happy by allowing her to read with him even though it may get him in trouble with Miss Caroline. On page , “the school buzzed with talk about him defending Tom Robinson, none of which was complimentary.”Atticus was willing to try to defend Tom even if he was ridiculed for it. He put Tom before himself. Atticus has shown selflessness through his actions by putting other people before …show more content…
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the idea that empathy is demonstrated by understanding the feelings of others when they are trying to hurt people. According to the text, “You’ll never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view,” This quote clearly shows that Atticus understood that people should always try to consider things from someone else’s point of view. The author states, “He meant it when he said it, 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.” This excerpt demonstrates that Atticus understood why Mr. Ewell threatened him. Atticus showed empathy to Mr.Ewell even though he spit on him and threatened him. The author wrote, “We couldn’t expect her to learn all Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we couldn’t hold her responsible when she knew no better.” It was evident that Atticus showed empathy to Miss Caroline. He tried to understand how she felt on her first day in Maycomb. Atticus has proven that he is empathetic by trying to understand other people’s