In the modern world, we are surrounded by judgement and discrimination. Nearly everyone is faced with hardships and insults based on their beliefs, habits, interests, and appearance. In a time of such hatred, there is a handful of pieces of literature that have spoken truth through the ages. One such book is To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during the Great Depression in the fictional southern town of Maycomb, Alabama. The early 30s were also a time of great discrimination and hostility; especially directed towards African Americans. In this fictional narrative, Atticus Finch takes the role of father to the narrator and protagonist, Scout Finch, and he serves as a lawyer in the county. Atticus represents hope and goodness in a time of great judgement because he is understanding, nonjudgmental, and forgiving.
Firstly, Atticus is understanding
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After Atticus decides to take a controversial case for Tom Robinson, and African American man accused of raping a young woman, he is confronted by a mob outside the county jail. Jem, Dill, and Scout watch from the side as the mob threatens both Atticus and Tom Robinson. The next morning, Jem worriedly asks if the men would have actually hurt Atticus. Not wanting to scare his son, but also not wanting to lie to him, Atticus concedes that, “’He may have hurt me a little’” (157). Despite the fact that these men threatened to seriously harm or even kill him, Atticus maintains a constant state of optimism towards others. Atticus knows all people harbor a small amount of kindness in their hearts, so he is always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and forgive those who refuse to forgive others. Even while living in a time and place surrounded by conflict, Atticus shows how a softened heart and a trained mind can benefit the mental health of a community and strengthen broken