To Kill A Mockingbird True Love Analysis

One of the best feelings in the world is love. Love is a universal quality that anyone can understand no matter who they are and where they live. However, even with it being such a common emotion, it is a powerful idea which can be difficult to define. Yet, the author Harper Lee, has beautifully portrayed the simplistic idea of unconditional love, or agape, through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee is not referring to love as romance, but as strong love among family, friends, neighbors, and even enemies.

Atticus Finch, a father of two children Scout and Jem, is most known for the love and compassion that he presents to every person in Maycomb County. Any personality, size, and race, Atticus admires them as a human. Every day, Maycomb

One example of Atticus’s love can be seen through his neighbor Ms. Dubose. Everyday Ms. Dubose would torment and insult Atticus because of the fact that he was defending a negro man in a trial, Tom Robinson. Although Atticus's children feel enmity for Ms. Dubose, Atticus, instead shows deep respect for Miss Dubose and replies, “Good evening, Ms. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening” (pg.115). When they return home Atticus explains that Ms. Dubose was a very old lady and was a morphine addict. Atticus had known that Ms. Dubose wanted to die free, and since Atticus had unconditional love towards Ms. Dubose, he wanted to help her achieve that goal. He sent Jem and Scout to read to her every day of the summer to get her mind of the morphine. When Mrs. Dubose does die, Atticus says, “She was the bravest person I knew” (pg.127). Love is shown here because even though Ms. Dubose had no respect for Atticus, he stood up to

Atticus, a lawyer, truly believes that Tom Robinson is not guilty and should be emancipated from his sentence. However, a majority of the population of Maycomb county believes that Atticus is a loser defending a black man. Atticus receives different insults and even gets death notes from many people. But none of that nonsense changes how Atticus feels because he has deep devotion towards Tom and the case. Atticus even runs the extra mile and tells the Jury, “I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family.” One of the most interesting and significant parts of the event was when every single negro in Maycomb County thanked Atticus for his effort to safe one innocent souls of the county. The entire black community brought a year’s full of food and other necessities as a thank you for his help. This touches Atticus’s heart and he emotionally replies, “Tell them I am very grateful” (pg.286). This is what a true bonded society is. They all have love for each other even if they don’t receive any gift back. Atticus’s efforts to emancipate Tom Robinson from his death sentence, and the gifts given to Atticus by Tom’s friends and family can all be accounted as agape. Martin Luther King once said, “Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It begins