Character Analysis of Atticus Finch In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout Finch, and one of the best lawyers in the region. The adults of the area see Mr. Finch as a humble, honest, and courageous man, but often his children do not see him that way. But when the mad dog, Tim Johnson, is walking down the street, the children see him as the adults do. The mad dog represents the evil in the world and in the community of Maycomb. The community has gone against Atticus because of the Tom Robinson case. However, as Atticus does in the situation with the mad dog, he will protect his community and his family to the best of his knowledge and ability. Atticus’s humility is shown when Sheriff Tate “handed the rifle to Atticus,” and “Jem and I nearly fainted (p. 126).” They never thought that the sheriff would …show more content…
He tells his daughter, Scout, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win. (p. 101)” By this, he is telling scout that even though it seems that there is no way he can win, he will try because his conscience tells him it is the right thing to do. Even if the town is against him for it, he feels it necessary to do the right thing. Atticus’s courage is shown when he says, “Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what… (p. 149).” In this, he shows courage by taking on a nearly impossible challenge, to defend a black man in court. Moreover, he wants his children to understand that courage is not doing what is easiest, but what is right. In conclusion, when Atticus deals with the mad dog, he shows that he can do what needs to be done to take care of the problem. But at the same time, he shows that he is humble and considerate for his community, and moreover, his