Who is atticus finch in to kill a mockingbird

There are roles society places us in, and there are roles we place ourselves in, but the ultimate measure of character is what we do within these roles. Atticus Finch, who appears in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, plays three different roles in his life, and what he does inside those roles makes him the wise, ethical man he is. He is a mentor, a defender, and a teacher. As a mentor, he is a guiding figure to his children and those around him. He is always a voice of reason, and he leads by example. He also has an enormous role as a court appointed defender. Especially in the Tom Robinson case, Atticus gives everyone time to tell their side, even if the outcome looks bleak. He is a teacher to his children as he teaches them right and wrong…show more content…
There are many instances throughout the novel where Atticus is seen teaching his children about the world around them, and tips on how to flourish in their society. Scout, Atticus’s only daughter, did not understand fully how to demonstrate empathy, until Atticus told her this, ‘“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.”’ In this quote, Atticus is teaching Scout how to interact with those around her and demonstrate empathy by seeing things their way. Towards the end of the novel, Scout remembers this quote when she is standing on the Radley’s porch, which indicates that Atticus has an impact as a teacher in Scout’s life. Atticus not only teaches Scout about how to interact with other people, but how to better understand her society. An example of this is when Scout says, “Atticus told me one time that most of this Old Family stuff’s foolishness because everybody’s family’s just as old as everybody else’s.” In this quote he is indirectly trying to teach Scout about how, in their society, family means power and status,…show more content…
He embraces all these roles, and does his best in all of them. He is not a perfect man, and he knows it is not a perfect world, but he tries very hard to be the best he person he can. He is only as wise as he is because of the different roles he plays. They each provide him with distinctive outlooks on

Articles Surveys Theory Country Profiles

Personalities in Life and Fiction

Atticus Finch is an attorney at Maycomb County and is a single father to Jem and Scout Finch. He is a very respectable character, who lives with dignity, humility, courage, and honesty. Atticus is a very influential role model in his children’s lives. He is consistent with his beliefs and true to his conscience. He is a loving, dutiful father and a skilled lawyer.

One of the most predominant traits of Atticus is his integrity. Atticus always remains true to his conscience, his beliefs, and his values, even if they are against those of the society. Atticus is “the same in his house as he is on the public streets.” The greatest example of his integrity is the dedication with which he takes up Tom Robinson’s case.

He tries his best to prove Tom innocent, despite being mocked by society. When Scout asks Atticus why he supports Tom when the rest of Maycomb is against him, he says, “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” Atticus also does not want Heck Tate to cover up for Jem when Bob Ewell dies, and tells him, “If this thing’s hushed up it’ll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I’ve tried to raise him.” He thus lives by his own moral standards and takes the right decision no matter the consequence.

Atticus is a humble, courteous and dignified man. He never forgets his manners, even with the most unpleasant of people. He addresses every person with respect, with terms like ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’.

When Atticus treats Mrs. Dubose with the same gallant courteousness, Scout is amazed. “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to wars, was the bravest man that ever lived.”  

He never takes pride in his talents; it is seen that despite being “the deadest shot in Maycomb County”, Atticus never boasts about it. Impressed by his humility, Jem remarks, “Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!” Atticus also lives with quiet dignity; when Bob Ewell spits on his face and asks him “Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin’ bastard?” he simply wipes his face and replies,”No, too old” before walking away.

Along with his courtesy, humility, integrity and dignity, Atticus is also characterized by his courage and empathy. He teaches his children the true meaning of courage and the difference between physical and moral courage.

When Scout asks him why he’s fighting Tom’s case despite knowing that he is going to fail, he says to her,” Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” He displays great moral courage by defending Tom Robinson, a Negro against a white man, and against the racist people of Maycomb.

READ:

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: Jeremy Finch Analysis

Atticus also has a strong sense of empathy; he believes that every person deserves a chance to be understood. He tells his children, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Atticus endeavors to be a good father to his children and are shown as the perfect example of a fair, honest, kind, empathetic parent, determined to teach his children the importance of good values. He treats his children fairly and treats them like his equals rather than children.

Scout once tells her uncle Jack, “When Jem an’ I fuss Atticus doesn’t ever just listen to Jem’s side of it, he hears mine too.” Atticus tries to give truthful answers to the most difficult of his children’s questions, and by doing so he earns the trust and confidence of his children. His children believe him, and take his word against anything else.

Atticus also teaches them many important values of like through examples. For instance, he makes Jem read to Mrs. Dubose in order to teach him the essence of true courage. He also teaches his children to be empathetic, courteous and kind, and that it is wrong to harm an innocent being. “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

When Scout and Jem face ridicule at school, Atticus tells them, “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat.” Atticus’s efforts as a parent are aimed towards being true to his teachings towards them, and he thus says,” Sometimes I think I’m a total failure as a parent, but I’m all they’ve got. Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so that I can look squarely back at him.”

Thus Atticus is debatably the greatest literary character of all time, endowed with virtues like honesty, righteousness, politeness, courage, and empathy. He is a responsible father, a professional lawyer, and a morally upright individual, who actively upholds his own morals against the racism and prejudice in the county.  

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Atticus Finch is one of the main characters and protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus serves as the lawyer for Tom Robinson, tries to combat racism, and teaches Jem and Scout about prejudice. Unlike most Caucasian Southern men portrayed in the novel, Finch is someone who openly speaks out against racism.

Appearance

He is almost blind in his left eye.[citation needed] He is in his late forties, with black hair and grey side burns.

Personality

Atticus is an intelligent man, with a strong moral sense. He is slow to anger and accepting of people's flaws, even if they go against his own. To his own children, he acts more liberal, in the case of annoying Scout to wear overalls and get addressed by his first name.

Finch is the main symbol of justice in both the novel and the film. He has a great devotion to anti-racism and thinks that a white man is "trash" if the man ever cheats a black man. Finch is nice and considerate to everyone, no matter how they treat him, and despite the fact that his defending a black man costs him a few friendships, he selflessly still takes the case and tries to do as much as he can for Robinson.

Background

Atticus used to always be described as ‘one-shot’ Finch, being the best shot in the county. This is proven to Scout when Atticus shoots the mad dag Tim Johnson with one shot from far away.

Relationships

Miss Maudie

Miss Maudie speaks brightly of Atticus. She talks to Scout about his hidden talents. She explains that "he can make somebody's will so airtight can't nobody meddle with it."

Synopsis

Finch, as a lawyer, is asked to take a legal case that involves defending Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of abusing a 19-year-old Caucasian female named Mayella Ewell. Eventually, the news of his accepting the case spreads around town and puts Atticus in a negative light, leaving Jem and Scout angry about it. Atticus forbids Scout from fighting with the other kids. Once Walter Cunningham Jr., a child that Scout fought with, is invited to dinner, Atticus says that it is "a sin to kill a mockingbird", referring to the temptations to go after birds once children got their first guns.

In the trial, Mr. Bob Ewell (the father of Mayella) and Mayella herself, state that Tom Robinson had abused her. But there becomes more and more evidence that Robinson is innocent. The most profound piece of evidence is that Robinson cut his left hand (from his point of view) in a cotton gin and could not use it anymore, while Mayella had bruise marks on the left side of her face from someone else's point of view (making it her right).

However, despite the fact that Robinson's evidence is profound, the case is won by the Ewells. Finch is later dismayed to find that Robinson was shot dead while trying to escape from a jail after the case was won. Finch decides to drive to the Robinson's house and tell Tom's mother about the tragic news.

Quotes

• "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible."
• "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
• "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what"
• "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."
• "Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they're not attracting attention with it."

Trivia

• He is the best checker player in town, and can play the Jew's harp.

Gallery

References