Atticus Finch is a heroic character in To Kill a Mockingbird. I believe for someone to be a hero they have to have certain achievements and qualities that show how they are heroic. Atticus is someone from To Kill a Mockingbird that has many qualities representing heroism. I believe Atticus Finch is a hero because he chose to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, in court. He’s also a hero because he tries to encourage his children to do the right thing and to know from right and wrong. Atticus proved his abilities and intelligences, and he also cares for everyone equally. This novel is taken place during a time period where black people were mistreated and thought low of rather than white people. White people were thought to be more important …show more content…
Atticus says to his children, “I’m simply defending a Negro, his name is Tom Robinson,” (page 75). To me I believe this took a lot of courage and confidence for Atticus to defend him. Since Atticus was the black people's only hope for Tom; they look up to Atticus and learn to respect him for doing this. This makes them think of Atticus as a hero. Atticus definitely doesn’t feel ashamed about defending Tom Robinson because Atticus knows it's the right thing to do. He knows it's the right thing to do because of Atticus’s beliefs and knowledge from right and wrong. He believes that everyone is equal no matter what color, race, etc. The bad thing about this is that the people of Maycomb don’t believe what Atticus is doing is right; they think it is ridiculous since the people of Maycomb don’t treat everyone with equal rights. Another reason why Atticus is a hero is because he is an great father. He is always trying to set a good example to his children. He teaches his children to have respect for others. For example, when Miss Caroline told Scout she was too far ahead of the class in her reading, Atticus had told Scout that she had to walk in Miss Caroline’s skin and see her point of view instead of getting offended or
Was Atticus a True Hero of To Kill A MockingBird? Yes and no Atticus Finch and Scout Finch were both true heroes of the story because they did many Helpful things throughout the book to help everyone no matter what they were or what they look like. Atticus had a lot of courage such as when he help out Tom Robinson at the jail he stayed with Tom at the jail even know he knew that the mod of white Americans of Maycomb would come for Tom and try to kill him. When Tom Robinson was convicted of raping a white girl Tom stranded up for him and showed courage which as a white person it was not a normal thing to stand up for a black person. Although Scout is a hero in the book too, Throughout the book Scout learns about her life and gets to
Whether in the form of a living person or a fictional character from a book or movie, heroes are prevalent in everyone's life. The typical view of a hero is someone who fights crime or saves people from mortal peril, but the true definition of a hero is a person of distinguished courage admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is the true definition of hero. Although he wasn't seen as a hero during the time the book took place, Atticus Finch is considered to be one of the most heroic figures in American Literature because of his courage, intelligence, and sense of what is right and what is wrong.
He believes that all people deserve respect. For example he states, “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.” This shows that Atticus cares about other peoples opinions, not just his. For instance, there is a cantankerous women near Scout’s home named Ms.Dubose. Atticus ignores her pejorative comments and acts very kindly to her.
Atticus did the right thing by standing up for Tom, because he was an innocent man and he shouldn’t be imprisoned for what he didn’t do. Atticus knew and believed this and he did whatever he could to save Tom Robinson “ “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson…” “(Lee, CH.25). This shows us that Atticus truly wanted to save Tom and he knew that Tom was an innocent man. If Atticus wouldn’t have stood up for Tom the chances are no one else would and Tom would never have a chance of freedom. Atticus also knew that Tom was innocent when Tom began to explain that he was sorry for Mayella “ “felt right sorry for her” “(Lee, CH. ?). This shows that Tom was truly innocent because if he wasn’t a black man would never say that they felt sorry for a white women. This helped Atticus understand that he was innocent, and made it the right thing to do when standing up for him. Atticus also knew Tom as a friend, they were always kind to each other and never treated the each other any different from the other. Atticus knew that Tom was innocent and when guarding Tom’s cell at the jail Atticus stood by him the entire night. “ “Mr. Finch? “A soft husky voice came from the darkness above: “They gone?” Atticus stepped back and looked up. They’ve gone,” he said. “Get some sleep, Tom. They won’t bother you any more.” “ (CH. 15). This shows that Atticus truly cares for Tom and if Atticus
In today's standards a hero is a man who fights crime or beats up bad guys, maybe even a person who kills the bad guy. In the book though Harper Lee uses Atticus to show that heroes can be found anywhere, and that you don’t need to fight someone to be a hero. Atticus is the hero of this story, yet he didn’t fight anyone, he didn’t kill anyone, and he didn’t beat up any bad guys. He showed the reader that hero doesn’t always mean violence. A hero is someone who shows courage. Atticus says at the end of chapter 11 that “...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…”. He demonstrates this by representing a black man on rape charges in a time of racism and inequality. He knew he wasn’t going to win, but he did it anyway, that is a true
Mr. Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a hero due to his honesty, his courage, and his want to persevere in hard times for all. Atticus Finch must be honest and stay true to his word by being the man of better judgment. He must make hard decisions without bias toward another group or person.
Atticus finch is a very important character in the story because he is strong-willed and does what he believes in. He is a strong believer in equality and will try to see things from others’ perspectives, even when everyone is telling him that he is wrong to do so. Atticus contributes to the plot of this story by helping people and standing up for people that others, in that time,
Atticus preached the wisdom of sympathy and understanding to Jem and Scout and never holds grudges against anyone in Maycomb. Atticus was older than many other fathers, which embarrassed Jem and Scout, but Atticus’s wise parenting quotes, “Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look squarely back at him,” which ultimately wins their respect for him. Another respectable thing he taught his children was how to be literate. He recognizes the importance of teaching Jem and Scout how to respect others and learn about courage. An important example, when Mr. Dubose was dying, he made Jem go read to her, which leads up to a crucial lesson about strength and courage by stating “I wanted you to see what real courage is…it’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through, no matter what.” The most important aspect in the major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, was that he didn’t just tell his children things he wanted them to consider important, he actually lives according to such lessons. For example, even though he knows he will not win the case and is “licked” he goes ahead and pursues it anyway. As a father his most important role seems to be as a guidance above all else and his children, much like the rest of the community respect him
Many times in the book he teaches Scout or Jem a lesson by telling them to put themselves in other people situations. Which is one of the main points of the book. One of those occasions is when he tells Scout about the Cunninghams and how they wont take anything they cant give back. Scout also tells uncle Jack that Atticus actually listens and understands to both side of the story.
Atticus Finch As A Hero When Harper Lee was writing her first book “To Kill A Mockingbird” I doubt she thought it would ever grow to be as popular as it is now. “To Kill A Mockingbird” won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961 and the Quill Award for Audio Books in 2007. Due to it’s popularity, there is a lot of room left for arguments and controversies. Such as on racism, politics, social structures and just the way people go about living their life. In “The Rise and Fall of Atticus Finch” written by Christopher Metress, he claims that Atticus Finch is not the hero everybody makes him out to be.
Atticus shows willpower and courage by agreeing to defend Tom Robinson in court. Back in those days, it was very unusual for a white lawyer to do their best in defending an African American. Atticus was unlike the many racist lawyers in Maycomb which showed how he was courageous. Atticus says, “Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.” (Lee, 274) This shows that Atticus wanted to stand up for the rights of African Americans, even if people disagreed with it. This showed true
Father. Lawyer. Hero. These are just a few words that can be used to describe the person Atticus Finch is in To Kill a Mockingbird. Whether or not Attcus is a hero has been disputed since the publishing of the novel.
In addition, Atticus teaches the kids that racism in not acceptable even though most of the modern day society is racist. (B2) Atticus explains this way of being when he takes Tom Robinson's case: “I’m simply defending a Negro-- his name’s Tom Robinson.” (75)(B3) Atticus knows that taking the case is the right choice to make, regardless
Overall, Atticus is a genuinely moral literary character, who is a great role model, and deserves nothing but respect. Atticus stood up for Tom Robinson because he doesn’t necessarily care about his race, whereas other people will view Atticus differently because Tom is African American. Atticus kind of gives off determined vibes, because of how determined he is to stand up for Tom. Atticus says to Scout, “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything like--snot-nose.
Although Atticus knew this, he disesteemed their opinions, in fact, knowing this made him want to defend Tom more to prove to everyone in Maycomb, including his children, that everyone should be treated equally no matter their race. Another instance, when Atticus revealed true bravery, was when he endeavored to protect Tom from the lynch mobs. He went to the jailhouse to protect Tom from the lynch mob of Maycomb that included many of the people they knew and that Atticus had previously helped, such as Mr Cunningham. Without thinking it twice he rushed to Tom's aid to make sure no one hurt him. He went with the knowledge that if a mob gathered at the jailhouse he would be considerably outnumbered and may get badly beaten.