Atticus Finch Research Paper

In the novel, Atticus is seen as a nonjudgmental person that treats everyone alike and that is the reason everybody in Maycomb likes him. Additionally, Atticus is a strong believer in justice and complying with the law. During the novel, Scout asks Atticus if he is “really a nigger-lover” (Lee, 112) and Atticus replies “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody…” (Lee, 112). Also, “while Walter piled food onto his plate, he and Atticus talked together like two men…” (Lee, 24) To explain, Atticus talks to Walter, a poor farmer boy, as if he was a regular person. Just as the children are trying to give Boo Radley, Atticus catches them and commands them to “stop tormenting that man.”(Lee, 50) To clarify, Atticus orders them to stop because he realizes it is morally wrong to mock the Radley family or any other family which shows that Atticus believes in treating everyone equally and that everyone should have justice.

Atticus’ fairness also shows he is a good father because he believes that everyone deserves a chance to be understood and all have reasons for their actions. For example, after revealing the news to Jem and Scout of Tom’s death, he says, “Depends on how you look at it. What was one Negro, more or less, among two hundred of ‘em? He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner” (Lee 235). This passage shows Atticus's fairness because he always tries to put himself in other people’s shoes in order to give everyone a chance at being understood, as he teaches Jem and Scout to do. He gave up his respectable reputation among many of the whites in Maycomb to defend Tom Robinson, and still speaks highly of the men who killed him. When he says this, he is trying to make the children see that the men who killed Tom did not know him as a person, but as a Negro who committed a crime, so cannot be discriminated upon for doing their job. Along with Atticus’ sense of fairness, his Teaching also characterizes him as a good father to Jem and Scout.

Atticus teaches scout and Jem self respect by setting examples for them. When Atticus decides to take the Tom Robinson case he teaches his kids self respect. After asked why he took the case he said that Atticus has been asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. It is a case he cannot hope to win, but he tells Scout that he must argue it to uphold his sense of justice and self-respect. He also shows scout and jem self respect by not showing off his God given gift. He taught Jem and Scout to have thick skin. He made sure to have them not allow someone to get under their skin. An example of a moment where Jem or Scout have to have a lot of patience for someone is when was throwing around the N word, tho she retaliated she didn't pay it that much attention. Another example is again when Atticus took the Tom Robinson case.

Atticus and his children both had to deal with the adversity against them because of the communities differences in opinion. They kept their integrity through it all with Jem and scout having their father’s moral advice and support to help them. Though many succumb to the pressures put on us, there are also many Atticus’s out there that have a moral and ethical conscience backing them up. They become a role model that breeds integrity through their moral practices. “Before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” (Lee, pg.108)

Atticus can’t do anything, according to Jem Finch. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is feeble, nearly blind, and too old to play tackle football. Atticus differs from most fathers in Maycomb, he never plays poker or goes fishing, doesn’t drink or smoke, and likes to read alone. Although Atticus might seem quite boring compared to other fathers in Maycomb, he is considered one of the most extraordinary father and human being in modern day literature. In a time where racism and unjust biased plagued the United States and the minds of it’s citizens, Atticus sees through society 's opinions, and listens to his core values. It is this reason that Atticus is role model not only for society but his children as well. Atticus Finch 's wisdom and insightful mindset about empathy,courage and race has left a truly positive impact on Jem and Scout.

5. Walter Cunningham and Burris Ewell both come from poor American, white families. Within the community, people don’t regard them with high respect within the community. However, Walter Cunningham is respectful to those around him and Burris Ewell is disrespectful to those around him. One example that shows how Burris Ewell is disrespectful is when he responds in a rude way to Ms. Caroline when told to wash his hair, come to school, bathed the next day. Moreover, when Ms. Caroline tells him to sit in his seat he snorts and taunts her. She consequently cries and threatens to report his behavior to the principal since he seems problematic. An example showing that Walter Cunningham is respectful is when Walter Cunningham and Atticus “talked together like two men” when they talked about farming and how he could pass first grade since he must help his father who is a poor farmer.

Scout’s school did not stress the importance of equality, and it showed in the town’s ignorance. But, Scout did not let school taint her perception of others, and she believed “everybody’s gotta learn, nobody’s born knowin’. That Walter’s as smart as he can be he just gets held back [...]. Nothing’s wrong with him. Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 304). Scout’s friend was going to get held back in school because he was poor and unable to attend as often. She stood up for him, because she thought everyone deserves an equal chance. However, a place that did not give everyone an equal chance was the courtroom where Atticus defended a black man accused of a crime he did not commit. After losing the case, Atticus consoles his children and tells Scout and Jem that “as you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, or how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Lee 295). While others may see a situation such as this and say that the black man was at fault, Atticus sees through the color of a man’s skin. He wants to make sure his children do this, too. Growing up in the south, racism was expected to be seen. But, just because something is common does not make it right. Atticus made it a priority to teach his

1) Atticus is an empathetic person who tries to make sure people are treated equally, and in the case of his children, that people should grow up and make a positive difference. Atticus shows his empathy by telling Scout to try to understand what Miss Caroline is going through. Harper Lee is trying to show that with empathy, everyone benefits, and there would be less hate and injustice. Atticus says, “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.” (Lee 39). Atticus is telling Scout to look at the world through Miss Caroline’s eyes, to see why Miss Caroline reacts the way that she does. Atticus believes that if Scout can see how scared Miss Caroline is, with teaching a new school in a new way, then Scout can understand what makes Miss Caroline act the way that she does. When Scout asks Atticus why he is angering the town by defending Tom Robinson, he says that he must, or else he would no longer be reputable. Atticus says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (Lee 101) Atticus leads by example, and that if he did not hold himself to the same standard that he wants Scout and Jem to be at, then he is no better than the rest of the town. He knows that he is going to lose, but wants to show his children that it is important to do the right thing no matter the consequences or result, and

Atticus is compassionate, this allows him to sympathize and forgive. Furthermore, He tries to incorporate this trait into his children. An example of him demonstrating this is when he talks to Scout about school. “You’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(30). this quote demonstrates compassion from Atticus because he explains to scout that everyone thinks and feels differently. Also, he tries to help Scout because she did not want to go to school anymore. One of the reasons is because she did not understand why Miss Caroline did not allow her to read at home. Scout use this compassionate quotes from Atticus to realize Miss Caroline felt mad because her knowing how to read was not a part of Miss Caroline's plan to teach the kids. Another example of Atticus

He is fair to many people in the community. To start off, Atticus accepted Walter Cunningham into his home. He did not judge the way Walter ate his food. He was an example to Scout when Walter poured the syrup all over everything. “Atticus shook his head at me.” (Lee 27). He knows that Walter’s family is not as fortunate as their family

Atticus Finch, another character in To Kill a Mockingbird, is trapped in a racist society that unjustly lashes out at him when he does what he believes in, but he continues to keep his head up and overcomes their bias. For example, on a Saturday when Scout and Jem walk by Mrs. Dubose’s house while on their way to town, Mrs. Dubose yells at them, “‘Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!’” (Lee 135). Mrs. Dubose is only one of several people who attack Atticus for doing what he believes in, which is treating everyone fairly. Atticus tries to uphold his own moral code but only receives hostility for it. The backlash from the community is solely out of prejudice and is completely unjustifiable; if anything, he deserves

Atticus Finch also shows the characteristics of a truly selfless person as well. As Scout recalls of one winter day, she remembers Mr. Walter Cunningham discussing his entailment; "Mr. Finch, I don't know when I'll ever be able to pay you," Mr. Cunningham states. "Let that be the least or your worries, Walter," Atticus replies. Later, Scout asks her father if Mr. Cunningham would ever pay them back; "Not in money, but before the year's out I'll have been paid," her father answers. Although the majority of Maycomb, including the Finches, are fairly poor financially, Atticus Finch still offers what he has to his neighbors and friends. Whether it be his services (or his children's for that matter), or his hospitality, Atticus presents himself as

One of the many things Atticus is passionate about is to teach his children that everyone is equal and not to judge others “until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Much of Maycomb believe that Atticus is wrong by taking the case of Tom Robinson and thinks he is an inadequate parent. Even Jem and Scout’s cousin Francis quotes, “I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family… t's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'”. Scout attempts to understand the town’s disappointment towards her father and whether he truly is a ‘nigger-lover’ and receives the answer; “I certainly am, I try my best to love everybody…if I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to hold my head up in this town. ” Atticus best

Lastly, Atticus emphasizes how vital inner peace and making the moral decision in a given situation is to maturation. For instance, in a conversation with his children, Atticus comments, “Before I can live with other folks I got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by a majority rule is a man’s conscience.” (Lee 105) By emphasizing the importance of having personal integrity and doing the ethical thing in any circumstance, Atticus provides his children with wisdom that will carry them through life. Therefore, through unremittingly reiterating the importance of moral decisions, proving the need for pacifism and establishing the importance of multiple perspectives, Atticus verifies himself as a major contributor in Jem and Scout’s development into adolescence.

the story shows a lot of it, and Atticus is always trying to teach lessons to their children, and giving them an education different from what other families gave, showing them that all individuals are equal, regardless of color, richness or any other factor that for many was a watershed.