Character Analysis Of Atticus In To Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee

f. Atticus feels that the adults have made the world the way that it is and the children have to learn to live in that world. They can’t hide from it and need to be exposed to it as early as possible.

A potential flaw Atticus had as a parent was that he over trusted devious people and was perhaps a little careless and under cautious. The best example of this was when he allowed Jem and Scout to go to the Halloween party alone. Even though Atticus thought Bob Ewell was not a threat, he still should have attended the party with the children just to be safe or even send them with Aunt Alexandria. Even if Bob Ewell was not going to harm the children, there would still be a chance that Bob Ewell would show up and verbally harass the children, so it was rather careless on Atticus’ part to let the children go alone. After Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout, Atticus admitted to Heck Tate that he thought Bob Ewell’s threats were empty

A third characteristic of Atticus is his daring personality. The very thought of defending a black man’s case was socially unacceptable during the 1940s, much less encouraged for a lawyer. However, Atticus is bold enough to do what is right and take the chance. He very well knows from the start that the jury’s prejudice would outweigh the evidence in the end, but he decides to risk it. Another example of his daring character is Atticus’s parenting style. He does the best that he can as a sole parent for Jem and Scout, despite the frowns of social disapproval that his methods bring. Even Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, criticizes him because he does not use a firm hand with them. A third example of his daring personality is when he shoots the mad dog. Atticus even says, “I haven’t shot a gun in thirty years” (Lee 127) but still takes a risk in order to

Determining the difference between what is right and what is wrong is an issue for many characters in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. For Atticus, choosing the right path is a constant problem. He's first faced with defending Tom Robinson which could not only give him trouble, but also cause trouble for his children. The decision to make Jem read to Mrs. Dubose wasn't a great problem for Atticus, because he knew in the long run it would benefit Jem. The most difficult decision between right and wrong for Atticus was when he thought Jem stabbed Bob Ewell, and he was going to allow him to be prosecuted instead of fighting it. This proves that Atticus knew the differences between right and wrong and was going to make no exceptions for it,

Although deemed by most to be a good parent, Atticus’ lack of supervision affects his children Scout and Jem and even exposes them to danger. Atticus is not a perfect father. He has a full time job that restricts him from being around his kids for most of the day and also puts them in a dangerous position. When Atticus agreed to take on the ‘Tom Robinson case’ he knew full well that he was going to have a lot of tension with people, and even though he did the the right thing by defending an innocent man despite his colour, some may argue that he puts his beliefs before the welfare of his children. This puts the kids in danger because Atticus while losing the case still makes Bob Ewell embarrassed by being shown up like the way he was. This causes a hatred that provokes Bob to hurt Atticus in the deepest possible way, by attacking his children. It was Atticus’ call to decide that he would send Jem to the pageant instead of himself, and that was what ultimately gave Mr. Ewell his chance to get back at Atticus. This shows that Atticus is not the perfect father, if there is such a thing, but proves that even Atticus has flaws or faults to foresee

This family member feels ashamed because of Atticus’ choice. He is labeled in his family for doing his job, thus making him a mockingbird. Atticus was also attacked through his children. Bob Ewell attacked Atticus’ children to get back at Atticus for being a lawyer to protect a black man. “Heck, Atticus Finch. Someone’s been after my children” (Lee 263). This tells us that Bob is attacking Atticus’ children, from the anger he has for Atticus. Atticus did nothing to receive this pain, which proves he is an innocent man. As well is Atticus being a victim of unfair violence and judgment, Boo Radley is treated unfair in this same society.

Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty. When Jem and I asked him why he was so old, he said he got started late, which we felt reflected upon his abilities and manliness. He was much older than the parents of our school contemporaries, and there was nothing Jem or I could say about him when our classmates said, ‘My father – ’

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)

When Bob Ewell first takes the stand it is obvious to all that he is a wasted human being (Lee 230). Harper Lee crafts his image as a man who has no purpose in life, a drunken individual with flagrant disrespect for his own children. But this same image of Mr. Ewell asks the reader for empathy. Initially, one detests him. How could he risk a man’s life simply to hide the fact that he beat his daughter? When Atticus defends Mr. Robinson, he makes this moral dilemma clear to everyone inside the courthouse. But after the trial, Atticus understands that he has ruined this man’s reputation for life. Because he understands Bob Ewell’s unfortunate circumstances, he feels no hatred when the man spits upon him. Atticus’s principled stance even applies to men like Hitler. When Scout asks “But it’s okay to hate Hitler [sic]?” after school one day, Atticus responds: “It is not. It’s not okay to hate anybody” (Lee 330). This word of wisdom comes from Atticus understanding that Hitler has his own personal

. This is a true statement because Atticus

Atticus shows his character by doing the right thing even when it’s hard. While sometimes the wrong thing is the easier thing to do, Atticus knows that you can’t lie to yourself. “The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience,” is a point he makes to his children. At one point, Aunt Alexandra tries to kick Calpurnia, their black maid, out of the house.

Atticus said he would rather Bob Ewell take his anger out on him then his houseful of children. Jem

You understand?”(Lee 218) This shows that his identity impacted his decision. Atticus is a kind and selfless person, and that is shown because he chooses to do the kind thing to Bob Ewell instead of getting back at him. He doesn’t do this to make his life easier, but to save Mayella a little bit of pain. If he were a mean person he would have retaliated and not only caused Bob Ewell more pain, but probably have gotten Mayella another beating.

The theory that Dr. Frankl states is, “if we take a man as he is we make him worse, but if we take a man as he should be we make him capable of becoming what he can be.” Atticus uses this theory very similarly in the novel. For example, with Bob Ewell, he does not hold him to the standard that all he looks for is revenge. He thinks that Ewell will back down and not harm anyone, when

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird written by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell are completely different characters. They both have opposites roles in their community and the way they live. Their behavior towards others and their family are incomparable. The most predominant difference is the way in which they both raise their children. Harper Lee reveals that Bob Ewell is a violent man and a father of eight children; he is usually portrayed as trash, on the contrary, Atticus is a decent man, is qualified as a gentleman and respects his children. Atticus and Bob Ewell differentiate through honesty, the way they are dealing with being a single parent, raising their children and different morals; reminding us that morals are the rules that govern, which actions are right and which are wrong and can be individual’s beliefs. For starters, Atticus is a very honest, ethical, and just man as shown numerous times in the novel. Atticus has a lot of respect for children as single father and tries his best to care for them. He wants his own children to be educated, and to be brought up in a good world where there is no racism. On the other hand, Bob Ewell has no standards for his children, allowing them to play truant, having no basic hygiene or safety rules. Being a single parent is hard but when Scout comes home from the first day of school complaining and really upset that her teacher would not allow Atticus to keep reading to her and she did not want to go back to