When one makes a mistake once it there then becomes that of a lesson, when this mistake is then repeated it rather becomes a choice of one’s own doings and or actions. Atticus Finch’s entire being/character revolves around the concept of both self-control and self-respect. Atticus Finch being a fictional character featured in Harper Lee’s exceptional, ludicrous novel To Kill a Mockingbird which was written during the 1960s. Self-control appears to be the best way to portray Atticus amongst the pages within the novel towards any specific situation as far as actions and or behaviors that are represented. Atticus sheds incredible light on the self-control aspect when dealing with that of his children, (his parenting methods and morals) Jem and Scout. …show more content…
Both dynamically but conveniently and well-rounded would be an example that would properly capture Atticus’s essence as well as his immense self-control, “Miss Stephanie said Atticus did not even bat an eye just took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and stood there and let Mr.Ewell call him names horses could not bring her to repeat.”(Lee,217) Meaning that even when challenges arise that have the great potential to test one’s patience such as that of Mr.Ewell showing great disrespect Atticus maintained a calm conduct; he did not allow himself to succumb to Mr.Ewell's unfortunate level. Atticus Finch proves to be a wise, sophisticated parent/person in To Kill a
a. Atticus is a wise man, committed to justice and equality, and his parenting style is based on fostering these virtues in his children—he even encourages Jem and Scout to call him “Atticus” so that they can interact on terms as equal as possible. Throughout the novel, Atticus works to develop Scout’s and Jem’s respective consciences, through both teaching, as when he tells Scout to put herself in a person’s shoes before she judges them.
Dr. Steve Maraboli, an author once stated, “The truth of your character is expressed through the choice of your actions. This refers to how important it is to develop good character and how it can be an example for others. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, the father of the protagonist Scout Finch, is man with with great character and example in the novel. Atticus is known as a good father to Jem and Scout, and his example to his children help them grow to be very intelligent young children. Furthermore, Atticus’s role as a very prominent lawyer, especially his will to defend black people like Tom Robinson, sets a great example to the people who are racist. Finally, Atticus, as a citizen of Maycomb uses his character
Atticus Finch is widely regarded as one of the most influential characters in modern literature. His pivotal role in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee exemplifies this influence and demonstrates his positive effect on his children, Jem and Scout. Throughout the novel, Atticus leads by example and provides lessons and teachings for his children to follow. His wisdom proves to be an instrumental part in the maturation and development of his children, and helps them to grow, learn, and adapt to the changing world around them. Atticus Finch teaches his children important lessons by forcing Jem read to Mrs. Dubose, remaining pacifistic, and defending Tom Robinson; therefore, he is a beneficial father and role model for his children.
Lastly, Atticus shows his kids how to show courage throughout the book. Atticus was a good example of showing courage when he took the Tom Robinson case. He knew Tom Robinson needed help and Atticus showed that it is always right to help anyone. He said “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience, Scout. I couldn’t go to church and worship god if I didn’t help that man (Lee 139).” Another example of Atticus showing courage is when he shoots the dog so it doesn’t hurt anyone. Atticus did not want to shoot anything,
Atticus Finch is a character from chapters 1-7 that demonstrates moral courage. Atticus shows moral courage. Atticus shows moral courage because he is an honest man. He often says to his kids to think of something from the others point of view, before someone judges them. “As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jems skin and walk around in it.” (Page 64 paragraph 1) He always looked for and opportunity to make his children better people. Atticus told Scout to think about what Jem did and imagine herself in that situation. This shows that
Atticus Finch possesses the virtues of a mockingbird in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. For example, after a rabid dog wandered into town “One-shot Finch” (Atticus) cautiously “brought the gun to his shoulder” and took away the threat. One of the key traits of a mockingbird was that they do no harm. Atticus didn’t believe in hunting because he had an unfair advantage over the animals. While Atticus did in fact do harm to the dog, it could’ve infected and killed the entire town with it’s disease if Atticus hadn’t acted. This is only one example of Atticus, similarity to a mockingbird preventing harm. Similarly, when Atticus took Tom Robinson’s case, a mob came to his jailhouse at night to attack or kill Tom. They were prepared to destroy anything
Atticus Finch is remarkably courageous throughout the novel. Atticus does not retaliate when Bob Ewell spits in his face, goes to Tom’s cell knowing there would be a mob, and does his best in court to exonerate Tom. Firstly, Atticus does not retaliate when Bob Ewell spits in his face. Atticus says “ ‘...if spitting in my face saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take’ ” (Lee 218). Atticus is being disrespected in one of the worst ways by a man he could destroy, but knows that he was helping a victim of abuse, Mayella, so he does not make things worse by retaliating. Secondly, Atticus knows there is a mob coming, but nevertheless goes to Tom Robinson’s cell to defend him. Atticus knows the possibly dangerous mob is coming, with Scout observing “He seemed to be expecting them” (150). However, Atticus recognizes that he is Tom’s only hope, and utilizes his immense courage to face the mob. Thirdly, Atticus does his best to defend Tom in court. As Scout tells us, “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (241). Atticus knows from the beginning he has next to no chance to win the trial, but still tries for Tom’s sake, for the other black people in the community, and for the chance he could appeal it and change laws for the good of African Americans. Atticus is an amazing example of courage in the face of adversity for his actions in To Kill A Mockingbird.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s father, Atticus demonstrates his self-control and empathy towards Scout and her problems which makes him a positive role model in his daughter’s life and maturation growth. After school, Scout exclaims to Atticus that she does not want to attend school anymore due to the fact she had a dreadful first day of the first grade. She complains to Atticus about her teacher, Miss.Caroline and how she disapproves of Scout’s competency of reading and writing. Miss.Caroline expresses to Scout that she should not be literate at her age and now has to undo the damage that has been done by her father; this statement is ironic because teachers are supposed to encourage learning and help further advance their
Atticus was like a wise owl, he continuously strived to teach his children the way he taught himself how to deal with daily conflicts in life. When the father of the girl who was raped spit in Atticus’ face, he said that he would take getting spit in the face as many times as it saves the girl from getting beaten by her father. Another scenario, is that when men rioted at the jail the night before they moved Tom, he said although they were mad they were still good people. Atticus symbolized a hero; he always wanted to give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. He always looked for the good in everything.
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)
If you were a parent would you want the best for your kids? Would you want to teach them to search out for the true meaning of dignity and respect? This was the goal of one father, Atticus Finch. Being a nearly fifty-year-old man with extremely young children he wanted to share his wisdom and firsthand experiences with his children to shape them into a respectable young man and woman. Throughout his life, Atticus is taught many experiences himself about not judging someone, and to stand up for the helpless and defenseless. Some important morals that he carried through to teach his children in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is to never judge someone by their social class or race, and to fight for the justice of all the people of Maycomb.
Atticus Finch is a model father created by Harper Lee in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird. He is an important figure in the Maycomb, Alabama Community. He raises his children, Jean Louise Finch (Scout) and Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem) with wide sets of morals, disciplines them, and is a true role model. Atticus allows his children to be individuals and does not try to change who they are. He teaches them fairness and equality among many different types of people in Maycomb. He is always teaching his children about how their actions may affect others, then, as a result, devices punishments to teach Scout and Jem valued life lessons. In many situations, Atticus can chastise his children, but he allows them mature and notice their own mistakes
He then holds them responsible for what they do and say. Although his ways are different than the societal standards, Atticus’s involvement with his children is effective for discipline. He does not always discipline them in the same manner, but does so in ways fitting to the circumstances. Atticus chooses particular words to express exactly what his children need to hear in order to mend their ways. Often, he simply expresses his disappointment. Sometimes, he uses firm reprimanding. Once, we see Atticus use his keen intellect, employing what Scout calls “the oldest lawyer’s trick on record” (50) so that Jem admits to “putting [Mr. Radley’s] life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood” (49), as Atticus describes it. Scout’s father teaches by example countless times when he reminds her that “it ain’t time to worry yet” (70), even when a fire threatens to sweep away all of their belongings. In addition to his honest discussions with Scout and Jem, Atticus gives them many profound lessons through his intentional interactions with others.
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.