Atticus Finch Debate

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.

Nature versus Nurture is a common topic when discussing one’s personal development while growing up. Children are often affected by how their families treat them and teach them their values and judgements. This sometimes changes the children’s personalities and manners. Because of that the way they’re brought up can also often impact the choices they make in their future lives. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how children are influenced by their families using the Finch and the Ewell families. Personally, my family has also greatly impacted my life and personality growing up.

When Atticus took the case, he went up against Maycomb, a generally prejudiced town, in order to defend Tom. He understood that taking the case would make him an object of ridicule and that no one would forgive him for believing a black man's word over a white man's. Even his own sister expresses disapproval at his decision, practically telling him he was bringing disgrace to the family. Nevertheless, no matter how much his reputation suffered, he did not change his mind. Standing up for his morals and ethics was more important than what people thought about him. From the very start Atticus knows he will not win the case however he does his job and finishes what he set out to do.

Lee’s characterization of Atticus Finch as just and moral displays that considering events from another’s point of view can help people understand others’ prejudice, and negative actions. When Atticus’ daughter, Scout, is six years old, she attends school for the first time. Scout confides to her father about her first day of school during which she became upset. As any parent would, her father gave her some advice, “‘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

People have different opinions and views on subjects and we won’t always agree with them or understand why they think that way. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” I like that Atticus is teaching his kids valuable lessons. We don’t know what makes someone act or dress or do the things they do, so we make assumptions and conclusions in order to “understand”, but the only true way of understanding someone is through sympathy and compassion.

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 asked why Atticus was defending Tom Robinson he said “I couldn't hold up my head in town........ I couldn’t even tell you (Scout) or Jem not to do something again.” (78) Atticus cares very much about being a role model to his children so much, he took up a case because he wants to be a good role model and lead by a good example.

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

When he says to Uncle Jack, “I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease…” (pg. 177) this shows that he was scared about the effects of the case on him and his family, but he knew that to keep his morals strong, he had to take it. He says this when he’s talking to Scout about why he decided to defend Tom, “The main one is, if I didn’t, I couldn’t… even tell you or Jem not to do something...because I could never ask you to mind me again.” (pg. 100) So he is saying that he would lose his credibility as a father and a person if he didn’t defend Tom. Even though he was scared about the effects of the case, he took it anyway, and that’s why he is compassionate. The final reason is the way Atticus talks about/treats Arthur (Boo)

During humanity’s darkest hours, human nature had an evident impact on events such as the Holocaust and in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, fueling the fires of hatred and spite. One of humanity’s darkest times was known as the Holocaust, a mass genocide of 6 million citizens of Jewish denomination orchestrated by the insensitive Adolf Hitler. Hitler had used the habits of humans to manipulate his way into power to then use it to enact his anti-semitic views. Reflecting back on history, the nature/actions of humanity during the Holocaust share a multitude of correlations with the critically acclaimed play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. Abigail leads hundreds to the gallows similar

Have you ever done something that was against your morals? You knew it was wrong, but you still went through with it. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch tries to teach his children and the town the value of morality. When Scout asks Atticus why he is defending Tom, he replies that if he didn’t defend him, he couldn’t hold his head up in town, he couldn’t represent this county in legislature, and he couldn’t even tell her or Jem not to do something. These reasons show that Atticus has good morals and is selfless because he is doing what he knows is right, not for his own convenience, but for everyone’s. It also shows that he is a wise and honest man.

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.

After that, Atticus explains that if he didn’t take up the trial for Tom, he “wouldn’t be able to hold up his head in town or tell Scout or Jem what to do” (Lee, 101). This hints to Scout about the gravity of the situation, and to how much race should matter.

Considering issues in other people's perspectives is a life lesson that Atticus tries to teach his kids as it is an important moral to obtain in oneself.

The nature vs. nurture debate on human behaviorisms has been decided one of the most contentious topics in the field of psychology. The controversy is based on the idea that our behavior, intelligence, personality, and emotions are either inherited through genes, or established through the environment. Are we simply born with destine personalities, or are they learned by experiences and observations? This started in 1582 when the British educator Richard Mulcaster stated, “Nature makes the boy toward, and nurture sees him forward”. This concept explores the contributions of our genetic inheritance and environmental influences that shape our thoughts and behaviors. It is so important because it is an attempt to determine where human morals have come from. The nature vs. nurture debate questions the actual free will humans exude. Individual thought might possibly not be as individual as everyone views it to be. The debate did not come into full effect until 1866, when Gregory Mendel introduced to the world that genes have an impact on human development. Genes such as down syndrome, color blindness, sickle cell disease, etc. guide the brain to take different approaches on certain situations. Every individual also inherits specific traits unique to their family genes including color of skin, hair, eyes, height, and even the shape of our face. These traits do not technically affect human behaviorism directly, but they do attract different reactions from the people around, rather