The Wisdom of Atticus in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Although they are critiqued, some people do whatever they can do to improve our society. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch proves himself to be a hero. This small-town lawyer exhibits bravery, strength, and modesty when faced with objection during Maycomb’s quarrel for justice. Without a doubt, Atticus proves that anybody can stand for what he or she believes is right.

Throughout Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, it seems as if Atticus Finch is a failure as both a parent and a lawyer. However, somebody with a good understanding of the novel will realise that Atticus is in fact a terrific lawyer and a superb father. However, like all people, Atticus has his flaws.

In the country town of Maycomb, people were easily influenced so prejudice was shown by most. The citizens knew that the colour of your skin determined your place in life and that Negroes were to be treated differently. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there was only one true character that portrayed the true essence of tolerance. Atticus Finch stood on his own two feet, and never formed an opinion unless he had prior knowledge on the particular person or situation. Throughout the entirety of this novel, it was Atticus alone who not only was tolerant, but set an exemplarily example to his children, and the town, of how knowing before judging is not only important, but vital to society. “First of all…if you can learn a simple trick Scout, you’ll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person till you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (p.33). This is a perfect example of how Atticus passes on his knowledge to his children, and educates them on how respect

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said “I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. Even though Atticus Finch is not black, he still thinks they same way as Martin Luther King Jr. and still wants the same for his children: a society with equality for all races. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, he delivers a persuasive speech in order to free an innocent black man. Even though he does not win the case, Atticus succeeds in making an impact on the future of racism in Maycomb. By using logic in his closing speech, Atticus forces the town to examine their awareness of the prejudice in their own lives.

Scout and Jem’s decisions were impacted greatly by how much Atticus has taught them. The methods he uses to bring them up are differ greatly, and give his children a very different set of beliefs than the majority of the people of Maycomb. For example, he teaches them about empathy, a ‘skill’ that much of the community does not know. “You can never really understand a person... until you climb into their skin and walk around in it” (39). Atticus teaches his kids how to empathize with someone, giving them an ideal to live by. As a child grows up, a lot of times they inherit their parent’s belief system as well. He will continue his open-,minded accepting attitude into his children, and their future decisions will be affected greatly by Atticus’s

One theme that plays a very big part in the novel is the theme of ‘Usual Disease’. The ‘Usual Disease’ of Maycomb, Alabama, is racism and prejudice. Atticus is afraid that his children will catch this disease and become just like everybody else in the town. So he tries to teach them as mildly as he can, and shows them how a white man, like him, can defend a black man, like Tom Robinson. One thing that Scout and Jem find out during the novel is that Atticus didn’t have to defend Tom Robinson, but that he chose to help him. Scout and Jem learn here that their father doesn’t see the difference in skin color, and that he isn’t as judgmental as some of the people in Maycomb. The children have always really admired and looked up to their father, so when they see that he isn’t judgmental, I believe that something within them clicks and they see that it’s ok to just accept people for who they are, it doesn’t matter what race, or gender, or occupation. You can stand up for someone no matter who you

No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning’”(Lee 101). Atticus believes in pacifism and teaches his kids to behave the same way. He thinks Scout has the potential to be an intelligent child, but she needs to avoid physical confrontation and instead focus on using her mind to learn and mature. When Bob Ewell spits in his face, Atticus encourages his children to put themselves in the shoes of the Ewell family, saying, “‘If spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there’”(Lee 292, 293). This exemplifies Atticus’ lessons on empathy, teaching his children that “‘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). By encouraging his children to resist fighting and instead use their sense to feel for others, Atticus teaches lessons on empathy and pacifism. In addition, Atticus’ teachings also include racism and morals.

Atticus teaches Jem and scout a number of important lessons which will help them in life. However tolerance is one of the most important, because if people tolerate one another then things like war or racism will not exist, and they are two of the biggest areas of conflict in the world. Atticus models tolerance for his children by taking the case of and accused rapist. He defends a black man even though most of the town is against it and treat him discourteously because of it. Scout went against her father’s wishes by not

What are three qualities every person should have? Empathy, tolerance, and courage. From a young age, Scout and Jem Finch were able to display these qualities better than most adults in their hometown due to their father’s lessons. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee displays the story about an innocent man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of Rape. Atticus Finch takes the case to defend him and goes out of his way to win. During the time of the case, his children Scout and Jem learn a lot of valuable lessons as they grow up. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus teaches his children to show empathy, tolerance and courage through the example he sets.

However, the kids are not quick to accepting people most of the time. Without Atticus being there to guide them along the path of righteousness, Jem and Scout would be just like any other kid in Maycomb. When the kids are confused as to why Atticus was trying to do the ethical thing and defend Tom, Miss Maudie has to explain to them that he was making "baby steps in the right direction" (183). When Jem is still absent minded about the ordeal, Miss Maudie says, "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.' 'Oh,' said Jem. 'Well.' 'Don't you oh well me, sir,' Miss Maudie replied, recognizing Jem's fatalistic noises, 'you are not old enough to appreciate what I said'" (183). The kids are impetuous to judge people, like Boo Radley, and Atticus has to stand up for him against the children. Even if Scout and Jem do a good deed of exemplifying equality, they are following by Atticus' admirable example since he is their father and they live under his influence.

The Maycomb jury accused Tom Robinson guilty of rape of Mayella Ewell, not because they truly thought he was guilty; he was wrongfully convicted because of our town’s long time “honor code” of our society. Our “honor code” is nothing but a meaningless, unbroken rule saying that all whites are infallible, while all negroes are immoral and can’t be trusted around anyone. If a white person were to break this “code”, that person would be considered an outcast in our town. Of course, as I’ve said before, some whites and negroes are immoral and can’t be trusted around anyone. Take the Ewells, for example. Maycomb despises them, and barely keeps them isolated from the rest of town. They represent Maycomb’s worst side, but their word is still taken over a black man’s word, simply because they’re white. None of the jury members wanted to risk their own reputations and be

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle,” says the great Martin Luther King Jr. In the book To Kill a MockingBird by Harper Lee we see similar struggle that Dr. King battled. Atticus Finch is the only one in the small town of Maycomb willing to admit an african american might not actually be to blame. It was Atticus and Tom Roberson against Maycomb. Throughout Atticus’ interaction with the people of Maycomb he shows people the truth about equality and helped with racism. In the end we learn that it takes courage and a hard shell to beat racism, and breaking down a barrier of society can put a lot of struggle and challenge on one person.

Life is like a thrill ride; one never knows what will be in store for them. Many characters in the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee feel the same way about life, having experienced many surprising and unexpected turns of events. This story is about a sleepy southern town filled with prejudice, and a lawyer’s quest, along with his children Scout and Jem, to take steps in ridding the town of its prejudiced attitude. Despite being a white man, a lawyer named Atticus, defends an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. However, everything does not go as was hoped, and the mindset of the society overpowered Atticus’s fair-minded argument. From this emerges a theme regarding the bigotry and bias overwhelming Maycomb: A

When a person can not understand the reason behind one's actions, all they need do simply try to see the world from the other’s point of view. This principle is from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and is one of the many themes from the story. In the book by Harper Lee, Atticus is the father of two children, Jem and Scout, who begin to face the real world as the encounter hateful slurs about their father defending a colored man, Tom Robinson. Atticus tell his child, Scout, that in order to understand someone, she would have to look at things from their view. Atticus not only tells Scout this but also engages in this philosophy as well as teaching it to his children throughout the book. This way of thinking later helps Atticus understand

He wants to make sure they do not make judgements or hop to conclusions about others. Atticus’ response to a question from scout “ Do you defend [racial slur], Atticus?” is ““Of course I do. Don’t say [racial slur], Scout. That’s common.” reveals he doesn’t want his children catching “Maycomb's usual disease”, revealing that he wants to make sure Scout does not fall into the social norm in Maycomb, where white people are considered automatically superior to african-americans, and she is better than that, and wants to ensure she is fair to others regardless of their race.