Theme Of Integrity In To Kill A Mockingbird

Today’s society is damaged with the results of people doing terrible things to each other. Peoples actions can make or break lives.The novel To Kill A Mockingbird, is about a little girl, her Brother, their Dad, and the negro they all fight to defend. The main character scout and her older brother Jem, get into all sorts of dilemmas in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. As they learn new valuable lessons about life, they also pick up that the small town they grow up in is not as clean and safe as it seems. The father, Atticus Finch is a kind hearted soul who was given the case of Tom Robinson, a negro accused of Raping a white woman. As soon as Atticus was given the case he aimed to defend Tom but a faulty jury made sure it did not happen.To

Atticus is guarding the jailhouse to make sure no one hurts Tom Robinson before his trial, when he is approached by Walter Cunningham and his fellow goons. Atticus shows his bravery by standing his ground for what he believes is right in front of his son. When Scout lashes out to her father’s side, Jem holds onto her and tries to stop her from interfering. Then Jem refuses to go home and stands up for his father’s side although the odds were against them, while trying to protect his sister from harm. In page 152, chapter 15, Scout says, “... but from the way he stood, Jem was not thinking of budging.” This shows us that Jem has matured from the boy who would do anything if dared, to a young man who can barricade his emotions and proceed with reason in difficult situations.

Also as the lynch-mob arrives to murder Tom Robinson, Atticus refuses to compromise and stands his ground. This event shows Jem and Scout how brave their father is to have stood up for his client the way he does without means of violence and without using guns. up to this point The children believe that it is a man’s gun that makes him, they now see courage in a whole new light. Thanks to her father, Scout gained the courage to confront Mr. Cunningham the same evening and is successful in causing Mr. Cunningham to call off his Old Sarum mob. She talks to Mr. Cunningham on a personal level “Don't you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I'm Jean Louise Finch. You brought us some hickory nuts one early morning, remember? We had a talk. I went and got my daddy to come out and thank you. I go to school with your boy. I go to school with Walter; he's a nice boy.”(chapter 15, Lee)

Atticus teaches the children how to not only recognize this problem of prejudice, but also how to defeat it. When a mob of men try to lynch Tom Robinson at the jailhouse and Atticus protects Tom, Scout innocently involves herself in the situation and as a result forces Mr. Cunningham to put himself in Atticus’s shoes. In his moment of realization, he disbands the mob, which saves Tom’s life. Atticus later explains to his children that “A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know - doesn’t say much for them, does it?” (Lee 179). Atticus says this in order to give his children a better understanding of the events of the previous night. He also wants the children to understand that all chains have a weak link, and finding that weak link in Mr. Cunningham

In Maycomb County, Atticus Finch is not protected from social and legal codes, the town of Maycomb and close family of Atticus treat him with poor respect because of his choice to defend a black man. Atticus is thought for bringing disgrace to his family by the other white residents of Maycomb for protecting and supporting Tom Robinson. Sheriff Tate warns Atticus that there were men who were angry about Atticus representing Tom. To extend, Scout experiences a lynch mob ( a band of people who want to

In literary texts, authors best evoke empathy in the audience by using appeals such as ethos, logos, and pathos. When a reader is given appeals they are able to better understand the world around them and how others outside of their own lives feel. Books and speeches such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Statement on the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. by Robert F. Kennedy are prime examples of authors evoking empathy from their readers.

To conclude, Atticus is a strong moral figure in the book To Kill a Mockingbird that demonstrates the quality of integrity to the fullest. His integrity helps others to have integrity. To explain, Atticus instils a strong sense of integrity within his children by teaching them by example. Furthermore, his example of integrity also extends to the community of Maycomb, as Atticus forces them to reflect upon their prejudiced racial views. We ourselves are every day tested with our own integrity, and the Atticus’s of the world and in ourselves can help strengthen our moral values. All in all, Integrity within ourselves helps others to have

“Most accounts of integrity agree that the person of integrity must have a relatively stable sense of who he is, what is important to him, and the ability to stand by what is most important to him in the face of pressure to do otherwise. But does integrity place any constraints on the [morals] that the person of integrity stands for?” This quote is asking whether or not integrity requires moral goodness. Integrity does require moral goodness and can be proven with the actions of Bob Ewell and Atticus Finch in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. In addition, literary elements are use throughout the novel to prove integrity requires moral goodness. A modern example that shows integrity requires moral goodness is when students in school choose not to cheat

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.

Integrity is a compelling concept due to the fact that it is a necessity for the structure of human and societal developments. Each and every member of society must have integrity in order to have a properly functioning community. This is shown through characters such as Atticus from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee, a historical fiction novel, and P.K, the protagonist of another historical fiction called ‘The Power of One’ written by Bryce Courtenay. The similarity between the two characters is that where instead of following social norms blindly, they critically think virtuously. Atticus does not bend towards the will of the society, but rather challenges it for the sake of justice; as does

Atticus taught Scout a very important lesson after hearing her depressing experience on her first day of school: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around it” (39). This book focus on how a person’s perspective determines the way they judge other people. Although Maycomb is a nice town, people in this town have the tendency to put a label on each other. Atticus lives by his principle to ignore the looks and view people by their true intention, he gives people respect first. This line impacted and influenced Scott, so much so that at the end of the story she is able to view others through a different lens. This line shows the theme of courage because

Lee uses Scout’s situation to suggest that people’s prejudice mindsets about some individuals are forced upon by society. After Atticus reveals that the Cunninghams were in the jury, Scout asks Atticus a question."Why didn't Tom's jury made up of folks like the Cunninghams, acquit Tom to spite the Ewells" (Lee 226). Here Scout sees that the Cunninghams and the Ewells dislike one another, but does not understand that both of these families

Atticus tackles a situation that many would avoid. Defending an African American man during the time of segregation. Although he is very much aware of this fact, Atticus still takes on the challenge. “Scout, you aren’t old enough to understand some things yet, but there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man.” (86). Atticus states this fact to scout so that he may understand that Atticus is practically defending Tom against the whole town. Although he’s outnumbered by townspeople, Atticus courageously still decides to defend Tom Robertson; even in the face of uncertain failure.

Through the eyes of an innocent child, the story of To Kill a Mockingbird introduces a world of corruption. In the disordered town of Maycomb, certain character traits are developed and displayed in a specific local family. The opposition against their beliefs brings daunting situations to their door. Yet, this one family perseveres through the continuous corruption of Maycomb. Therefore, this recurring motif of character development really plays into the characters and, consequently, the story. This evident pattern of courage composes the Finch family: Jem, Scout, and Atticus.

Atticus is the town’s most respected lawyer. He is not wealthy, but he is well off in the community and is very kind towards everyone. As a single parent, he faces the world, raising his two children with his maid, Calpurnia, who experiences better conditions and responsibilities than other African Americans of her time, due to Atticus’ beliefs. He has a reputation for being an open-minded, fair man, and a unique personality that is overflowing with honesty. He has been assigned a case of defending a black man who is apparently accused of rape. Now Atticus is both loved and unloved by the townspeople. Since they live in the South during the 1930’s, Atticus gives a lot of advice to his children, Scout and Jem. Atticus tells Scout and Jem that they should not say anything about a person especially when they do not know that person. Atticus describes what he means in a quote “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around it”(Lee 39). Atticus defends a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a girl. Atticus has the confidence and the courage to defend Tom and prove that he is innocent. Scout does not believe that her father is nice enough or has the courage to defend Tom. Atticus proves that