Atticus Finch: An Archetype Of Bravery

Their disapproval does not stop him from upholding his ethics and morals. He ignores the insults, threats, and ridicule thrown at him and his family like the gentleman that he is. Atticus is, without a doubt, a man of great integrity and is willing to do the right thing even if the majority goes against him. Another important type of courage Atticus models is his physical courage. To protect Tom from the angry mob, Atticus sits outside Tom’s cell ready to defend him.

Those who have courage in the novel risk their safety and reputation. While many characters in the book show bravery, the actions of Atticus, Jem, and Scout Finch remain the most prominent. Out of all the characters in Lee’s book, Atticus demonstrates the most courage. He commits to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, in court, a deed that costs him the respect and social status he once had with many whites in the town. He helps Tom outside of court as well, going so far as to face a mob of angry men to protect him.

To Kill a Mockingbird is full of heart wrenching and painful moments that shaped and defined each and every inhabitant of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus Finch, the father of the main protagonist, once said, "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 51). This was a lesson he taught to Scout, the narrator and main protagonist of the story. Scout never fully grasps the idea of this concept until the very end of the story, but throughout the story she exhibits this lesson and is empathetic without even knowing it. No character felt others emotions quite like Scout, even if it was right away, a little while after, or even the whole book.

Atticus, however, did what he knew was right and defended Tom with passion. Atticus’s choice to defend Tom was heroic, but had major consequences for his kids. Amongst other things, such as almost getting Jem and Scout killed and letting them run free without

Atticus shows courage by defending Tom Robinson in court and by going so far as to defend his life as he sleeps in a jail cell. Atticus’ motivation for all of this is his wanting for wanting his kids from “Catching Maycomb’s usual disease” (Lee 117) of prejudice and racism, seeing that if he doesn’t take this risk and give it everything he’s got, he can do nothing to keep his children from becoming like the rest of the town. Atticus’ devotion to keep his children with open-minds drives his courage to the point where he puts himself between a mob of Maycomb’s hateful racist folks and the man that he is

Atticus Finch is one of the most steadfastly honest and moral characters in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. His character remains, for the most part, unchanged throughout the novel. Atticus overcomes prejudice through courage, tolerance and standing up for what he believes in. Atticus serves as the moral conscience of Maycomb, a man of all people-white and black, rich and poor, who cannot tell a lie, treats all people equally and rarely has a bad word to say about anyone. Although Atticus’s daughter, Scout is the narrator and the story mostly revolve after Atticus’s children, Scout and Jem, Atticus emerges as the central and most powerful figure.

Atticus showed his children that he was a brave man when he stepped into the street to face down a dangerous dog. Although he didn't believe that act was especially brave and he was completely not interested in proving anything to his children but Jem and Scout were proud of, and impressed by, his courage in such a dangerously unsteady situation. But shooting something wasn't really Atticus' idea of courage. He looked courage on a more thinking-related level, as a moral thing, not as something that can be proved with a weapon. During 1930s, white people were considered superior than black people and there was racism.

Atticus Finch is very courageous and this is evident when he stands up for what he believes in despite the prejudice of other people in Maycomb. Since he goes against the status quo, he gets discriminated against. Other people criticize his actions behind his back, and

Atticus Finch- Modern Day Hero In general, the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they hear “hero” is superheroes. Batman, Superman, the works. And fiction can be thanked for this.

People can be seen as courageous for standing up for themselves or going to war, when courage should really be recognized when someone goes out of their comfort zone, such as talking to someone new to saying an opinion. As E. E. Cummings says, “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”. Courage is not only an act; it is what makes a person. To Kkill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book that portrays the acts of courage both large and small that happen every day. Many people such as Boo, Jem and Scout show courage through the book but one person in particular that shows a great deal of courage is Atticus who shows courage in many different ways in order to protect himself, his family and the town of Maycomb.

Courageousness is evidently shown throughout Harper Lee’s famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Out of the plethora of brave people, Atticus Finch and Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose are whom I believe to be one of the most heroic characters. Their valiance plays a huge role in the main storyline as it creates more depth in all of the characters. In Harper Lee’s book, there is a character, Atticus Finch, who is a caucasian lawyer as well as a single father of a daughter and son, Scout and Jem, that are around the age of 10.

Atticus is a man of great courage, he will fight for what he thinks is right no matter the risk, this is represented in a quote stating “You never really really understand a person until you see his point of view”. He is a man of tremendous passion, and he is able to see the good in people even when they are not at their best as he does with his client Tom Robinson. He is a man of humility and he will admit when he is wrong. Throughout the story “To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus is faced with the difficult task of defending a black man named Tom Robinson in court.

However, throughout the trial, Atticus acted courageously, standing up for what he believed to be the greater good, not allowing the fear of people hurting him and his family or damaging his reputation as a lawyer to get in the way of doing what he had to. For example, “We don’t know, but there is some circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left….he swore out a warrant, no doubt signing it with his left hand, and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses- his right hand.” (Lee, 232-233.) This quote shows us a good representation of how Atticus demonstrates the qualities of someone described as a hero. He put aside his safety and that of his family to win the case.

Heroes are not invincible, and certainly are not the ones who always win; however, a hero is someone who, despite this, is courageous enough to fight for what is right. Atticus Finch, one of the most inspiring literary characters from the highly acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is an example of such. This classic novel is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, Atticus’ daughter, a young girl who lives in the town of Maycomb County, Alabama, in the 1930s, a town where prejudice and discrimination is rife. Rather than succumbing to societal expectations and adopting the extreme animosity held by the other citizens, Atticus views and treats all with the dignity and respect that they are entitled to, guiding his

He stands up for what he believes in even if that means ruining himself or possibly putting those around him into danger. Atticus Finch is a very determined, earnest, and ambitious