Atticus's Loyalty In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus Finch displays true moral courage when he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, an innocent black man unjustly accused of raping a white woman. He strives to instill justice, righteousness, and acceptance in his fellow citizens. In a discussion with his kids, Atticus says,“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 105). He doesn’t care that the citizens of Maycomb, including his own family, look down on him now because he is defending a Negro.

[Tom Robinson] to the county jail”(Lee 194). At night, the mob finds Atticus at the Maycomb jail and are aggravated by the way he treats everyone the same, including African Americans. Atticus believes that Maycomb can change, and that they can treat everyone equally too. However, the town does not want to change, and they show it that night, when a man tells Atticus to “get aside from the door”(Lee 202), because they want to do something, most likely harm, Tom Robinson.

(Lee, 112). Atticus accepts a hard trial and realizes that, but he stays persistent and sees it through doing his best to prove Tom Robinson not guilty. Atticus is a direct representation of courage because he is one of the only white citizens in Maycomb who opposes racism and stands up for what is right. “They eventually realize that Atticus possesses not only skill with a rifle, but also moral courage, intelligence, and humor, and they come to regard him as a hero in his own right” (Champion). Atticus’ children Jem and Scout ultimately recognize their dad as a hero after his efforts to prove Tom Robinson not guilty.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus believes Maycomb is unjust because the town is inconsiderate of other people’s view, which is shown when Atticus gets targeted for defending a black man, worries that his kids will become bitter and catch Maycomb’s disease, and Aunt Alexandra advising Atticus that he is raising his kids wrong. To begin with, Mrs Dubose addresses to Scout and her family about how Atticus is disgracing his race and his color by defending Tom Robinson on the alleged rape case. Mrs Dubose says, “Your father’s no better than the ni**ers and trash he works for” (135). Atticus views Maycomb as an injustice town because during this time period black people were seen as a lower class. Atticus is mark as an overall victim because in the trial the county is shocked that Atticus is

Despite race discrimination around the world, there are still people who overcome and persevere through these challenges - often at great risk to themselves. During the 1930s, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, a small town called Maycomb held a trial against an innocent African American man accused of raping a Caucasian woman. The reader experiences life in Maycomb through the eyes of ten year old girl name Jean-Louise Finch, Scout. In this case, Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, was assigned to be the lawyer for the accused, Tom Robinson. However, Atticus has integrity and tries his best for Tom even if his own life is at risk.

Lastly, Atticus’ compassion for Tom Robinson allows him to act the right way, even if it is against society's beliefs. Atticus tells his two innocent children, “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). Not one other lawyer wants to take the case, but due Atticus’ compassion for Tom, he sympathetically pities him, which allows him to view the world differently. Atticus’ compassion results in him being viewed as a symbol of good. In the community of Maycomb, people are against him, but

Atticus shows courage by defending a black man in court in his extremely racist town. Judge Taylor asked Atticus to defend the black man, Tom Robinson who was on trial for his life. The judge knew Atticus would fight for Tom fairly. Atticus accepted this challenge knowing that the citizens of Maycomb may disagree with his decision. He believed every individual was equal and Atticus felt it was his obligation to represent him to the best of his ability.

A second example of this determination in Atticus is “”I haven't shot a gun in thirty years--” Mr. Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus. ”I’d feel mighty comfortable if you did now,””(Lee 127). At this point in the novel, Tim Johnson, a dog with rabies, is walking down Atticus’s street, Mr. Heck Tate, the sheriff, gave the rifle to Atticus because he was the deadliest shot in Maycomb in his time. Mr. Tate gave Atticus his rifle and expects Atticus to kill the rabid dog, but Atticus refused until someone’s life such as the Radley’s might have been in danger.

“I admire men of character and I judge character not by how men deal with their superiors, but mostly how they deal with their subordinates. And that, to me, is where you find out what the character of a man is” (General. H. Norman Schwarzkopf). Seeing how men deal with others, who are supposedly lower ranked than them, shows their true character. Atticus is known around town as a great lawyer in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

Her classmates are saying these things because Atticus is defending a black man. Scout goes home and asks her father why her classmates think this is wrong and why he is defending Tom if everyone else wouldn't. Atticus says, “Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally.

Atticus knows that “there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that [he] shouldn’t do much about defending [Tom Robinson]” (100). However, even though his family and friends my disagree, may even think less of him, Atticus’ interaction with this case gives his cause to think greater of himself because he is fighting for what he believes in. This kind of situation is difficult when you’re opposing you’re enemies, but even harder when you are up against your friends. Even so, Atticus on the path he knows is right, risking his popularity and status among the town. Atticus tells Scout, “you just hold your head high and keep your fists down.

Even though the odds are not in Atticus’s favor, he still defends Tom because it is the right the to do even when many white people in Maycomb are against blacks. Atticus has integrity and believes in the Golden Rule that’s why it makes sense for Atticus to defend Tom Robinson.

Atticus’ courage is shown in multiple ways through his court actions and his stand against racial discrimination. For instance, as a lawyer, Atticus defends the innocent, despite controversial thoughts of others, this is proven true in the Tom Robinson court case. During this discriminative period, most African Americans brought to court for an accused crime were deemed guilty, despite the clear evidence that proved their innocence. When Jem thought Atticus’ defense of Tom will bring Tom to justice, Reverend Sykes said: “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man”(Lee 279). This proves Atticus’ courage because he chose to fight for a colored man to prove that he is not guilty of an alleged crime, despite knowing the usual outcome of the case and the disapproval he will receive from others.

By taking this court case, Atticus lays down his own dignity alongside his family’s pride. Atticus’s dignity is very important, as he holds high social status in Maycomb. To lay that down for the sake of Tom Robinson is a very large

Humanity often comes with responsibility. To be a man of basic human nature, humanity often shines within. In the novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird", written by Harper Lee, the character Atticus is a role model of humanity. Atticus is an extraordinary example of being a man of humanity and responsibility. There are many different reasons behind this.