Preview

Atticus Flaws

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
959 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Atticus Flaws
Essay It is widely debatable as to whether we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect. However, it is definite that we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect. This can be best epitomized by the analysis of the highly acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird as well as the scope and breath of Steven Jobs’ life.
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee lucidly epitomizes the matter pertaining to this theme in her gothic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee, with southern drama, scathingly condemns racial prejudice through the story of a wrongfully accused black man. However, she also affirms the inherent goodness in human kindness through the story of the protagonist, Atticus Finch and his daughter, Scout. In this story, Atticus benefits from the racist Maycomb jury, who was admired and respected, ever since the discovery of the wrongdoings of the jury. Atticus, a small town lawyer, decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who was wrongfully accused for raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. He does this despite being disparaged by the racist Maycomb community. Even though his actions may cause turmoil to him and his family, he continues to benefit and act upon the wrongdoings of the Maycomb community by defending an underrepresented man. Through this decision, scout learns how to
…show more content…
The Civil Rights Movement, an event which arguably shaped the future generations to come, started to stop widespread racial segregation and discrimination, and be free from the oppression brought on by the “Jim Crow” system. This event garnered the much needed attention and awareness from the nation for the African American needed discipline to adjure from racial segregation. What can also be noted is that the African American community ___________________ from racial

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    How Does Jem Finch Mature

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, tells the story of a small town that faces many challenges. Atticus Finch is a very humble and respectful man who defends Tom Robinson. He has two kids, Jean Louise, and Jem. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch is a young girl that is very intelligent. She is the daughter of Atticus. Jem Finch is a young boy that matures throughout the novel. He is the son of Atticus Finch. Tom Robinson is a black man accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. Mayella Ewell is considered white trash in the town of Maycomb and she is the daughter of Robert Ewell. Robert Ewell is considered white trash and is the father of Mayella Ewell. Boo Radley lives down the street from Atticus. He is considered the town psycho…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird: a novel set in the Jim Crow south showing injustice and society through the eyes of a young girl, written by (Nelle) Harper Lee, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Lee started writing started writing at the University of Alabama newspaper and then pursued writing in New york. After working odd jobs for about eight years, and with the help of Truman Capote, Lee published the bestseller “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Scout is the main character in this novel as the son of Atticus Finch, sister to Jem Finch, friend to many, and the narrator. The whole story is shown through Scout’s eyes. She recognizes all of the injustice and problems with their society. She learns many lessons from Atticus and her many experiences that she has in Maycomb County. Atticus stood up for a negroe, John Robinson, who didn’t commit a crime, even though everyone was against him; he defended the mockingbird.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird depicts the childhood and coming of age of a young girl named Jean-Louise “Scout” Finch. The main focus of this novel is the trial of an African-American man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman, and Scout’s father, Atticus, who has been assigned to defend him. Written during the Civil Rights Movement, Lee’s purpose is to highlight the racial prejudice that had permeated throughout the Southern culture. She achieves this in the trial scenes, where she embeds Atticus’s strong dialogue into the context of the vivid imagery she presents of the trial.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus Finch Quotes

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In To Kill a Mockingbird, the protagonist is Atticus Finch, a father of two children named Jem and Jean Louis “Scout” Finch. His wife died when his children were very young. Atticus is quite an old, wise, white man. The book was set in the early 1930’s and it was very common for white men and women to be very racist towards others who aren’t the same race as them. But, Atticus was not like most of the white men and women. He was very kind to everyone not matter what their race was. It seemed as if he didn’t believe in racism. In the book, Atticus was a lawyer for a black man named, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. He did everything he could to win that trial. But, deep down Atticus knew he would not win because Tom Robinson wasn’t a white man. After the trial ended, he still had to stay strong for his children even though he was worn out.…

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus Finch Morality

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Throughout the Novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch’s courage and morality allows him to overcome social prejudices and defend a convicted African American in court. Atticus Finch is a lawyer who lives in Maycomb, Alabama with his two children Scout and Jem Finch. He is a modest man who makes almost every decision based on his heart and ethics. In the novel, Atticus is faced with an incredibly uncomfortable situation. He is a white male living in the early 1900s, and is asked to defend an African American named Tom Robinson in his trial where he was convicted of rape. In school, his daughter Scout is faced with comments from other children such as “Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers” (pg 20). However, when Scout asks her…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    couragous

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a story about a girl named Scout who starts out to be a very immature child not knowing the prejudice times aroud her, as the story goes on the gains koledge of these times y fellow kids around her accusing her dad of being a “***** lover” which then, it was an insult. Her dad, atticus was being courageous of a black man being falsely accused of raping a white woman. He is only a criminal defense attorney doing is job and not discriminating against this man. Atticus ia a caring, compassionate and knowledgeable man.…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee teaches life lessons that show the unfairness of prejudice, the importance of dignity, and the need for respect. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book about the small town of Maycomb and two children named Scout and Jem. Scout and Jem's father is a lawyer assigned to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. Tom was charged with rape. Just because he is black Tom is found guilty.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anyone can declare the innocence of another, but imagine defending a person when everyone around you scoffs at the choice you have selected. They make you seem like a fool as they rip your thoughts into pieces catapulting every last hope you had left. Harper Lee illustrates this climax as her characters in To Kill a Mockingbird face these struggles. In the novel, an African-American man, Tom Robinson, is on trial after being accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus, a lawyer, strongly believes it is right to defend Tom; even if it means becoming the town’s outcast in Maycomb. His children, Scout and Jem use this experience to acknowledge the importance in treating everyone equally because you never…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mocking Bird

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the book To Kill A Mocking Bird there is a constant battle for human morality, and the book is constant in showing the struggle of goodness or evilness in people. Atticus, who is the father of Scout and Jem, who also plays the role of teacher for his children,firmly believs that people all posses the ability to do good in the world, equally so they posses the ability to perform evil acts as well. Although, Atticus is convinced that despite the struggle between good and evil, good will ultimately win. Atticus, who is also a lawyer, works hard to defend Tom Robinson, an innocent black man who is wrongly accused of raping a white woman. In hopes to teach not only his children, but his accusing town, of the great importance to not be so quick to judge. Deep in Americas southern states, in the small racist town of Maycomb, this battle occurred during the Depression era, because of this setting this case was considered a suicide mission, for he was Jesus preeching amongst the pharisees. Ignoring the seemingly impossible challenge of overcoming the town's deep racism, he continued on forcing the town to change their social perspectives, Atticus continues on with this challenge because in his heart he firmly believes that one day, goodness will prevail over the evils of racism and that alas racial equality will exist!…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What Is Atticus Finch

    • 1952 Words
    • 8 Pages

    “Just as Atticus is a nontraditional parent for his time and locale, so too is he unconventional in his racial and social attitudes.” Critic Elizabeth Malia is spot on with her description of this character. Atticus Finch is a main character from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, which was published in 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. Set in Maycomb, Alabama, Lee’s book is about a respected lawyer named Atticus, a widower, who has two children named Jean Louise, better known as Scout, and Jeremy, who goes by Jem. In the story, Atticus is a public defendant and is assigned a very controversial case. Despite opposing opinions of those around him, Atticus decides to defend a man of color named Tom Robinson, who has been accused…

    • 1952 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee focuses more on the aspect of racial discrimination rather than “poor white trash” discrimination (Hovet 187). It is so conspicuous that a man loses his life because of it. While the discrimination is more prominent regarding race, the Finch family is also greatly discriminated against throughout the novel. Racism is very prominent in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, as evidenced when Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping a white woman in the 1930s South; because of his innocence and untimely death, all lives in the novel will be changed forever, including Atticus Finch.…

    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine how hard life was for colored people back then. How one couldn’t even receive a fair trial because of someone’s color or ethnicity. How is was virtually impossible for them to receive a fair trial without people using stereotypes to structure their judgment. To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates many conflicts, one being the beating and rape of a white woman by a black man, which back then was punishable by death. With this case, a man by the name of Atticus accepts to defend the man who is accused : Tom Robinson. Atticus has to endure what the society throws at him, along with his two children : Jem and Scout. To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee reveals, by using characters and characters’ actions and choices, it is morally correct to stand up and do the right thing. Without someone pointing out what is wrong with the society, things will never change for the better.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of life in the 1930’s from Scout Finch’s point of view. In any story there are problems and situations that nee to be dealt with. Atticus, being a defense attorney, shows Scout a first hand view of what really goes on in the little town of Maycomb, Alabama. This sparks her curiosity in her father’s newest case, which is Tom Robinson a middle aged black man with a wife and kids. He was arrested under the accusations of beating and raping Mayella Ewell a white female of the age of 19. Many don’t realize that segregation was beginning to heat up in the South during the 30’s, but that is the cause of tense controversy in Tom Robinson’s case.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King once declared, “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. “ This widely known quote shows that the color of a person should not limit the from doing anything. The topic of racism is frequently visited in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel that takes place during the Great Depression. It focuses on the life of Scout Finch, her brother and the neighborhood she has grown up in, Maycomb County. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses racism in the trial scene to show that some people are treated unjustly due to their status. This theme is used to represent characters in the novel to show how race creates tension between the people of Maycomb. The treatment of Tom Robinson during the trial scene reveals that people of the…

    • 1367 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee took the world by storm in 1960s with a story about southern racism and discrimination. Although the novel focused on small town life in southern Alabama, it influenced the future and success of the Civil Rights Movement. Harper Lee wrote this novel in a childs point of view at the beginning of the Civil Rights Era when events such as the murder of Emmett Till, the lunch counter sit-ins, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott put Alabama at the center of the movement. Throughout this era there was a great deal of racial discrimination and the expectation that no one would try to argue with the whites assumed authority. In Lees book, the focus is centered on the conviction of Tom Robinson, a poor black man. He was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a notoriously poor white family in a small town called Maycomb. The protagonists father, Atticus, took on the case but only did so because otherwise, I couldnt hold up my head in town, I couldnt represent this county in the legislature, and I couldnt even tell you or Jem not to do something again. Atticus also struggled with the fact that he had no hope of winning due to the race of his client. Ts morbid, watching a poor devil on trial for his life. Look at all those folks, its like a Roman carnival. At the end of the trial, Tom was convicted and sentenced to death, despite undeniable evidence that he was innocent. These results shocked readers and reminded many of the Scottsboro trials and how unfair they were. In addition, the childs point of view on To Kill a Mockingbird allowed many white southerners to question the way the system was if even a child could point out its flaws. After these realizations, the famous novel was quickly made into a movie, expanding its audience even further. After the movies big debut, several significant events occurred, which shaped the Civil Rights Movement and America as we know it today. For example, within a few years,…

    • 543 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays