The character I have chosen to analyze for this assignment is Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus Finch. I chose the title “Atticus Finch and His Beliefs” because Atticus strictly adheres to his beliefs in his everyday life, in his position as a member of the community and also as a father to Jem and Scout, which are used by the author to teach the reader lessons throughout the first part of the novel. Three traits that Atticus demonstrates during the first part of the novel are sympathy, an aversion to discrimination, and wisdom. There are multiple examples where he shows these traits, which I will highlight over the next few paragraphs.
Atticus is a very sympathetic man, who prefers to see the “good” in people …show more content…
Atticus shows wisdom multiple times, such as when Scout comes home from her first day of school and complains about Miss Caroline, when Jem and Scout receive air rifles as Christmas presents, and when he is talking with Scout about Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout has a tough time with her teacher on her first day of school, but when she comes home and explains her situation to Atticus, he says: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” (pg. 33) This statement is often difficult to carry out in your everyday life, but Atticus makes an effort to live by these words and his beliefs. Also, when Jem and Scout receive air rifles for Christmas, Atticus teaches them a lesson: “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (pg. 103) This statement contains a literal and a metaphorical meaning. A mockingbird is described as an innocent bird who only makes music, so metaphorically, this statement implies that innocent people do not deserve to be punished or persecuted. A third example of Atticus’ wisdom is when he is discussing Tom Robinson’s trial with Scout. When asked if they are going to win, he replies, “No, honey,”, followed by, “Simply because we were licked a …show more content…
Perhaps the reason why people are able to relate to him is because his ideas related to race are ahead of their time. He is also shown to be a great father and a good role model for his children. Atticus Finch is a non-discriminatory, sympathetic, and wise man who lives by his beliefs