Miranda Ulses
Mr. Flanagan
AP English 11
28 February 2017
Atticus Finch: Worthy of the Praise? The nineteen thirties was a time when racial injustices were common in the Deep South. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee accurately displayed this injustice by introducing a range of characters on varying sides of the injustices. Atticus Finch was one of those characters. Since the publishing of the novel, scholars have debated whether he deserves the praise many give him. Many have debated this by examining various aspects of his character. One could say he lacked cross-racial empathy, had an integrated personality, and is given credit for being a civil rights activist when he was not and then try to prove each of the three things …show more content…
Gladwell compared Atticus to former governor of Alabama Jim Folsom. Although Folsom was considered progressive and viewed all people as equals, he "did not seek a fundamental shift of political power or a revolution in social morals" (qtd. in Gladwell 1). In other words, he was far too moderate to be considered a civil rights activist. Atticus was much the same. He believed the racism of the South was wrong but did not feel disposed to try to fix it. He also acted in ways that would stand against those of civil rights activists. For example, he defended the men who were prepared to kill Tom in his jail cell. Also, he understood that there were problems with the law allowing juries to choose penalties for cases such as Tom's but did not devise any ways to fix the law. He voiced this belief by telling his son "I won't live to see the law changed, and if you live to see it, you'll be an old man" (Lee 220). If Atticus had been a civil rights activist, he would not have quietly watched problems take place; he would have worked hard to change …show more content…
Andrew Ayer claimed in his his article that Atticus’ personality was closely linked with the rule of law. This is true. Atticus believed that “in our courts all men are created equal” (Lee 205). Many of his actions and words can be linked with that idea. Also, he treated his kids and all others whom he encountered with respect. He always acted with integrity, reverence, and careful consideration. Ayers claimed that his personality limited Atticus’ options, particularly his option to release Tom from jail and save him from a racially biased justice system. But, Ayers’ reasoning is flawed. A person has the freedom to make choices. Their choices determine who they are. Without choices, a person does not have a personality. Their personality is determined by the choices they make, not the other way around. And, Atticus’ choices caused him to be viewed highly by many. Because of them, “Atticus is the reason people become lawyers, and, once they become lawyers, Atticus is the person many lawyers aspire to be” (Zwick
Mr. Flanagan
AP English 11
28 February 2017
Atticus Finch: Worthy of the Praise? The nineteen thirties was a time when racial injustices were common in the Deep South. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee accurately displayed this injustice by introducing a range of characters on varying sides of the injustices. Atticus Finch was one of those characters. Since the publishing of the novel, scholars have debated whether he deserves the praise many give him. Many have debated this by examining various aspects of his character. One could say he lacked cross-racial empathy, had an integrated personality, and is given credit for being a civil rights activist when he was not and then try to prove each of the three things …show more content…
Gladwell compared Atticus to former governor of Alabama Jim Folsom. Although Folsom was considered progressive and viewed all people as equals, he "did not seek a fundamental shift of political power or a revolution in social morals" (qtd. in Gladwell 1). In other words, he was far too moderate to be considered a civil rights activist. Atticus was much the same. He believed the racism of the South was wrong but did not feel disposed to try to fix it. He also acted in ways that would stand against those of civil rights activists. For example, he defended the men who were prepared to kill Tom in his jail cell. Also, he understood that there were problems with the law allowing juries to choose penalties for cases such as Tom's but did not devise any ways to fix the law. He voiced this belief by telling his son "I won't live to see the law changed, and if you live to see it, you'll be an old man" (Lee 220). If Atticus had been a civil rights activist, he would not have quietly watched problems take place; he would have worked hard to change …show more content…
Andrew Ayer claimed in his his article that Atticus’ personality was closely linked with the rule of law. This is true. Atticus believed that “in our courts all men are created equal” (Lee 205). Many of his actions and words can be linked with that idea. Also, he treated his kids and all others whom he encountered with respect. He always acted with integrity, reverence, and careful consideration. Ayers claimed that his personality limited Atticus’ options, particularly his option to release Tom from jail and save him from a racially biased justice system. But, Ayers’ reasoning is flawed. A person has the freedom to make choices. Their choices determine who they are. Without choices, a person does not have a personality. Their personality is determined by the choices they make, not the other way around. And, Atticus’ choices caused him to be viewed highly by many. Because of them, “Atticus is the reason people become lawyers, and, once they become lawyers, Atticus is the person many lawyers aspire to be” (Zwick