How Is Atticus Finch Respected

Atticus Finch’s Character Essay How can you be extremely criticized but at the same time respected though out your town? Well in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, set in the 1930s by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is criticized and hated in the town of Maycomb for defending a black man. On the other hand, Atticus is respected and admired in Maycomb because he’s respectful to others, fair to everyone, and incredibly brave. Although Atticus was harshly criticized, he was still respectful to everyone including his critics. In the courtroom, Judge Taylor says to Mayella Ewell, “…Mr. Finch is always courteous to everybody” (Lee 243). This quote show that Atticus is always polite to everyone because he can be polite to Mayella, who has falsely accused Tom Robinson- the black man Atticus was defending- of rapping her. Later on in the novel, Tom dies and Atticus respected Tom’s wife-Helen who is also black- and told her personally what happen to Tom. Black people were treated like trash still in the 1930s, but Atticus treated/respected them the same as the white people. In addition to being respectful, Atticus was always fair to everyone. Scout was mad at Uncle Jack for not hearing her side of the story with Francis, so she tells him, “When Jem an’ I fuss Atticus doesn’t …show more content…
Atticus properly defends a black man, which in that time period was despised and rare, in Tom’s court case even though he knew the whole town would rebel against him for doing so. Back in the 1930s, it took real bravery and courage to defend a black person correctly because people will turn on you and discourage you. Atticus waited at the jailhouse, next to Tom’s jail cell, for the mob that was trying to kill Tom. So, Atticus was there to stand up for Tom and protect him until the mob left Tom alone. A person has to be extremely brave to wait on a dangerous group of people, with the plan to kill Tom, by himself and even got the mob to not come back. Not just anyone would do