Lala Orjuela
Mr. Carlson
English 9B
Atticus Finch Essay
03 March 2016
To Kill a Mockingbird: Atticus Finch
Scout said, "It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived." (Lee 104). In the book To Kill Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is Scout's father. He is a fictional lawyer from Maycomb County in southern Alabama. This quote describes and summarizes Atticus character from Scout's point of view. Atticus Finch is a Christ-like character because he is a courageous, forgiving and loving person in many ways. And even though a human could never reach Christ standards, does this characteristics make one closer to a Christ-like mindset?
Firstly, Atticus …show more content…
Tom Robinson is an African American who has been judged for raping a white woman, and even though he is guilty before any proofs (due to racism), Atticus choses to do what everyone else was unwilling to do which was going against racism as a white man, and knowing it would bring chaos to his life. Atticus describes courage when he taught Jem a life lesson, he said: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 112). Atticus was conscious that defending an African American and winning the case was almost impossible, even if the defendant was innocent. When Scout asks his dad the reasons why he was doing that he said: "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again" (Lee 76). It goes very similar when we see Christ's …show more content…
We see that after Atticus indeed lost the case, Bob Ewell felt offended and spit in Atticus face and threaten him of death; although Atticus seemed to be very peaceful. Atticus taught Jem another life lesson when he explained: “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threaten me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something i'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather be me than that houseful of children out there. You understand?”. Atticus shows to be so selflessly good that he can even feel compassion for someone like Bob Ewell. He forgives at the moment he chooses not to respond to that horrifying action of Bob Ewell. Christ, as fully God and human at once he forgives and teaches us to forgive infinite times. One of the many opportunities of forgiveness was right at the crucifixion scene where He claims: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (New International Version, Luke 23.34). Even when the soldiers had already mistreated him in sick ways and even divided up his clothes by casting lots, Christ answers in forgiveness. Certainly Jesus felt bad for this and probably didn't want to forgive them, but at the
Mr. Carlson
English 9B
Atticus Finch Essay
03 March 2016
To Kill a Mockingbird: Atticus Finch
Scout said, "It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived." (Lee 104). In the book To Kill Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is Scout's father. He is a fictional lawyer from Maycomb County in southern Alabama. This quote describes and summarizes Atticus character from Scout's point of view. Atticus Finch is a Christ-like character because he is a courageous, forgiving and loving person in many ways. And even though a human could never reach Christ standards, does this characteristics make one closer to a Christ-like mindset?
Firstly, Atticus …show more content…
Tom Robinson is an African American who has been judged for raping a white woman, and even though he is guilty before any proofs (due to racism), Atticus choses to do what everyone else was unwilling to do which was going against racism as a white man, and knowing it would bring chaos to his life. Atticus describes courage when he taught Jem a life lesson, he said: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 112). Atticus was conscious that defending an African American and winning the case was almost impossible, even if the defendant was innocent. When Scout asks his dad the reasons why he was doing that he said: "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again" (Lee 76). It goes very similar when we see Christ's …show more content…
We see that after Atticus indeed lost the case, Bob Ewell felt offended and spit in Atticus face and threaten him of death; although Atticus seemed to be very peaceful. Atticus taught Jem another life lesson when he explained: “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threaten me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something i'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather be me than that houseful of children out there. You understand?”. Atticus shows to be so selflessly good that he can even feel compassion for someone like Bob Ewell. He forgives at the moment he chooses not to respond to that horrifying action of Bob Ewell. Christ, as fully God and human at once he forgives and teaches us to forgive infinite times. One of the many opportunities of forgiveness was right at the crucifixion scene where He claims: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (New International Version, Luke 23.34). Even when the soldiers had already mistreated him in sick ways and even divided up his clothes by casting lots, Christ answers in forgiveness. Certainly Jesus felt bad for this and probably didn't want to forgive them, but at the