Atticus Responsibility In To Kill A Mockingbird

Within Maycomb, the Finches carry large responsibility, yet this also affords them freedoms which the other members of the town do not have. Concerning responsibility, the Finches are supposed to act as a backbone for the town of Maycomb, and when other members have grievances they generally visit Atticus, for they know he is an honest man who represents the town. For instance, “Jean Louise said, ‘Don’t worry, Cal. Atticus’ll do his best.’ Calpurnia said, ‘I know he will, Miss Scout. He always do his best. He always do right.’”(Lee 159). Within this quote, Scout explains to Calpurnia, though with some doubt, that Atticus will represent Frank with dignity and honesty, conveying that members of the town trust Atticus and go to him in time of need. However, being a Finch also grants some exemptions and freedoms as Hank explains later in the novel: “‘So you can parade around town in your dungarees with your shirttail out and barefooted if you want to. Maycomb says, “That’s the Finch in her, that’s just Her Way’”(Lee 231). This citation explains that the Finches are granted some freedoms and privileges that other families cannot take part in, such as Hank’s family, the Clintons. Therefore, being a Finch in Maycomb signifies being a beacon …show more content…
However, this reflects the different intentions of the works themselves. Whereas To Kill a Mockingbird revolves around the idea of racism and prejudice, even in the face of truth, Go Set a Watchman focuses on the relationship between father and daughter, and its evolution backdropped by racism. Therefore,the message of To Kill a Mockingbird is that good and evil coincide, and are both constantly fighting, even in the face of honesty and virtue, while the theme of Go Set a Watchman is less explicit, explaining that all humans should hold their own beliefs and values in order to properly benefit and progress society. For