Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird

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There are many different definitions of courage. Some people say that courage is being able to face their fears. Others say that courage is a person with a strong heart. Being a courageous person means that you are able to bravely face the negative pressures, challenges and adversity that comes in life. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus is a very courageous character, Atticus tried every way to help others were in the need of it. First of all it Atticus bravely faced the racist, prejudice judgment of Maycomb and took Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, Atticus still takes a fight even though he knew he was still going to lose. Lastly, after losing Tom Robinson’s case Atticus still pursue for justice. Therefore, In Harper’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch moral compass helps him to overcome injustice despite the strong force of racist in the community.
Atticus’s decision to defend Tom Robinson resulted into different conflicts that brought hardship not only for him but also for his family but he was courageous enough to ignore these and continues to defend Tom Robinson. Scout got in a fight with Cecil Jacobs, classmate of Scout, when she was is just defending her father's honor. The children called Atticus Finch a "nigger-lover" for defending Tom Robinson in court. Atticus explains to both his children that the prejudice in Maycomb is a sort of disease afflicting even "good" people (Lee). Atticus' wise and understanding attitude is because he is quite aware of the fact that each human being has positive and negative sides. He always focuses on the good part of the people around him and in each situation he finds excuses for their aggressive or bad deeds.
When Atticus was asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused for raping a white woman, people in Maycomb started to talk about it. When Atticus was informed by Scout that people like old Mrs. Dubose have been calling him names “niggers and trash he works for.”. When Scout ask if he isn’t really a “nigger-lover”, as Mrs. Dubose accuses him of being, he responds “I certainly am, I do my best to love everybody.” After she dies, he speaks to Jem and Scout about his admiration for her courage in resisting morphine addiction. Atticus once tells Scout that "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view". During the night when Atticus visited Tom Robinson in the jail and the mob men came to take Tom Robinson, Atticus is standing by Tom to protect him, Jem wants to do the same for Atticus. While Atticus isn't scared of the mob for his own sake, he is afraid that they'll hurt his kids. When one of the man in the mob asked Jem to go home, he also grabbed Jem roughly by the collar, Jem yanked and nearly off his feet. (Lee 153). Although the mobs can’s hurt Atticus, the children are still pretty vulnerable to the mobs. This is dangerous for Jem and Scout because they might be in great trouble. Atticus decision had resulted into bad thing both to him and his family but he still continues to fight because he knows this is the best thing to do.

Despite the fact that Atticus knows before the trial begins, he's going to lose . Taking the case is a dangerous one for Atticus; he knows that many of the whites living in Maycomb want to see Tom Robinson, an African American accused of raping and beating a white woman, killed but he still does his job to protect Tom at his best. Tom’s case will determine Atticus’ capabilities and his personalities who he really is. When Scout asked Atticus why he is defending Tom Robinson , Atticus replied, “Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess (Lee). Atticus’s personality shows in this experience how it will change Attiucs and the lessons that he will learn, and coming to know who he really is. To represent Tom Robinson in the court, he was able to gain the respect and ire of
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