To Kill a Mockingbird
discussion
Is Atticus Finch a hero?
Atticus Finch was, as Miss Maudie said, one of those men born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. He was a hero in every sense of the word. He was amazing.
Jayde wrote: "Atticus Finch was, as Miss Maudie said, one of those men born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. He was a hero in every sense of the word. He was amazing."Unless he was the offspring of a god and a human being, he wasn't a hero in every sense of the word. One may admire him as one will, but one ought still to pay attention to the actual definitions of words.
Atticus Finch was a man who not only talked the talk but actually walked the walk. He did not differentiate between the two. He was a gentle man with strong convictions. A wonderful father, he instilled honesty and fairness in his children, even when it meant that they would be ostacized by the whole town. Was he a hero? I think so. It is definately easier to go with the croud than stand alone. May he be an inspiration to us all.
I think that he was a man who knew his duty to his friends and family, and then went out and did it. This is a rare thing, as most people nowadays just do what they need to get by, the bare minimum. Atticus seemed like a hero because he stood up while others slouched down in their chairs, trying not to be noticed, but expecting the same results. To all of us who want somebody to look up to, the perfect role model of doing the best that you can do, Atticus Finch is the best "hero" that we will ever get, even though he was not the hero we expected.
I think he was a hero cause even if he lost the case he still defended the poor black man when no one else would. And even if he died, Tom Robinson didn't die in vain because Atticus stood up for him and defended him in a time of hardship.
"Hero" is just a word. "Role model" is a two worded phrase. Words are words. They lack absolute meaning. When opinions are amassed we see that words refer to vague ideas. So, I see no advantage in putting Atticus Finch under a single category, such as "hero" or "role model." A better approach would be to list his attributes and learn what we can.- He did deeds many do not dare to do.
- He had ideas ahead of his time.
- He put his ideas into action.
- He was a good father.
- He held morals and principles high.
- He was compassionate and understanding.
- He avoided violence.
- He was a learned man.
- He was humble about his talents.
This description shows Atticus Finch, the person. Can one or two words accurately convey so much information? I don't think so.
There is a reason why schools have been using To Kill a Mockingbird for generatons as required reading. And the discussions in class as well, and probably more, add to the overall understanding of what the role of each character is and how they interact and deal. It is important to teach young people that even though they may be a single voice in a crowd that disagrees with them, they need to stand up for their beliefs. These are the types of people who shaped out country and we certainly could use a few more today.
Hopefully the next generation will have more than we see today.
Since heroes are people who act courageously and do the right thing in the face of opposition, then, yes, Atticus Finch is certainly a hero. And in that book, Boo Radley is a hero, too.
He is a hero. He stuck up for what he believed in even if others didn't believe it was right.
The fact that Atticus did his job makes him a hero. He could have gotten out of it; he could have participated in a clown court; he could have allowed vigilante justice to run its course, but he approached the job with empathy and professionalism and that makes him a hero in my book.
He's a gentleman-hero. That is, he's a hero, but not in the medieval sense in which the hero has to always trumpet his accomplishments.Think of the scene with the rabid dog. The sheriff--the guy who is supposed to be the classic, American hero--hands off his rifle to Atticus to do the shooting because he knows who the better man is.
Furthermore, he's a hero in the tragic Shakespearean/Greek sense in that he's confronted with the exact situation that plays to his weakness. He's a lawyer defending an innocent man in a society in which he is a member of the elite... but he can't save him. The situation goes directly to his weakness--the social rules that pervade his culture and that even he can not break.
Is Atticus Finch a hero?For some reason this question intrigued me and I have thought about it allot and I have to say, no he isn't.
He is a good man, a man who decided (and I use that word very specificly because that's exactly what Atticus would do) what was right and what was wrong and how within those rules he is to express himself in the world.
If I use D&D character alignment rules then Atticus is Lawful Good (typical for Paladins and Knights). Atticus believes in the Law and that the Law is meant for the betterment for all men, not just for the powerful few to rule over the many. He is disgusted and distress when the Law is used for other purposes and he will gladly fight to stop it being abused, this is within his own decided moral code.
But he does not is the story extent myself beyond his limits. He sees the law done for the betterment of all. In this case the betterment for all is that the truth be known and that a man he knows to be innocent of a crime, be cleared and freed.
A hero is someone who extents themselves beyond their own limits for the betterment of someone else. Atticus does not do that. That may not make him a hero but it does make him an excellent example of the many excellent examples of a good man.....
Is it a blight on our thinking, that we see so negatively about other people and their intentions that we say Atticus as a Hero? (perhaps that is a separate question for another time and thread)
The Hero/s of this book are Boo Radley who exposes myself very much past his usual own limits to defend another, Jem's who good sense was pushed to tell him that though afraid of the “Boo” legend as he was, not to take the story on face value and judge the actions not the rumour (honestly Jem he is his father's son) and Scout who stout hearted bravery can never be questioned but see that a kind hearted open mind is truly more powerful than anger and fear(she is without a doubt her mother's daughter).
Perhaps if you want to call Atticus a hero it should be for the fact that he raised two such whole and intelligent human beings.
What parent couldn't be proud.
Interesting enough if you do a Google search for "movie heroes" you'll find a number of websites that list the greatest movie heroes of all time and most of them have Atticus Finch as #1 or at least in the top 10. So this soft spoken, small town lawyer usually beats out James Bond, Luke Skywalker, John McClane, and Neo in list after list. So what did Finch do that was so heroic? No armiees of terrorists, storm troopers, or machines were dispatched? No evil empires were overthrowned? All Finch did was stand up for what he thought was right in the face of popular opposition. He showed integrity and a steely resolve in the face of ingrained racism and gave his children a lesson in the importance of holding onto your principles.
Hero is not a self-designation. How Atticus Finch might or might not have viewed himself is irrelevant to this argument. He was doing his job, yes, but he went beyond and above what that job required him to do. He is a hero because of his actions. He displayed incredible courage in the face of violent opposition. In spite of the danger to himself and his family, he held his ground against blatant bigotry. And as a character, he was a hero to the civil rights movement, which gained steam shortly after the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird.
YES! He stood up for the African American when he didn't have to. He was assigned the case but he didn't actually have to TRY to defend him. He made the right choice and I admire him deeply for it.
Sbarbarar wrote: "Before you call Atticus a hero (or not), you need to spend some time defining what a hero is to you, particularly in the context of the civil rights debate. He takes the hard, principled road in s..."
Well said!
I agree with Jay. Atticus Finch certainly posed as a hero in this novel through his good actions (I might even say godly)and excellent behavior. Although he may not be a perfect man, Mr. Finch is certainly a hero to his children, his town and those around him. He stuck up for the poor black man, Tom! He was the only one who cared and showed what he believed in through standing up for Tom to be free (the truth). He also serves as a great Father who means to discipline his children in a loving way-- they can have fun, but they cannot go too far (as they soon find out) or else they will end up in big trouble (they meaning Jem and Scout). I love this book. It is wonderful. Peace and love.K
He was a man just doing a job. As a man, a father, by character he was a hero. I think he is definitely developed as a hero in the writing, minimally in a literary sense. Part of it is that he would do his job regardless of a man's guilt or innocence, he would seek justice within the law. His job related to justice, outside of his moral compass, which was also arguably fair. He was a hero and a man doing a job and these are not exclusive of each other.
Briggitte wrote: "I don't know if I would go straight ahead and call Atticus a hero. He was a man who believed and stuck to his morals and ethics, making sure those around him knew where he stood on certain things. ..."He was the hero in a literary sense, not someone from a comic book. He held to his morals but he also held to the law. In as much as one would call him a 'role model', that is also a hero in the context of the novel, set in a place with seemingly very few.
He only ever said that he was doing his job. His job was to seek, present, and defend the truth. He has a heroic job so to speak, though. Also, in another perspective, couldn't the argument also be made that whether it comes with a pay check or not, all of us have the job to seek, present, and defend the truth? Many people fail to do this - it is not new for there to be those who fail to do their jobs as truth defenders. It could be said that he is heroic for carrying out his responsibilities no matter how difficult. He also never considered himself a hero but a man doing his duty. That might not qualify as heroic, but it sure is admirable. Either way, Atticus is the protagonist of the book whether in reality he would be considered one or not.
In my eyes, Atticus is definitely a hero. He openly stood against racism, prejudice and injustice. He teaches his children great lessons throughout the story about how to treat other people and always keep an open mind. Atticus puts his whole heart in defending Tom Robinson regardless of all the obstacles in his path. “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing 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"
-Atticus Finch
Atticus is an ethical moral man who leads a principled life and perhaps this is heroic in the south at the time the book is set.\How about Arthur (Boo0 Radley, who watches over Scout and rescues her in spite of his shyness.
Atticus is a humble man with a strong sense of social justice- the fact that he fails to save Tom doesn't mean he himself is a failure, rather it highlights society's injustice at the time. He is most certainly a hero (imho)
Heroes are people who are just doing what they think is right. So in that sense, he is both.
What a stupid question; of course he was a hero. Duh!
With all the super heroes of the moment, Captain America, Spider man, etc. Atticus Finch should be a super hero for what he fought for.
"For my English class we are doing an argument paper on is Atticus a hero fir civil rights."I think the clue is in the question. Or literally, the clue is the question.
Questions in English classes tend to be open questions which are designed to get you talking about the book and how it made you feel. The exact answer to the question usually doesn't matter too much as long as your main argument is well evidenced and thought out.
For my money, it's a yes and no answer. Atticus Finch shows heroism and is rightly considered an heroic figure by many. But he would probably not consider himself a hero, because he was simply doing what he believed was right, and his job.
In reality, real heroes don't always think they are heroes, even if that is how other people see them. Their values are so deeply ingrained that "they are what they are". They become role models in part because they don't set out to be role models.
Real heroes usually don't wear spandex costumes with a cape and the letter A on their foreheads.
Then my cynical nature kicks in and I wonder whether the OP was really fishing for us to write their English paper for them. But seeing as the first post dates back from November 2012, I suppose the most pertinent question is ... did you get an A for it?
A resounding, "Yes!" Atticus FInch is a hero to his children by being a good father, role model, and for standing up (like Rudyard Kipling's "If.") He is a hero for the innocent, and a hero for literature. He has integrity, and how many character these days possess this? You usually have to go back to English novels to find that.
Atticus's actions are completely justified, and the fact that there was a person like him in that society was very rare during that time. It was that kind of thinking that sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
I don't think he was a hero, but he was a good man whose ethics didn't let him do a shoddy job defending Tom Robinson. A great role model for us all.
I suppose the more pertinent question is "Would Atticus Finch consider himself to be a hero?"
I don't think he would. He would probably agree with the sentiment that "Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." And a woman, too
Will wrote: "I suppose the more pertinent question is "Would Atticus Finch consider himself to be a hero?""I don't think Atticus would have considered himself a hero, as he was a very humble man, who did what he had to do because it was the right thing; therefore, he was just being a good man and citizen in his own mind.
Yup, I think so too. Which is why this is the sort of open question that tends to get used for English classes - it doesn't invite a straight yes/no answer.
Look at from Scout's POV. Was he a hero in her eyes? I think therein lies the answer.
Finch is clearly a man of strong morals, ethics, and principles. Whether Finch is a hero in the sense of being a true civil rights advocate is obscured by his role as an attorney. Ethical canons of attorney conduct demand zealous and effective representation of clients. Finch is the kind of lawyer, and man, that would adhere to such canons. There is no question that Finch's representation met the ethical standard. It would be inconsistent with Finch's character, however, to not provide that same representation to an accused racist.
As an aside, I named my son Atticus partly out of reverence to Atticus Finch. I strive everyday to be half the father and lawyer.
I agree with Will, Jaksen and Jason as well.To: Jaksen....
Since the story is Scout's POV, it is really her viewpoint that counts.
To: Will...
Really good characters are complex. Atticus wasn't particularly happy with having to take the case at first, as it would mean defying town hatred, so he had conflict within his own mind, as it could play out badly for his children's safety. His conflict, however, created good drama - innocence against mob mentality.
To: Jason...
That you want to be half the father Atticus was, is so sweet!
To me, a hero is someone who does the right thing regardless of what people around them think or say. If Atticus was simply doing a job, there were other jobs he could have taken and simply dropped the one he had and nobody would have blamed him. Some people would have congratulated him on smartly dumping a case he couldn't win, since lawyers are rated on how many cases they win versus the number they lose.
So, to me, Atticus was a hero. He was ALSO a man doing a job, but he was doing his job fairly against peer pressure, which, being in school, you know is a very powerful force.
If Atticus isn't a hero, then no one is a hero.Tom Robinson is an even bigger one.
Shelley
http://dustbowlstory.wordpress.com
I agree Tom Robinson was a hero as well, he is forgotten because of his tragic death.
That is one of the Joys of the book. So many admirable characters.
I like this quote from mark twain."do the right thing.it will gratify some people and astonish the rest". I think Atticus is a man who always does the right thing. He takes the moral high ground. He is a decent man, a good example, and a great father.
IMHO, the greatest father-figure in all cinema
Jaksen wrote: "Look at from Scout's POV. Was he a hero in her eyes? I think therein lies the answer."Yes. Exactly.
I don't think I've ever read about a more perfect character in my life. He is defiantly a role model and within Maycomb a hero, but I honestly think the character would've been more interesting if he'd had some sort of fault. Atticus is amazing, just slightly one-sided, as far as the characterization goes.
To keep it simple and real, YES!!!!!
Ho hum. The question was set as a discussion topic for a reading group. Not much of a discussion if everyone just says "yes", hm?
Will wrote: "Ho hum. The question was set as a discussion topic for a reading group. Not much of a discussion if everyone just says "yes", hm?"Well, if someone asks a reading group if the hero of a book is a hero then the answers should be somewhat predictable.
Malcolm Gladwell (whom much of the world seems enamored with, although I am not among his fans) wrote an article in The New Yorker (8/10/09) titled "The Courthouse Ring: Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism." I'm not going to spell out his arguments here (I don't agree with him a bit, plus his essay is derivative of another piece written about 20 years earlier), but Gladwell faults Atticus in a number of ways, including being too conciliatory to Southern racism and too stoic in the face of moral outrage.Perhaps this article sparked the original post; if you want to put some oomph into this discussion, Google it up and take apart Gladwell's points. For a guy who's supposed to be so smart, he's pretty dumb here.
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He was definitely a hero. Isn't it the mark of a great hero to not seek fame or glory, but just go about doing the right thing because it is the right thing? Stepping out when most everyone else is retreating?
He was quiet but determined to ensure a proper defense in spite of the opinion of others in his town. It is never easy in small towns to take this kind of firm stance against the popular opinion. And Ceej has it right that he could only have done so much given the makeup of the jury.
He was not so much reluctant as concerned about his ability, in the town atmosphere, to provide a solid defense and get a just verdict.
Of course the strongest story centers on his defense of Tom, but something else impressed me as well. He was a fantastic role model for his children. What makes future generations is how young people are influenced by those around them and of course the actions of their parents.
His commitment to being a good father and the fact that it was unusual in the times for a man to be raising children alone.