Tkm

TKM

Have you ever read those stories where there is one person who is a voice of reason throughout the entire novel? Well, in this story there is one in Atticus Finch. He is the wisdom and logic that is dispelled throughout the novel.

Atticus is a big part of this story and the story probably couldn't happen without him. Harper Lee uses indirect characterization to characterize Atticus. She doesn't tell you about him she lets his actions describe him for you. He is a very tolerant person as he puts up with Scout and Jem who seem to always be getting into trouble. When they play the game about Boo Radley he finds out what they are doing and without yelling or anything tells them to stop and never play it again. He puts up with Scout not wanting to go to school after the teacher, Miss Fisher says that Calpurnia and Atticus have to stop teaching her how to read and write. Scout is a proud girl so this upsets her very much and talks with Atticus about it. He passes on his wisdom and she eventually gives up and keeps going to school but still read with Atticus at night.

Later on Atticus is picked by Judge Taylor to defend Tom Robinson who is black because he knew that Atticus would be the only lawyer to try his best to defend him. Scout and Jem get nagged by people and many people called their father a nigger lover. They tell Atticus about it and he says just ignore it and keep a clear head. Scout has pride and will put up her fists and get in a fight with someone if she is insulted or Atticus or Jem is, like she did Francais when they went to Finch's landing for Christmas. Through out the story Jem matures and learns how to keep a clear head and grows away from Scout. Scout ends up spending more time with Calpurnia and Miss Maudie.

Miss Dubose is a crazy old lady which Scout and Jem call her. One day while walking past her house she insults them and Jem loses his temper when she calls Atticus a nigger lover. They go on into town and Jem buys some stuff for him and a baton for Scout. On the way home when they pass her house Jem takes her baton and destroys all Miss Duboses flowers. He breaks the baton and leaves it on the side walk and they go home. Later that night Atticus comes home and is holding the baton and asks Jem if he had done it and Atticus told him his punishment was to read to her for 1 month. Now in doing this Atticus shows that he has no ill will for anyone even when they do for him. After the month is over Jem is done and they are sitting in the living room reading when the phone rings. Atticus walks out and says I will be home in a while and leaves. When he gets back the kids ask him what that was all about and he hands Jem a box and says Miss Dubose is dead. Jem said he wishes he never would have had to read to her but Atticus says he would have made Jem do it anyways because she was addicted to morphine and needed someone anyways.

The thing about Atticus is that he is the same as he is in the courtroom as he is at home. No matter what the situation is he maintains the same code of conduct as he always does. When Atticus receives Tom Robinsons case, because of his code of conduct, he feels he is