Atticus
OPTIONAL ESSAY: CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
Atticus Finch, the father of Jean Louise and Jeremy Finch, doesn’t seem to have any talents. He is a lawyer, but no one seems to see that as very important. “Our father didn’t do anything. He worked in an office, not in a drugstore. Atticus did not drive a dump-truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone.” (Lee 118) It becomes very obvious that his children don’t feel that he has many talents. They also complain about his age. “Jem asked Atticus if he was going to the Methodists and Atticus said he’d break his neck if he did, he was just too old for that sort of thing. The Methodists were trying to pay off their church mortgage, and had challenged the Baptists to a game of touch football. Everyone in town’s father was playing, it seemed, except Atticus.” (121) Although they love him, his children make him out to be a talentless old man who can’t do anything other children’s fathers can do.
Atticus does, however, prove to be a very good father. Whenever someone talks badly about her father, Scout will stand up to them and sometimes even do it violently. Everyone in the town, it seems, makes fun of Atticus because of the black American he is defending. They feel that he is a disgrace to his family and to the rest of the town. However, Atticus never lets that get to him, and he doesn’t want it to get to Scout either. When Scout asks her father about all of the bad things people are saying about him and the trial, he says “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change… it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.” (101)
Atticus proves himself to be a very gentle and compassionate man. He loves all people,
Atticus Finch, the father of Jean Louise and Jeremy Finch, doesn’t seem to have any talents. He is a lawyer, but no one seems to see that as very important. “Our father didn’t do anything. He worked in an office, not in a drugstore. Atticus did not drive a dump-truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone.” (Lee 118) It becomes very obvious that his children don’t feel that he has many talents. They also complain about his age. “Jem asked Atticus if he was going to the Methodists and Atticus said he’d break his neck if he did, he was just too old for that sort of thing. The Methodists were trying to pay off their church mortgage, and had challenged the Baptists to a game of touch football. Everyone in town’s father was playing, it seemed, except Atticus.” (121) Although they love him, his children make him out to be a talentless old man who can’t do anything other children’s fathers can do.
Atticus does, however, prove to be a very good father. Whenever someone talks badly about her father, Scout will stand up to them and sometimes even do it violently. Everyone in the town, it seems, makes fun of Atticus because of the black American he is defending. They feel that he is a disgrace to his family and to the rest of the town. However, Atticus never lets that get to him, and he doesn’t want it to get to Scout either. When Scout asks her father about all of the bad things people are saying about him and the trial, he says “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change… it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.” (101)
Atticus proves himself to be a very gentle and compassionate man. He loves all people,