Characterization Of To Kill A Mockingbird

Characterization is key to how authors build characters in literature. This is how authors can bring characters to life in a reader’s mind. These characters are then used by authors to show a theme in a story. In the case of To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, is using the character of Atticus to reveal a theme. The theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is the world's destruction of innocence. This is seen portrayed through Atticus through the story. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus can be seen as a type of moral voice. A moral compass if you will. He always keeps his morals straight, and he passes this on to his own children and to the town of Maycomb. For example: Miss Maudie says, “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on
the public streets.” (61) This shows that he is known for keeping to his beliefs in front of people, and behind closed doors. So, in the story Atticus tells his children that “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.” By this he means it is wrong to kill something so innocent. As Miss Maudie says, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (119) Atticus is in the story to try and protect innocence, which is what he tries to do with Tom’s case. He took the case because he felt it was his duty to do so. He knew if he didn’t it he wouldn’t have been able to face his children because he would have not protected the innocent, which is what his children are.
So, as the story progresses, and his children become aware of the evils of the world, they begin to lose their innocence to the immoralities of the world they live in. This is something they are not used to, as they have been relatively sheltered all their life. So, Atticus handles this be treating them like adults, and answering their questions like an adult, a parenting style he is often criticized for. In this he is teaching his children what he knows so well. He is familiar with human evils, and yet he never loses sight of the capability for human goodness. This is something he distills in his children.
Jem is seen dealing with this after the verdict in Tom’s trial is passed, “‘It ain’t right, Atticus,’ Jem said.
‘No son, it’s not right.’ [Atticus said].” (284) Here two different sides of the spectrum can be seen. In one hand there is Jem, who is crying with frustration. He just doesn’t quite understand how the world could be so cruel when, obviously, Tom was innocent. Then there is Atticus, who knows, with all his heart, that the decision is unfair. However, Atticus isn’t at stake of losing his innocence to immorality like Jem is. There is an interaction between Jem and Atticus when they get home from the trial, and it goes like this: “[Jem said,] ‘How could they do it, how could they?’ ‘I don’t know but they did… seems that only children weep.’” (285) By this Atticus means that only the children cry because they have yet to lose their innocence. In this, children are receiving a taste of the injustices of the world.
So, in all, Atticus is creatively used by Harper Lee to reveal the theme that is the world’s destruction of innocence. He is doing this through protecting the innocent, like Tom Robinson and his children. He protects Tom by taking on his case wholeheartedly, and his children by instilling in them his own values and morals. Atticus is a key character to the story for the way he is used, as the revealer of theme. This is a key component of any literature, and it can be found in use in many different
ways.