Who Is Atticus Finch As A Citizen

Atticus is criticised for the way he brings up his children and defends a negro. What is your opinion of him as a father and as a citizen?

I believe that Atticus Finch is arguably the most respectable and moral character in Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mocking Bird”. He is a man without prejudice and racial hatred. Throughout the novel many of his decisions as a father and a citizen are questioned by the citizens of Maycomb.

As an individual, I believe Atticus represents the basic morals most people from his time lacked. He is a very open minded person and has no prejudice towards others. He also likes to put himself in other people’s positions. In the beginning of the novel, on he tells Scout “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” When Jem damages Mrs Duboses property after she openly insults Atticus, he reacts by making Jem go over to her house to read to her as he knows she suffers from a morphine addiction and therefore the gesture would help. Despite all the bad things she had said about Atticus, he still sends his children to help her because he knows that it would be the right thing to do.
Atticus is also a very brave man who stands up for what he believes is right.
When he comes across Tim Robinson’s case, he knows he has no chance of winning simply because of Robinson’s skin colour. He was also aware of the reaction most people in Maycomb would have to him defending a black man. However, that doesn’t stop him. Atticus insists in helping Tim Robinson because he genuinely believed he was innocent and that justice shouldn’t depend on a person’s ethnicity. This is a belief he tries to pass towards his
children.

Atticus wants his children to respect all people When Scout asks if he is a "nigger lover" as a lot of the kids say in school. Atticus responds, "'I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody…'"

As a father he has a very unique parenting style. He always answers any questions his children have honestly and treats them in a very mature manner. When Scout tells him she doesn’t want to go back to school, Atticus doesn't force her to go without giving her any explanation; instead, he listens to Scout's explanation of why she's upset, and tries to make her see her teacher's side of things before coming up with a compromise that makes Scout happier.

Scout and Jem call him “Atticus” and not “father” in the novel which represents the fact that he doesn’t want his children to feel he is above them. It is also a way of showing them respect.

Atticus is a successful father because he shows his kids a side of life which isn’t taught at school through textbooks. He passes to his kids his own beliefs. He tries to teach his kids the difference between right and wrong in the complex times they lived in. He tries to be as understandable as possible towards them and always choses to hear their side of the story first before making them consider another viewpoint.

That is why I believe Atticus Finch is a good father and citizen. He is not only a good man who cares about his children and who tries to do what is right but he is also one of the few fictional characters that can serve as a role model to anyone who reads the novel.