Character Analysis of Atticus Finch

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ENG 1D1-04 14 October 2014 A Proper Role Model Character Analysis of Atticus Finch In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is empathetic and respectful towards others’ privacy, resulting in him being a positive role model as Scout matures. Atticus Finch is a lawyer who lives in Maycomb County, and is also Jem and Scout’s widower father. His morals and values are much more different than the other citizens in Maycomb, making him very unique in the town. After a not so good first day at school, with contradicting her teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher’s every word and getting punished, Scout does not want to go to school. After Atticus comes home later that day, he teaches her a lesson about empathy. “’You can never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-‘ … ‘-until you climb into his skin and crawl around in it’” (Lee 39). Atticus is showing Scout how to empathize with Miss Caroline, and observe things from her point of view. Scout then understands that since Miss Caroline is new to Maycomb, she does not know about the Cunninghams and the Ewells, and it was an honest mistake from her side. Also, looking at the events that happened throughout the day, Atticus helps her see that it also must be frustrating for Miss Caroline, especially dealing with Burris Ewell using the most profane language known to man, proving that his ability to empathize makes him an influential role model as Scout becomes older. Later on in the story, Jem, Dill and Scout create a game, which after turns into a play called Boo Radley, named after the infamous ‘Boo’ or Arthur Radley himself, and while they are rehearsing this production, Atticus finds out. “’So that was what you were doing, wasn’t it?’ …’ No, putting his life’s story on display for the edification of the neighbourhood’” (65). Atticus can tell that Jem is acting in a play

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