Courage and bravery was something Atticus Finch had successfully shown in the novel. “…Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 90). In the novel, everyone in his hometown tried to go against on Tom Robinson, a Negro who was in charge of rape, but he was the only white man that would stand up for him because he knew racism was wrong and Tom Robinson was innocent. When a group of men were trying to take Tom Robinson, Atticus showed his braveness by stepping in and trying to stop them without anger or violence. Even though he knew he had no chance to win, he tried and gathered up his courage and fought until the end. With this positive attitude, it made him known to be the protector of mockingbirds.
Although Atticus was a father of Jem and Scout, he was also like a teacher toward them. He gives his children more freedom but at the same time educates them with moral lessons. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around it in it” (Lee 30). This quote was from Atticus’ advice to Scout meaning if we can truly see things the way other people see, we will at least begin to understand them, even if we don’t agree. Another important lesson that Atticus taught his children is what the meaning of courage is. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 124). He said this after Mrs. Dubose died and the point was to let his children know how courageous Mrs. Dubose was because she knew that she was dying but was still determined to die free of the morphine. All these powerful quotes that Atticus said had made his children realize different meanings and create a more complete picture of the world surrounding them.
In conclusion, Atticus Finch was a successful man. He was successful in teaching moral lessons to his children and courageously fought the case. He believed that success was not just about winning, but instead just trying to fight for a good cause. Even though he did not win the case with Tom Robinson, he did what he thought was right and this made him successful already. With these outstanding morals and ethics, it made him known to be the protector of mockingbirds.
Works Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1960
