TKAM Essay

One of the most admirable people I have read about is Atticus Finch, the main adult character in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus is a lawyer and works in Maycomb County. He lives with his family which consists of him, his son, his daughter, and his maid. His son’s name is Jeremy, his daughter’s name is Scout, and his maid’s name is Calpurnia. Atticus also has a brother, Jack, and a sister, Alexandra.
One of the things I admire about Atticus is his kindness. He has demonstrated his kindness in many ways, one of them is his politeness towards everyone. Another example is his tolerance towards people who don’t like him and his willingness to help others. Also, he leaves the Radelys alone and does not gossip about them. Finally, he shows great kindness to Calpurnia. Instead of treating her badly, he treats her as family and refuses to fire her. That is how Atticus has shown his kindness.
Another trait I like about Atticus is his optimism. He believed that Tom had a chance of winning the trial despite the odds. Also, he saw the prejudice within the community but believed it would change over time and he worked to bring about a gradually change. Another way he shows optimism is in the way he raises Scout and Jem. He believes that they will grow up to be well-educated, respectable adults and will not be badly influenced by their surroundings. Finally, when standing vigil at the jailhouse, he believed that the people would not be too blinded by prejudice and would not hurt him much. Those are some of the ways Atticus shows optimism.
Finally, I think Atticus is a noteworthy character because of his courage. When he was younger, he left his home in order to pursue a career in law. This showed courage because the Finchs were planters who passed down the plantation to the next generations. Atticus chose not to follow in their footsteps, though the plantation no longer used slaves, and walked his own path. Another act of courage was wielding the gun to kill the mad dog. This took courage because Atticus has not used a gun in years and the mad dog had to be killed in one shot. The main act of courage Atticus did was defending Tom Robinson. By defending Tom, Atticus openly opposed those who were racist. He risked his social standing, his professional reputation, and even his safety. He also risked Scout and Jem’s social standing. To risk all that takes a courageous man and Atticus is a courageous man.
In conclusion, Atticus is a great literary character because of his kindness, optimism, and courage. He is respectful and hospitable to everyone all the time. He always sees the better side of things. Also, he never gives in no matter what the odds and does what he thinks is right even if there are risks. In a nutshell, Atticus is a respectable person.

Character Sketch
Noses Lor

Sumner Academy of Arts and Science
Composition/Literature 8-5
24 April 2012
510