American hero

Пономарева Анастасия. Жетысуский Государственный Университет, город Талдыкорган, Алматинская область, Казахстан

Nelle Harper Lee is the author who wrote the famous novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1960. To Kill A Mockingbird won Pulitzer in 1961 and was voted the best American novel of the century in 1999. One of the main characters of this novel is Atticus Finch. He has a well-respected family but he is a lawyer and widowed father who is raising his children.

First, Atticus Finch is the descendant of Simon Finch, an apothecary from England who settled near Maycomb. Atticus has a brother, Jack Finch, and his sister, Alexandra Finch. Also, while Atticus was a legislator, he met and married the future mother of his children, Jem and Scout Finch. But his wife died of a heart attack two years after Scout, their younger child, was born and their eldest child, Jem, was six years old. Equally important, Atticus loves his family. And he is the descendant from a well-respected local family local family.

Second, Atticus is a lawyer went to Montgomery to study law, rather than stayed in the family homestead named “Finch’s Landing”. Then he returned to Maycomb, some twenty miles east of Finch’s Landing, and began his practice. Later Atticus Finch was elected to the State Legislature, was then reelected without opposition many times, and was known as a respected and hard-working worker. Also, unable to abide the town’s comfortable ingrained racial prejudice, he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of raping a while woman, Mayella Ewell. In addition, he is known as a successful lawmaker in Maycomb.

Third, Atticus demonstrates his love for Jem and Scout by spending time with them. For instance, he often reads to them. Then Atticus waits for them after school. At Scout’s young age, the security of seeing her father waiting for is a good feeling. Next, he strives to give his children spirit, bravery, tolerance for others and treat everyone equally. For example, Atticus told, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you will get along a lot better with all kinds of folks”. Also, Atticus hired Calpurnia, a black cook, to for the kids while he is not at home. In fact, when Atticus was not at home, Calpurnia took the children to a black church where she protected them from Lula who criticized Atticus’ children. In addition, caring for his children shows Atticus loves them.

Finally, one of the central characters of the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” is Atticus Finch. He represents the ideal of a lawyer, father and human being. He teaches his children on the importance of being open-minded, judicious, generous neighbors and citizens.