Atticus Finch is the father of two children. His character can best be summed up as a man whose character is nearly the complete opposite of the general population of the town. He is a man without prejudice and racial hatred and is a good-hearted man of strong morals. He brings up his children the way he sees right. Atticus sees past a man’s color and looks into the depth of his character. In the beginning of the novel, on page 30, 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.” This shows that Atticus is a man of strong morals and principles and a man who will stand up for what he believes is right. When asked by his children why he chose to defend Tom Robinson when he knew he would most likely not win he replied to them that is he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be able to believe in himself anymore. He chose to defend Tom Robinson because to choose not to would be going against all his personal morals and principles. Due to these strong morals and principles, he is greatly respected by those in Maycomb.Jem and Scout, especially, are disappointed that Atticus doesn’t seem to do anything the other men in the town do. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke and he doesn’t play sports. Yet when a rabid dog enters the street and is likely to threaten the townspeople, Atticus is called upon to deal with it. Here we learn along with the children that Atticus is known as “One Shot Finch” for his remarkable ability with the rifle to hit nearly any target in the first shot. Atticus proved himself to be a good lawyer. Atticus was extremely good at cross-examining witnesses. He had what could almost be called a sixth sense when it involved judging a person’s character and deciding whether or not that person is lying. During Tom Robinson’s trial, Atticus knew that...
