7/21/2019 Atticus Finch is a TRUE Christian

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Thomas Williamson

English II (B)

Ms. Allen

9 September 2013

Atticus Finch: Christian or Not

To Kill a Mockingbirdfeatures the character Atticus Finch. Finch is a well-

respected lawyer living in Maycomb, Alabama. He defended Tom Robinson, an African

American who was arrested for raping a white woman, due to his belief that everyone is

equal. However, some have questioned whether or not Atticus is a true Christian or not.

Atticus Finch is a true Christian and here is why.

First, Atticus is a very caring person. He loves his children and doesnt want any

harm to come to them. He tells them about being a good person and how to never hurt

someone. Courage is not 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 (pg. 128). He is not only caring to his children, but to

the town of Maycomb as well. An example of this is when he shows consideration for

Mrs. Dubose, an elderly woman who badmouths Atticus and his children, even though

she called him a nigger-lover. Atticus is also caring about Tom Robinson due to

Atticus belief that Tom is innocent and that he has been arrested for his skin color.

Another trait that makes Atticus a true Christian is that he is not prejudice. He

defends Tom even though he is African American. This was considered blasphemous

because African Americans were still being discriminated against. The reason why he

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defended Tom was because of his belief that everyone is equal, and he wants his children

to understand that being racist is not something to be proud of. "As you grow older you'll

see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and

don't you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is,

how rich he is, of how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash" (pg. 252).

Not only does he defend Tom Robinson in court, but Atticus also has a maid, Calpurnia,

whom he is very kind to. He can be considered very courageous for having a positive

outlook towards African Americans.

The final trait that makes Finch a Christian is that he is courageous. At the time

To Kill a Mockingbirdis set, it was shocking for a Caucasian to defend an African

American. However, he did it for what he believed in, and if he didnt do it, he would

lose his childrens respect. The main one is, if I didnt I couldnt hold up my head in

town, I couldnt represent this country in legislature, I couldnt even tell you or Jem not

to do something again (pg. 86). Another example of Atticus being courageous is when

he shoots a mad dog running loose even though he never used a gun in years.

Atticus Finch is a lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird. He defended an African

American accused of rape because of his racial equality beliefs. Atticus has been a

subject of questioning when it came to being a true Christian. He is a true Christian

because of his caring, courageous, and non-racist beliefs. Finch is a character that is truly

inspirational and is a great role model. He will always be considered as one of the great

literature characters till the end time.