1. LOOKS LIKE
1.1. Old
1.1.1. Atticus was feeble, he was nearly fifty...He was much older then the parents of our school (Page #98)
1.1.1.1. This indicates that Atticus is quite old which had been hinted earlier when he wasn't playing in the parents football match. Although until now we didn't know a specific number
1.2. Poor Vision
1.2.1. He was nearly blind in his left eye, and said left eyes were the tribal curse of the Finches. Whenever he wanted to see anything well , he turned his head and looked from his right eye
1.2.1.1. Atticus wore glasses which showed he was educated and was unlike to the other people lived in Maycomb. His right eye was nearly blind.
1.3. Quality
1.3.1. Quote or Evidence (Including page #)
1.3.1.1. Explain
2. BELIEFS & vALUES
2.1. No bullying/Making fun of - The Radleys are good people
2.1.1. 'No' said Atticus, 'putting his life on display for the edification of the neighbourhood' (page #55)
2.1.1.1. Atticus is rarely stern with his children, Jem and Scout. He believes that the Radley's are good people and do not deserve to be made fun of. He is putting an end to their childish games.
2.2. Treat children as adults
2.2.1. When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em. (Page #97)
2.2.1.1. When Scout was using bad language and asked what a 'whore lady' was Uncle Jack didn't answer properly. This dialect comes from Atticus telling Jack what he did wrong. This is important because it shows that Atticus understands the way children work and how they want to be treated as an adult.
2.3. Basic Morals
2.3.1. 'They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it- seems that only children weep.' (page 235)
2.3.1.1. Atticus says this after the conviction of Tom Robinson. He already knew what the outcome would be but he believed against it.
2.4. Do what is right
2.4.1. 'Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man.' (Page #116)
2.4.1.1. Atticus would feel as if he was doing a wrong by not helping Tom Robinson as he knew that no one else would.
3. HOW OTHERS SEE HIM OR HER...
3.1. Pleasant
3.1.1. 'If Atticus Finch drank until he was drunk he wouldn't be as hard as some men are at their best.' (page #50)
3.1.1.1. Miss Maudie says this about Atticus. It says he is seen as a pleasant man and is also a gentleman.
3.2. Intergrity
3.2.1. in spite of Atticus's shortcomings as a parent, people were content to re-elect him to the state legislature...without opposition.
3.2.1.1. People believed that Atticus was the best people to be the state legislature.
3.3. Sacrifying
3.3.1. I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them. (Page #237)
3.3.1.1. Miss Maudie is explaining to Scout the difficulty of Tom Robinson's case. This shows Atticus to be a team player, he will do the things that no one else want to do, and he won't just do them any old way, he will do them to the best of his ability
4. ACTS LIKE
4.1. Gentle/Kind
4.1.1. 'Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.' (Page #51)
4.1.1.1. Atticus is an open book. He doesn't have secrets and he is just as nice and caring to others as he is to his own family
4.2. Courteous
4.2.1. Well, Mr. Finch didn't act that way to Mayella and old man Ewell when he cross-examined them. The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered-" (Page 219)
4.2.1.1. Atticus treated everyone with respect even with Mayella. He was courteous and did not use racism terms to address others.
4.3. Courageous/Brave
4.3.1. 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. (Page #124)
4.3.1.1. Atticus is explaining bravery and is using Mrs Dubose as an example and her battle against her morphine addiction. This is also an analogy to the way Atticus responded to Tom Robinson's case. He knew he wasn't going to win, although he tried his best anyway.
5. MOTIVATED BY
5.1. Personal commitment to justice.
5.1.1. "For a number of reasons," said Atticus. "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again. …Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess." (Page
5.1.1.1. Atticus thought that if he did not defend Tom, it is act against his conscience.
5.2. The haters!
5.2.1. 'Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for.' Page #113
5.2.1.1. In the town even the children had been brought up to resent the blacks. Atticus knew he would get this backlash but still wanted to do what he knew was right.
5.3. Righteous
5.3.1. "I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system—that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty." (Page 227)
5.3.1.1. Atticus stands for truth, fairness, and he hopes the American legal system would give justice to those who are wrongfully accused
6. TEXTUAL ISSUES OR CONCERNS LINKED TO THIS CHARACTER
6.1. Mockingbird Analogy
6.1.1. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.(Page #99)
6.1.1.1. Atticus is telling his children some advice on shooting. Although it is really an analogy to the story. The mockingbirds are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, it is a sin to persecute and hurt them because they don't do any harm to anyone else. This is one of the most famous quotes to the story.
6.2. Understanding People
6.2.1. You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it (Page #33)
6.2.1.1. Atticus here is giving some important moral advice to Scout. He suggest you never understand people until you think about things their way. For example people are always making judgements about Boo Radley, whereas if you look at things from his point of view (which both children do later) they understand why he is the way he is.
6.3. Standing up for oneself or someone else
6.3.1. 'That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.' (Including Page #173)
6.3.1.1. Atticus doing what he knows is right could land hi in trouble with other men in the town who are against him.
6.4. Peer Pressure
6.4.1. 'The court appointed Atticus to defend him. Atticus aimed to defend him. That's what they didn't like about it. It was confusing.'(Page #180)
6.4.1.1. Because Atticus was defending Tom and wasn't going to bludge through. He wanted to do a good job. The majority of the town wanted Tom to be convicted.