Atticus

Atticus

• Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout. His wife died when Scout was 2 and he is bringing the children up on his own, with the help of Calpurnia. Scout "says he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment". It is clear he loves his children.
• His family has been associated with Maycomb for many generations and he is related in some way to most families in the town.
• He is a lawyer. He takes on Tom Robinson's case, knowing he'll lose, explaining to Scout that "every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally".
• He is kind and caring. He paid for his brother's medical training; when Miss Maudie's house burnt down, he saved her favourite rocking chair; he is polite and civil to Mrs Dubose despite her rudenss to him; he is committed to racial equality.
• He tries to get Jem and Scout to see things from other people's point of view. He explains to Scout why Mr Ewell poaches to feed his family and he makes the children think about Boo Radley's life.
• He is scrupulously honest. He tells Jem and Scout the truth about their relatives - rather than the gilded version Aunt Alexandra prefers. When he mistakenly believes that it was Jem who killed Mr Ewell, he is keen not to prevent Jem being punished.
• He has a dry sense of humour. For instance, when Jem is anxious about going to Mrs Dubose's to read because it is dark and spooky, Atticus tells him: "That should appeal to your imagination. Just imagine you're inside the Radley house".
• He always sees the best in people. Far from disliking Mrs Dubose, with her strongly racist views, he admires her for battling against her morphine addiction.
• The only person who has some influence over him is his sister, Aunt Alexandra, who tries to control how he brings up Jem and Scout. However, he does not give in to her request to drop Tom Robinson's case.