Essay on Lessons From Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Analysis)

Is there someone in your life that you learn from? People often look up to people that they can learn from. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch is respected by the whole town. Atticus Finch is a father and teaches his kids lessons that are applicable to our lives. In Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a man who teaches us several lessons about how to act both through the way he acts and through the advice he gives his children. 

In Chapter 3 of the book, Atticus gives Scout advice that everyone can learn from. For example, in the text it states “‘First of all,’ he said, ‘if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ...’”(Lee 15). In other words, the author is saying that you should try to think about other people's point of view. The evidence highlights the fact that Atticus is a good man who wants to give his children a good life. The evidence also points out that Atticus gives good advice that anyone could use. In summary, Atticus uses his relationship with his daughter to give her advice that will help everyone in life.

In the book Atticus has taken on a task that he will likely not succeed in, the trial of a black man in the 1930’s south. Throughout the book Atticus is ridiculed and scorned by the people in his majority white town yet he does not give up. It says in the text “‘If you shouldn’t be defendin‘ him, then why are you doin’ it?’ “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’”(Lee 40). This quote shows just how brave Atticus Finch is. One lesson that can be learned from Atticus is to stand up for your morals against all odds. 

The main lesson that can be learned from Atticus Finch is that innocent life is sacred. Atticus embodies this quote most when he says “‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird....”(Lee 47). One can interpret this to say that it is a sin to kill innocent life because the book later explains that Mockingbirds are innocent. One of the characters that the Mockingbird represents is Tom Robinson because he's an innocent man being accused of a crime he did not commit. Atticus Finch is a good man who does his best to show his kids the right way to live.

Another thing that Atticus does is he always follows his conscience. In the text it says “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience” (Lee 55)  The author includes this quote to show what a moral man and Atticus Finch is. This quote also highlights the fact that Atticus Finch does not let other people determine his conscience. Atticus's moral standard is one of the reasons he took on the Tom Robinson case. Atticus shows us that having a good moral compass will lead to making other positive decisions.

In conclusion Atticus Finch teaches several lessons throughout To Kill a Mockingbird through his actions and his advice. Atticus is a very respectable man who is respected by everyone around him. He teaches us that innocent life is sacred, that people should not affect your moral compass, that sometimes you just need to see things the way the other people do, and that you should stand up for your values.