Atticus Finch
Age: Nearly 50 years old
Occupation: Lawyer, (and in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’) He was working on Tom Robinson’s case, defending an African American man, which was at that time, not an easy occupation.
Home: Maycomb. He was ‘born and bred in Maycomb County. He knew the people; the people knew him.
Situation: Relatively well off in the times that it was set; he could still afford to hire a housekeeper (Calpurnia).
Children: -
Jeremy (Jem) Finch – Son of Atticus, age 10 years old – 13 years old throughout ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.
Jean Louise (Scout) Finch – Daughter of Atticus, age 6 years old – 9 years old throughout ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.
Atticus’s parenting skills were referred to as ‘satisfactory’ by his children. ‘He played with us, read with them us, and treated them us with courteous detachment.
Skills:
· Atticus is known as ‘One-Shot Finch’ in Maycomb County due to his skilled shooting skills using the rifle. This was revealed (in Chapter 10) when he shot the mad dog, Tim Johnson.
· Skilled lawyer. He can (as Miss Maudie said) ‘make somebody’s will so airtight can’t anybody meddle with it’
· Best checker-player in town. Can beat everybody on both sides of the river at the Landing
· Can play the Jew’s harp.
Interests/Likes:
· Enjoyed reading, and displays his extensive immersion into literature.
Dislikes:
· Criminal law. His distaste for it arose in the scenario when Atticus realised that he could do no more for his client than be present for their departure.
Traits:
· Relationship and influence with/over children changes progressively throughout the novel. At first, Scout thought her father couldn’t do anything, but through defending Tom Robinson, he gained Jem’s and Scout’s respect.
· Supports his children through their childhood, for instance: purposely loses to Jem and Scout when playing checkers.
· Bravery, displayed through the mad dog incident.
· Belief in equality and justice, despite race. This is shown through one of the main plots of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (the case of Tom Robinson) and challenges the racial prejudice present in the 1930s. He does not believe that the African Americans were any different from himself and attempts profusely to discourage the racism against them. He still enforces just behaviour even when his family was on the line (when Atticus assumed that it was Jem who killed Bob Ewell and wanted it all out in the open).
· His morality, civility and open-mindedness never wavered. He is the figure and icon of all that is good in the world.
· Different to the other fathers of the children at Jem and Scout’s school. He is older and is interested in other diversions. He sits around and reads, compared to the other men in the town who engage in hunting, fishing and playing touch football.
Other Characteristics:
· Left eye nearly blind, thus, whenever needed to look at something clearly, he tilts his head so he can use his right eye.
