CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Untitled Slide

CHARACTER TRAITS

CIVILIZED

• To clarify, to be civilized is to be polite and sophisticated. Atticus demonstrates these qualities throughout the book.
• Miss Maudie says that he is "civilized in heart" (Lee 130) because even though he is skilled at shooting, he does not partake in the sport anymore.
• Miss Maudie says if Atticus "drank until he was drunk he wouldn't be as hard as some men are at their best" (Lee 60). This means that Atticus is a righteous person, which is now becoming rare.

CIVILIZED (CONT.)

• "Atticus didn't bat an eye" (Lee 291) when Bob Ewell confronted him the day after the trial. He acted polite and civilized throughout the ordeal and didn't say anything spiteful to Bob in reprisal.
• Atticus told Scout that "it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in" (Lee 205). This shows that Atticus is a civilized person who teaches his children to be polite to everyone.

UNBIASED

• Atticus is an unbiased person. He doesn't discriminate between black and white or rich and poor like many other racists in this novel.
• Scout says, "Atticus don't ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard" (Lee 61), meaning that he doesn't act differently towards his children (although he does show affection towards them). This shows that Atticus is unbiased and trustworthy.

UNBIASED (CONT.)

• Atticus teaches his children to be unbiased. He tells them, "As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men everyday 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, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash" (Lee 295). Atticus believes that the quality of a person's character is a better judge than that person's status or race.

UNBIASED (CONT.)

• While talking to his brother, Atticus ponders, "Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand" (Lee 117). This demonstrates how Atticus is an unbiased person because he does not judge people by the color of their skin.

COLOR

AQUA

• Atticus is aqua, which is a mixture of green and blue, because he is calm, content, and satisfied.
• During the trial, Scout says that Atticus could make even a rape case boring because of his "his infinite capacity for calming turbulent seas" (Lee 226).
• Atticus advises Scout to "hold your head high and keep those fists down" (Lee 101). This shows that he wants her to be calm and content, no matter what others say.

CONNECTION TO PLOT LINE

THE TRIAL OF TOM ROBINSON

• Atticus is involved in the trial of Tom Robinson because he is assigned the task of defending him.
• Atticus describes this case as "peculiar" and says that "every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally" (Lee 101). He believes that this is it for him.
• The trial of Tom Robinson is a major plot line that reveals several things about Atticus's character. For one, the reader can discern how morally courageous Atticus is. Second, it shows how segregated the town of Maycomb is.

BIO POEM

Atticus
Judicious, Civilized, Altruistic, Unprejudiced
Lover of books, Jem, Scout
Who feels brave, compassionate, morose
Who needs equality, justice, peace
Who fears corruption, dishonesty, inequity
Who gives trust, affection, second chances
Who would like to see justice for all Negroes
Resident of Maycomb
Finch

LITERARY MANDALA

Character: Atticus
Description: Wise, Patient, Honest, Trustworthy, Fair, Kind, Steadfast, Hardworking, Polite, Morally Courageous

SUNSIDE

• The elephant symbolizes patience, strength, wisdom, reliability, and contemplation. This description fits Atticus very well. For example, Atticus shows strength when he says, "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what" (Lee 149).

SUNSIDE (CONT.)

• Aloe, a plant, symbolizes protection, affection, healing, and luck. Atticus portrays all of these qualities throughout the novel. For example, when "Atticus reached out and massaged Jem's hair" (Lee 207), he showed affection towards his son.

SUNSIDE (CONT.)

• The color green symbolizes healing, stability, endurance, safety, and peace. For these reasons, this color suits Atticus's personality very well. For example, when Atticus reassures Jem by saying "It's not time to worry yet" (Lee 285), he shows stability.

SUNSIDE (CONT.)

• The cross (shape) represents healing, nature, wisdom, balance, faith, unity, temperance and hope. Atticus demonstrates these characteristics throughout the novel. For example, when Atticus says, "I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town. I hope they trust me enough" (Lee 117), this shows how important faith is to him.

SUNSIDE (CONT.)

• The number 4 symbolizes practicality, stability, and completion of justice. Four is the number of order in the universe and there are very few superstitions associated with it. Atticus can be imputed to all of these traits. For example, when Scout says that "he never loosened a scrap of clothing until he undressed at bedtime" (Lee 271), the reader can infer that Atticus is practical.

SHADOWSIDE

• The armadillo symbolizes safety, strong boundaries, trust, peace, neutrality, and sensitivity to attack. While Atticus has many good qualities, he also has some negative ones that are listed above. For example, the reader discovers that Atticus can be sensitive to attack when Aunt Alexandra says "it tears him to pieces" (Lee 316) to defend Tom in the trial because of the injustice.

SHADOWSIDE (CONT.)

• The Cypress tree is associated with longevity, healing, protection, and comfort. However, this tree is also associated with mourning because it was used to build funeral pyres. This describes Atticus's shadowside because while he has many positive traits, he also feels abysmal about the trial of Tom Robinson (as explained by the quote in the previous slide).

SHADOWSIDE (CONT.)

• The color blue connotes intelligence, depth, trust, calmness, and sadness. This description fits Atticus. He is a very calm person ("Atticus didn't bat an eye" (Lee 291)), but is also afflicted by the task of defending Tom Robinson.

SHADOWSIDE (CONT.)

• The square represents honesty, order, rationality, formality, peacefulness, and solidity. It can be seen as boring. Atticus is the epitomy of a square because while he is an intelligent person, Scout and Jem think that he is boring during the first part of the novel. For example, Scout says that "Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty" (Lee 118).

SHADOWSIDE (CONT.)

• The number two symbolizes peace, harmony, tolerance, and patience. Yet at the same time, it also connotes pessimism and is an unhappy number. This describes Atticus because while he is peaceful and patient, he is also pessimistic during the trial. He tries hard to defend Tom, but he doesn't believe that they will win the case.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1960. Print.