The true path leading to authentic individuality: Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

Abstract

Atticus Finch, a talented lawyer, of To Kill a Mockingbird is brave enough to stand against an unfair judgement. The novel depends on the story of Tom Robinson, who is judged by the court for his so-called crime only because of his skin color and position in the society. Although there is the lack of concrete evidence and Atticus Finch’s rightful support as a powerful white male, Tom is found guilty. As the novel explicitly indicates, he is intentionally misjudged since he is within a lower position as a black person in the community. Namely, the issue is about his being lower and black without any logical consideration. However, Atticus, as the voice of justice and embodiment of true personality, both plausibly defends Tom’s innocence and struggles to teach his children how to behave in life about justice and rationality. Therefore, Atticus is a remarkable individual to be ideal in a society in which the white superiority overwhelms the black people and thus virtue loses its actual meaning. In this context, this study aims to discuss Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird by reflecting his strong posture as a true individual regarding both his family and the corrupt community.

Keywords

• Justice
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Atticus Finch
• Individual
• Skin color

The true path leading to authentic individuality: Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

Abstract

Bülbülü Öldürmek eserinin yetenekli avukatı Atticus Finch, haksız bir yargıya karşı duracak kadar cesurdur. Roman, yalnızca ten rengi ve toplumdaki konumu nedeniyle sözde suçu için mahkeme tarafından yargılanan Tom Robinson’ın hikayesine dayanmaktadır. Somut kanıt eksikliği ve Atticus Finch’in güçlü bir beyaz erkek olarak haklı desteği olmasına rağmen, Tom suçlu bulunur. Romanın açıkça belirttiği gibi, toplumda Tom siyahi bir kişi olarak daha düşük bir konumda olduğu için kasıtlı olarak yanlış yargılanmıştır. Yani konu, mantıksal bir değerlendirme olmaksızın onun daha düşük bir konuma sahip olması ve siyahi olmasıyla ilgilidir. Ancak Atticus, adaletin sesi ve gerçek kişiliğin vücut bulmuş hali olarak, hem Tom’un masumiyetini makul bir şekilde savunur hem de çocuklarına hayatta adalet ve rasyonellik hakkında nasıl davranmaları gerektiğini öğretmek için mücadele eder. Bu nedenle Atticus, beyaz üstünlüğünün siyahi insanları ezdiği ve böylece erdemin gerçek anlamını yitirdiği bir toplumda ideal olması gereken dikkate değer bir bireydir. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışma, Bülbülü Öldürmek romanındaki Atticus Finch’i, hem ailesini hem de yozlaşmış toplumu ele alarak gerçek bir birey olarak güçlü duruşunu yansıtarak tartışmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Adalet
• Bülbülü Öldürmek
• Atticus Finch
• Birey
• Ten rengi

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