Atticus Finch, American Hero

Whether in the form of a living person or a fictional character from a book or movie, heroes are prevalent in everyone's life. The typical view of a hero is someone who fights crime or saves people from mortal peril, but the true definition of a hero is a person of distinguished courage admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is the true definition of hero. Although he wasn't seen as a hero during the time the book took place, Atticus Finch is considered to be one of the most heroic figures in American Literature because of his courage, intelligence, and sense of what is right and what is wrong. In the novel, Atticus' courage is
It states that you can't decide to do the wrong thing because it's easier than doing what is right and expect to be the same as you were before, or, ”you can't have your cake and eat it too.” As Atticus is seen as a heroic figure by the town of Maycomb, neither Scout nor Jem idolizes or admires him at the beginning of the book. Eventually, as the plot progresses and the characters develop, they start to see how amazing Atticus really is and how lucky they are to have him. It's almost ironic how at the beginning, Atticus is respected by the people of the town and unnoticed by his own children, then at the end of the novel the citizens of Maycomb have no respect for him and his children have gained an enormous amount of respect for their dad. The views of the children and the citizens gradually switch as the novel moves on. No matter what views others have about him, Atticus is determined to see the good in every person he meets, which fits him perfectly into the definition of a