In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus, the lawyer of Maycomb and father of Scout and Jem Finch, is a relatively complex character. He teaches the children life lessons and does not always conform to the thinking from the rest of the town. He tells Scout “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(Lee 33). This is one of the first important lessons Atticus teaches Scout which allows her to move through the story with a slightly different perspective. From the start to end Atticus is shown as caring, compromising, trusting, skillful, gentle, and beaten down.
In the beginning, Lee portrays Atticus as caring and compromising. An …show more content…
His trusting nature is shown especially when he believes in what Calpurnia teaches and defends her against accusations; he says “‘We couldn't operate a single day without Cal, have you ever thought of that? You think about how much Cal does for you, and you mind her, you hear?’” (Lee 28). Atticus intrusts Scout in the hands of Calpurnia and has complete faith in her teaching. While trusting, Atticus can also be seen as skillful in riflery. His gunmanship is shown when he shoots Ol’ Tim Johnson from a distance even the sheriff could not reach, “With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus’s hand yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap.” (Lee 110). Atticus had just shot a dog after not having shot a gun in thirty years which shows how he has a skill, unlike many others. His trusting nature and skillfulness are two more attributes portrayed through Atticus that allow his character to move through the