Kill a Mocking Bird's Aticus Finch Defined

¶ … kill a Mocking Bird's Aticus Finch Defined as one of the best novel of the 20th Century, and selling more than "30 million copies around the world" having it's translation in more than 40 languages (Flood), the book "To Kill a Mocking Bird" has been considered as a true reflction of the American society in 1936. The story revolves around the story of the racial differences that exist in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. The story is being narrated by the six-year daughter of the lawyer Atticus Finch, Scout Finch.

The main plot revolves around the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white girl, and is being defended by Atticus. The story from the point-of-view of the child continues to be narrated, despite being forbidden to attend the court proceedings, as they hide themselves in the colored gallery. Facing a town which is shocked by the display of empathy that the lawyer has for his client, they are faced with many a taunts and threats, but Atticus refuses to bow down.

However, this situation hardly changes even after proving beyond a doubt that his client is in a fact innocent, and Tom Robinson is found guilty by the jury and eventually shot as he tried to escape from the prison. The impact of this decision is felt on a deeper level by the Atticus and his two children, who are even attacked by the humiliated Bob Ewell, the father of the girl who charged Tom Robinson for raping her.

They are saved from this attack by the very mysterious neighbor, the center of much talk in the town, Boo Radley, who in the last lines of the book seems to be symbolized as the silent observer of all that happens around him, much like the American Society of that time. The character Atticus Finch has been a much loved character in the American Literature. As a lawyer, he represents the highest degree of morality towards which any legal professional should aspire to reach.

The character was inspired from the form of Harper Lee's father. Shown as a character, which is much clear on what is right and wrong, Atticus Finch is a man who stands up for what he believes is right and what is wrong. He is shown as a man for whom the rules of the world are the same, no matter what age, color or creed, which is made visible in the way in which he conducts his personal and his professional life.

He has become a character which is still much loved by all. The movie for this 1960 novel was released in the year 1962, and was produced by Alan J. Pakula, while the role of Atticus Finch was played by Gregory Peck, and the role even got him an Oscar.it has been the general point-of-view that the changes in the movie were very minimal and therefore didn't affect the very essence of the book. The Choice of Gregory Peck for the role was considered perfect.

In preparing for the role of Atticus Finch, the actor made it a point to first meet the very source of the character that is the father of Harper Lee. Therefore it can be safely concluded that he took the main inspiration from the most authentic source and in this regard his personality fitted the character of Atticus Finch from the novel. The character has been taken on by Gregory to the last detail as it was imagined by Lee.

However, the sense of the killing of the dog by Atticus has been considered as a much emotional and dramatic then it was portrayed in the book. The reason for this can be concluded to the fact that the visual medium allowed to create the intensity that such a role created in the overall scheme of things. The scene was one which raised a conflict within Atticus for his actions, who being against killing never went hunting.

But in this situation, he is faced with the need to kill a mad dog which can endanger the life of the citizens of the town to his own values and how his actions will be interpreted by his children. While in the book the character traits of Atticus has been established through narration in detail, in the movie this was the pivotal stage in which the tension of the scene can be depicted to show the strength of character.

His qualities as a father also come through in the movie which was an essential part of the book, where his own life and the turmoil that has come into it because of defending an African-American man, and are now even affecting the life of his children. The relationship between the children and the father is an important part.