AN ANALYSIS OF ATTICUS’ MORAL VALUES IN HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Abstract

This thesis concerns with one characterization in literary work. “To Kill A Mockingbird”, novel written by Harper Lee’s telling about an exploration of human morality, and presents a constant conversation regarding the inherent goodness or evilness of people. This thesis studies about Atticus’ moral values. He is a lawyer and a father of children, Scout and Jem. He plays the role as a teacher, for his children and his town. Atticus believes that people usually contain aspects of both goodness and evilness, but that good will usually prevail. Atticus teaches this not only to his children, but also to the town, as he works to defend Tom Robinson, an innocent black man who is accused of false crime of raping a white woman. Therefore, it is interesting that to analyze what Atticus’ moral values are, how he renders his moral values to people, and what motivates him to gain his moral values as well as his moral values affect his life and Maycomb society. Moreover, this novel is interesting to analyze because the story of the novel teaches us many things in life.