Atticus Finch

Ah, if there is one character that would describe my concept of an ideal human being, it would be Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. His perfection, sadly, confines him to the pages of fiction — more specifically, to a child’s narration of a simplified version of the world.

The real world comes with the added baggage of messy nuances and somehow I can’t picture Atticus being compatible with all that.

However, being too good to be true does not discredit him in any way, for he is perfectly capable of inspiring and captivating people who are very real and whose imperfections get highlighted in his presence.

Trying to explain what makes Atticus exceptional would be a fool’s errand. Pick up Mockingbird and see for yourself. The book also has a brilliant movie adaptation. I still prefer the novel though, with its subtleties and fluid narration.

It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

– Scout, describing Atticus

#peopleworthknowing