Another poignant symbol in To Kill a Mockingbird which has transcended the test of time is Atticus Finch as the moral hero of the story. Atticus is a pillar of moral goodness who works against the prevailing social norms to maintain the honorable foundation on which he stands. For example, when discussing the Tom Robinson case with his daughter, Atticus says, "Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man" (120). Atticus knows that in order to stay true to himself as a moral human being, he must do everything in his power to help a man in need, even if the odds are against him. Atticus is subconsciously aware that if he begins to walk down a path that veers away from adhering to moral goodness and advocating for the truth, his foundation will begin to deteriorate, and his own thoughts and beliefs could become tainted by the social norms.

Today, it is clearly a struggle to maintain a balance between your morals and the beliefs of society. I believe that Harper Lee’s use of Atticus Finch as the moral pillar of the story speaks to lawyers in today’s world. Advocating on behalf of the pure truth may directly conflict with the beliefs of society and the prevailing social norms. This can be difficult because straying from the norm may cause society to view your practices in a negative way.

Advocating for the pure truth could generate an unfavorable public opinion about you, and in small legal communities reputation can mean everything. Harper Lee speaks to lawyers today through Atticus: regardless of the constraints that society places upon us, it is our duty to seek the truth, and to do our best to allow real justice to prevail.

Finally, let’s wrap this editorial up by going over a few key points.