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Atticus Finch is one of the main characters in the 1960 book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Finch is a lawyer who defends Tom Robinson, a black man being tried for rape. He does this because he feels that not doing so would make him a hypocrite. Atticus serves as a guiding light for his children, always calm and patient. He teaches them that one should not dwell on the fact that evil exists, but that they should instead realize that the existence of this evil is a sign that there is work to do, and progress to make. His strong presence in his children's lives prevents them from becoming symbols of destroyed innocence, such as Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
Atticus provides the moral backbone of the story. In the book, no other charecter radiates goodness than Atticus. He is not only a very effective and just lawyer, but holds kindness and empathy as the highest traits a person can have.
In the 1962 film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, Finch was played by Gregory Peck. Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero of all time by the American Film Institute in their special feature AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains.
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