Atticus Finch is a lawyer and father of two children whose names are Jem and Scout. In the novel, Atticus chooses to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman, even though most of Maycomb is against Tom Robinson due to his racist setting. He understood that racism was inhumane and that innocent people needed to be defended, whatever their race. Atticus stands his ground and tries his best to defend Tom Robinson in court, despite the community being against him. Atticus also reminds his children to stand firm during this challenging time, regardless of what others tell them. An example of this is when one day Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose shouted offensive comments at Jem and Scout about their father as they passed by her house. As a result, Jem became indignant and tore up Mrs. Dubose's petunias. When Atticus learned of the incident he punished Jem by making him read to Mrs. Dubose every time