In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is seen almost as a pillar of society, a champion of the Negroes' cause in a white man's world. This is demonstrated in several ways. Firstly, by the fact that Atticus, despite massive public outcry, decides to take on Tom Robinson's defense case, and even more so when he puts in an honest effort to defend him, and secondly, in the way that …showed first 75 words of 645 total…

…showed last 75 words of 645 total…you can't see. This carries over to his view of Tom Robinson. The rest of the community sees a lying, beating, Negro rapist. Atticus sees a victim of Bob Ewell, and it becomes clear that Atticus is the only one who is seeing properly. Overall, Atticus has a good attitude towards racism, but, like the rest of the town, he is powerless to change the attitudes of the majority, to alter the commonly accepted norm.