1. To Kill A Mockingbird (Credible Character)
“Credibility” can be defined as “the quality that somebody or something has that
makes people believe or trust them” (“Credibility,” Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary).
Hence, credible character means a character that can be believed or trusted. The novel „To
Kill A Mockingbird‟ by Harper Lee is a story of how two children, Jem and Scout learn more
about the various kinds of discrimination that exist in Maycomb County, Alabama. However,
by the end of the novel, they are forced to see the dangers of discrimination and are able to
overcome their prejudice. The main character, Atticus Finch is a credible character. There
are several evidences that prove his credibility in this novel.
One of the evidences that portrayed the credibility of Atticus Finch can be seen in
Chapter 3. Scout showed how she really trusted her father when she told Atticus that she
was not going to school anymore and she said that she could do well just by learning from
Atticus at home. “I told Atticus I didn‟t feel very well and didn‟t think I‟d go to school any more
if it was all right with him. Atticus sat down in the swing and crossed his legs. His fingers
wandered to his watchpocket; he said that was the only way he could think. He waited in
amiable silence, and I sought to reinforce my position: „You never went to school and you do
all right, so I‟ll just stay home too. You can teach me like Granddaddy taught you ‟n‟ Uncle
Jack.‟” (Page 39, line 6-14) This shows that Scout was putting high trust towards his father.
She believed that her father could teach her the same as what she learnt in school. For that
reason, Atticus is credible because he was able to have his daughter‟s trust.
In this novel, Judge Taylor asked Atticus to defend a black man, Tom Robinson who
was falsely accused of raping Mayella Violet Ewell because he knew that Atticus was a
credible person. Although he was a white, Atticus still took on the case to defend Tom
because he treated everyone equally and for him, it was significant for his self-worth. As a
result, Atticus had being called as „nigger lover‟ because of his credibility in defending the
black. When Scout asked him if they were going to win the case, Atticus answered with a no.
Then, she asked him why he defending Tom Robinson and Atticus said, "Simply because we
were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win." (Page
101, line 13-14) Atticus knew that the whites have already won the case before they even
started the trial. However, he was still doing his job to defend Tom Robinson because he
wanted to uphold the trusts of the black people for him to struggle for their right. This
example is one way that Atticus portrayed his credibility by having the trusts of black people.
In Chapter 10, Miss Maudie told Scout that she truly trusted Atticus and she believed
that Jem and Scout are very lucky to have Atticus as their father. When Scout told her that
Atticus couldn‟t do anything, Miss Maudie argued her. “You‟d be surprised,” said Miss

2. Maudie. “There‟s life in him yet.” “What can he do?” “Well, he can make somebody‟s will so
airtight can‟t anybody meddle with it.” (Page 120, line 11-15) The conversation between
Scout and Miss Maudie clearly portrayed how Miss Maudie trusted Atticus‟s talents and
abilities in many things. This is just another way that shows how Atticus was credible
according to Miss Maudie‟s point of view.
Another evidence that obviously proves the credibility of Atticus in Chapter 10 is when
Jem and Scout saw Tim Johnson, a mad dog on the street. They went home and told
Calpurnia about it. Calpurnia then made a call to Atticus and he came back home with Mr.
Heck Tate to shoot the mad dog. At first, Atticus asked Heck Tate to shoot the dog but he
refused to do so and he handed the rifle to Atticus. “For God‟s sake, Mr. Finch, look where
he is! Miss and you‟ll go straight into the Radley house! I can‟t shoot that well and you know
it!” (page 127, line 3-5) “I‟d feel mighty comfortable if you did now,” (page 127, line7-8) This
situation shows how Heck Tate trusted Atticus as he seemed very confident that Atticus
could shoot better than him. Therefore, Atticus Finch is credible since he had Mr. Heck
Tate‟s trust.
Besides, another proof that pictures Atticus‟s credibility can be found in Chapter 14.
The night Scout and Jem found Dill under Scout‟s bed, Dill was trying to persuade Jem not to
tell Atticus about him, but then Jem still told Atticus about it. Atticus then decided to give a
call to Miss Rachel to let her know that Dill was safe in their house at that time. “Nobody‟s
about to make you go anywhere but to bed pretty soon. I‟m just going over to tell Miss
Rachel you‟re here and ask her if you could spend the night with us-you‟d like that, wouldn‟t
you? And for goodness‟ sake put some of the country back where it belongs, the soil
erosion‟s bad enough as it is.” (Page 188, line 20-25) The way Atticus explained it to Dill is
somehow shows that he can be trusted. He cared about Dill although he was not his son. In
addition, his decision to inform Miss Rachel about Dill clearly proves that Atticus is a credible
person.
In conclusion, credibility ensures a person to win the genuine respect, confidence and
trust of others (Chandrasekaran, 2012). When other people put their trust, confidence and
respect on you, it means they consider you as a credible person. In this novel, Atticus was
considered as a credible person because his children put their trust on him. Furthermore,
Atticus not only had the black people trust when he tried his best to defend Tom Robinson
but he also had Miss Maudie and Mr. Heck Tate trusts. All the evidences stated above
clearly show that Atticus Finch is credible.