() This is juxtaposed as the novel progresses as he ‘bought the gun to his shoulder…the rifle cracked.” () This demonstrates how Lee portrays Atticus as fragile and unable to begin with, however later in the chapter he is presented vastly differently, specifically where he shoots Tim Robinson and is therefore the saviour of the county. The original perception of Atticus at the beginning of the chapter presents him as being “feeble,’ giving the impression to the audience he is unable and weak. The fact that Atticus isn’t ashamed of standing up and facing the mad dog alone whilst everyone else cowers in their homes demonstrates that he is far stronger than Scout had initially thought. After killing the dog, Atticus tells his children that “he’s just as dangerous dead as alive.” this illustrates that after he killed the mad dog, it may be put out of its pain, but the rabies is still potent as ever, showing how racism may never truly be abolished in Maycomb County, despite Atticus’s bravery and determination.
Atticus needs to be able to make sure that, when he attempts to rid Maycomb of racism, it needs to be a “one-shot job” and it needs to be over quickly.
This highlights how in a small community like Maycomb, when someone finds a problem with the regime of the society, everyone else is too afraid to change it, as they may be shunned or looked down upon for doing so. Atticus is the one who kills the dog as “Mr Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus”, and nobody else seemed able to shoot it. Here, Lee uses metaphoric symbolisation to communicate how the dog represents Maycomb County and a majority of its residents, the rabies of which it has been afflicted with represents the infection of racism within Maycomb. Within this chapter, Lee defines Atticus as “feeble” and associates it with the fact that he was “nearly fifty”, yet this is juxtaposed when he is burdened with the task of killing the mad dog, Tim Johnson. Therefore, the way in which Lee brings forth the idea of the juxtaposition of Atticus' original description and all of the above events proves his true attitude and character to be stronger and more determined than originally presented. This is again outlined during the trial, where Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. As well as this act showing extraordinary bravery and talent, it also highlights how Atticus was willing to stand up against the racism in Maycomb, as the rabies the dog is afflicted with is a larger metaphor for the disease which affects Maycomb County racism. Atticus repeatedly does things that defy his initial presentation to the audience, such as killing a rabid dog who posed a threat to the citizens of Maycomb "…he (Atticus) brought the gun to his shoulder…Tim Johnson leaped…He didn't know what hit him." (page 102).
However, this initial quote is juxtaposed throughout the text by Atticus' actions.
Lee, by using the narrator, Scout, describes Atticus as being "…feeble he was nearly fifty." (page 98). Within the passage, Harper Lee depicts Atticus as a weak and frail character with very few 'useful' talents in the eyes of his children and within the social constructs of Maycomb County.
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