Atticus Finch In To Kill A Mockingbird

Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is a kind parent to his children, Scout and Jem. Since the family is without a mother, Atticus steps up to be the main adult in his children's lives. Atticus exhibits the attributes: exemplary, detached, and respectful. Atticus tries to relay there attributes into his children's everyday life.
Atticus is exemplary throughout the book. He teaches the children lessons on how everyone should be treated. At the end of the novel, his son and daughter are attacked and almost killed. Afterwards he reads to his daughter about a bad man who she believes to be nice. He then states, “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them (376).” Even after the attack he still sees only the good in people. He reminds his children of the good in the world. Atticus positively influences the children's lives through his daily actions.

Although this can seem as a negative, it allows for the kids to show their thoughts, free from adult influences. As stated in the book, “Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment (6).” His detachment gives the children independency and room to for their own ideas. Due to their father being a lawyer, the kids see and hear more sophisticated things occur. They hear jargon and actions that are usually kept away from the young. The courteous detachment is Atticus’s way of letting the children begin to see the world for what it really