Atticus Finch Research Paper

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Atticus Finch: Is He Really a Good Parent? Parents create a huge impact in their children’s lives, and parenting is not an easy task. A few mistakes can affect a child’s path to adulthood. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the 1930’s. It is told from the point of view of young Scout Finch who tells about her childhood and her father, Atticus. He is a lawyer defending a black man who is falsely accused of rape. Atticus Finch is a good parent as he sets rules, teaches his kids important lessons, and listens to them.
Atticus is an authoritative parent. According to article: How Do You Affect Your Child by Lucy Martin and Virginia Hite, “A parent who rates high in both demandingness and responsiveness is considered authoritative.” Atticus expresses these characteristics throughout the book as he parents his children. While talking about his daughter he says, “...she minds me as well as she can, doesn’t come up to …show more content…

When an angry neighbor criticizes Atticus he turns his response into a lesson for his kids, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see through it no matter what.” (Lee 149). He teaches his kids that it is courageous to stand up for what you believe in, even if you don’t think you can win. Learning lessons plays a big role in a child’s life, it builds character and helps them later in life. In a 2015 article titled The Overprotected Kid, author Hanna Rosin writes, “Even today, growing up is a process of managing fears and learning to arrive at sound decisions.” This shows it is important for people to learn these things in their childhood to help them manage fears and make good decisions. Atticus demonstrates on multiple occasions that he can teach his children important life

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