Comment on Atticus' role as a father. How does he behave towards his children and what advice does he give them? Throughout the book, Atticus can be seen as the epitome of moral character, he lives by his ethics and in doing so teaches his children and the town alike how to stand up for one's beliefs; this is particularly evident when he takes on the Tom Robinson case. Atticus has a close relationship with his children, probably reinforced by his being their only parent. He treats his children like equals, this is apparent from the beginning, especially as they call him Atticus and not father. Education is important to Atticus, he believes that education is the key to unlocking the ignorance that causes prejudice, this is noticeable during the Tom Robinson case where Atticus says, 'confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the evil assumption that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their calibre' (p211). Consequently, he teaches his children from an early age, although he does not employ the conventional methods used to tutor children. Scout was taught to read by following whatever Atticus was reading in the evenings; again, Atticus did not treat her as inferior but allowed her to read from newspapers etc like an adult. This is a stark contrast from Scout's first teacher, Miss Caroline, who is displeased that Scout can already read and commands her to tell Atticus not to teach her to read, telling Scout that is was 'best to begin reading with a new mind' (p23). The situation regresses, as Scout tries to explain to Miss Caroline about the various family stereotypes in Maycomb, namely, why Walter Cunningham would not accept money for lunch from her. Miss Caroline's reaction was to haul Scout to the front of the class and punish her. Later that evening Scout related the events to Atticus, who advised her to sympathize with Miss Caroline, Scout questions this idea and Atticus replies that 'you never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.' (p35). This marks one of the philosophies that Atticus tries the hardest to teach his children, that you should look at things from others' points of view before judging them and should act with compassion and an open-mind at all times- Jem begins to understand this later in the book when he says to Scout, 'I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time it's because he
...reinforcing the idea that the roles are now switched. Atticus keeps calm during most of the situations, but lets others boss him around and take control while he mainly sits and waits nearby. Scout and Jem begin to stand up for their father when he will not stand up for himself and act caring as if they were in charge of Atticus’ actions, protecting him from the evils of others. Scout supports this idea when she begins to talk very adult-like with Mr. Cunningham, especially showing her thoughtful wisdom when speaking of “entailments”. Atticus later shows that he is proud of his children for sticking up for him when he did not himself by massaging Jem’s hair in his “one gesture of affection.” So while Atticus often is being the best father figure he can to Scout and Jem, they are also very helpful to him by taking control of situations that he would not be able to.
Although Atticus is not like every other parent, he shows his love to his kids in his own ways. He does not need to be kissing them, hugging them or buying them things to show his affection for them. His ways are unique ways that show that Atticus is a positive parental figure. Another good piece of evidence that shows that Atticus is a positive parental figure is that he sets a good example for the children. He sets a good example by being honest and telling them why he has to defend Tom Robinson even if that decision jeopardizes his reputation and the family. When Atticus was talking to Scout about defending Tom he said, “The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (100). These words show that Atticus values equality and justice and it is setting an excellent example for the kids to follow at such a young age. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, an African American man, because he believes in equality for all. Atticus also mentioned that before he tells the children to do something or follow values he, Atticus, must display them first, and he
Atticus is a great leader of his family, teaching his children morals and life lessons. He makes them better people by showing them how to deal with the trial and people making fun of them. Atticus teaches Scout how to respect other people. First, Scout learns to respect Atticus, then to respect "Boo" Radley, and finally to respect a whole race of people, negroes. He makes it a common practice to live his life as he would like his children to live theirs, and thus displays the attributes of an honest, respectable, and kind man. Throughout the trial process, Atticus shows Jem and Scout that true courage is standing up for what you believe in and that all human beings, despite their race, deserve respect. "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This quote shows that Atticus wants his children to get along with people, and so other people will respect them for whom they are.
One of the first lessons taught in Mockingbird is the power of understanding other people’s perspectives. Initially, Scout has trouble empathizing with other people, especially her first Grade Teacher, Miss Caroline, whom Scout becomes frustrated at for not understanding Maycomb’s complex social structure. After hearing his daughter complain, Atticus tells Scout that she'll “get along a lot better with all kinds of folks [if she] considers things from [their] point of view” (39). After ‘standing in the shoes of another person’, it is much harder to be prejudiced towards that person. Indeed, this may be because a key tenet of prejudice is disregarding the views of whoever is being judged. Nevertheless, it proves difficult for Scout to grasp this relatively simple concept, who begins to hear rumors of Boo Radley, an enigma who has not been seen outside his home for over 30 years. Thus begins Jem and Scout’s quest to make Boo Radley come outs...
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch’s parenting skills were often questioned throughout the novel. Although there were people that didn’t believe he was a good father, I think that he was. There are many different reasons provided throughout the novel that prove he is a good father. Atticus may let his children get away with a little more than the average parent would, but he has a good head on his shoulders. He is open to giving his kids more freedoms and there’s nothing wrong with that. Atticus approaches life with a devotion to fairness and exposes his children, Jem and Scout, to real life. Overall, he makes a pretty good father.
Scout first learns to show compassion and tolerance by refusing to go to school because she hates Miss Caroline. Atticus tells her that, 'First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it'; (30). When Atticus told her this, she began to accept Miss Caroline as well as other people's differences and opinions.
Atticus did what no other person would do in Maycomb, he defended a negro man in court. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus is a lawyer that has to defend Tom Robinson because Tom was accused of raping a white lady. Others in Maycomb don’t agree with Atticus because he took a black man’s words over a white woman’s word. Atticus is a man of morals with integrity, so he did the right thing and took Tom Robinson’s side. It makes sense for Atticus to take a stand to defend Tom Robinson because he follows his morals and the golden rule.
The unforgettable, Anne Frank, wrote long ago, “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands” (Goodreads). In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel revolves around three children named, Scout, Jem, and Dill. It follows them through their years of growing up and coming to understand the importance of lessons, Atticus, Scout and Jem’s father, advises them. Furthermore, Lee shows often the best lessons are learned outside the classroom.
Some may question the parenting style of others and that is just how humans work. They doubt the way others do things because it is not how they themselves would do it. Atticus Finch is a good father because he taught his children bravery through his self-control, he is determined to teach Jem and Scout the value of respecting people, no matter who they are, and he teaches his children that life involves making difficult decisions sometimes. Atticus is one of those people that everybody should look up to and want to be more like him because despite all the racism that happened and disrespect he got, he stood with his head held high and made sure his children did too.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee suggests that Atticus is a model parent. Atticus gives guidance to Jem and Scout, and he treats them with fairness and honesty. He tries to bring them up as best he can as a single parent.
Throughout the novel, Atticus’ assistance to Jem and Scout’s development becomes evident. Atticus takes every opportunity to attempt to teach his children the importance of having an open-mind. For instance, when Scout queries Atticus about Maycomb’s prejudice perspective, he tells her, “You never really understand a person until…you climb in their skin and walk around in it.” (Lee 30) Even during the early stages of the novel, it is apparent that Atticus endeavors to instill the values of empathy and tolerance within Jem and Scout by teaching them how to have multiple perspectives on a situation. In addition, Atticus also attempts to enlighten his children about peaceful resolution in society. For example, when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus tells Scout, you might hear some ugly talk about it at school but…you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.”...
knows that she enjoys it, and it makes her happy. It is as though he
Atticus is not only a lawyer but he is a single father of two young children. With the help of Calpurnia they raise Jem and scout with a deep-rooted sense of honesty. Gem recalls not ever being hit by his father and the fact that Jem never wants to put his father in that position tells the audience a great deal regarding the father-son dynamic that they share. His ability to relate to his daughter, Scout, is impressive due to the loss of her mother. He is able to explain things in a way that lets the children reflect their own feeling on situations. He compromises and assumes the role of a mentor. He is perfectly content to let his children believe that their father is an old lawyer without many non-academic virtues. He surprises them again and again.
The story, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is a story of growing up and the human dignity that unites us all, told by a 5-year-old girl who tells a three year tale of her family and her father’s job. This story may seem to be the tale of Scout Finch, but she merely narrates her father's triumphant story.
...fore reprimanding them, and treats his neighbors--even the seemingly odd ones like Boo Radley and Mrs. Dubose--and his clients, black folks included, in the same manner. Even though his own sister is preoccupied with distinguishing the Finch family from similar or slightly poorer people, Atticus remains stedfast in his convictions. He always tries to see the good in others, although he knows man’s tendency toward evil all too well. Atticus keeps hope throughout his life, always reminding his children to keep a positive attitude by not worrying when troubles come their way. By her father’s great influence, Scout finds, at the close of the story, that her father was right all along: the best way to interact with others is to treat all people with kindness and respect. Atticus serves as an accurate standard of good and evil indeed.