Effects Of Fathers In To Kill A Mockingbird

The Father Effect

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee gives the reader a look at different types of fathers to show their impact on a child’s life. The point that having a father present while growing up changes the way a child acts and develops exists vividly throughout the novel. How a father acts towards his children will affect the child’s views on situations they will face and how they will treat the people that they come across throughout their life.

Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Dill’s father all exemplify different types of fathers and how they impact their children's lives. Atticus wants his kids to act like adults hence he treats them like adults. For example, when Atticus asks Jem if Boo Radley has anything to do with

their actions to which Jem says no, Atticus says “I hope it doesn’t” then just goes back inside, leaving the kids by themselves, trusting their word and trusting they will do the right thing. If he had gotten onto them making a big deal about the situation, the kids would have gotten angry and more than likely acted out; because he trusted them they think twice about their actions. For instance, when Atticus catches Jem, Dill, and Scout trying to deliver the letter to Boo in attempt to lure him out of his house, he does not get angry or assume anything, he stays calm about it and just tells the kids to stop messing with Boo. He always seems to have to right thing to say, constantly giving his kids knowledge, sometimes in subtle ways to his kids in hopes that it will stick with them and help them differentiate right from wrong. To demonstrate, “As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it… So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him” (77). Scout remembers her father’s advice and acts upon it.
Atticus knows that once punishment takes place after one tells the truth results in lying for future situations.

He wants to have a real relationship with his kids. Atticus says to Scout, “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down… Try fighting with your head for a change,” (76). He always makes sure to watch out for Jem and Scout; he knows when to get onto them and when to let them learn and make mistakes on their own which gives his kids a different kind of respect for him. When Scout gets in trouble for acting out towards Francis she talks to Uncle Jack about it. He tells her how disappointed he feels towards her and begins saying that she can not call people such things. Scout gets upset and starts saying to Uncle Jack, “You ain’t fair… you don’t understand children much… When Jem an’ I fuss Atticus doesn’t ever listen to just Jem’s side of it, he hears mine too,” (113). They recognize how fair Atticus acts towards them, therefore to endure different treatment feels absurd and Scout does not know how to react to it.

On the contrary, Bob Ewell demonstrates the characteristics of a bad father. For instance, he spends any money he gets to buy liquor for himself to relieve him of his problems; he never helps take care of his many kids, and Mayella ends up with the responsibility of trying to help them. As well as being a bad father, Bob Ewell is a bad person in general not caring about his goes out of his way to get revenge on Atticus by attacking Jem and Scout

on their way home from the play. No person should ever abuse another person because that is morally wrong.
Bob Ewell makes a huge mistake when he swears a warrant claiming that Tom Robinson raped Mayella. Due to Bob’s actions, he caused Tom’s death. Tom may have died by trying to run away, but his lack of hope to get freed was caused by Bob and his warrant. In the court case, Atticus shows what a liar Bob Ewell is when he proves that there is no way Tom commited the crime and that Tom hit Mayella with his left hand because he is right handed. Even though Atticus didn’t clearly state that Bob Ewell is the one that hit her, he turns out to be the only left handed person in the courtroom, which causes there to be enough information to assume that he beats Mayella after he finds out that Mayella tried to pursue Tom. After he finds out that Mayella tried to pursue Tom, it persuaded him to make up a lie that cost Tom his life.
Equally important, Dill’s Father contributes to the idea of fathers playing a big role in their child’s life.

He never gets directly introduced to the reader because he does not play a big part in Dill’s life. He does not pay much attention to Dill, never showing much interest in him or the befall of his life. Not having a father figure in his life, Dill makes up stories in hopes to fulfill the part in his life that he feels he is missing. Every summer he gets sent to stay with his aunt and he finds himself close with the Finch family, spending most of his time with them. As has been noted, Atticus treats his kids with great respect and it grows very apparent to Dill. Before he gets to know the family, when asked about his father he says he doesn’t have one, but as he commences to see what a positive father seems to look like through Atticus he feels left out. Dill shows that he has overtaken hurt and embarrassment so he begins giving physical descriptions of his father to Jem and Scout, all of which he knows are not true. In chapter four dill describes his father as taller then atticus was, with a black beard. Also in chapter 5 he explains that his dad was also president of L&N railroad. It comes to be evident that Dill's family lacks connection.He tells Scout he likes her but then goes about ignoring her. A thing as simple as interacting with his friends takes the fall for not having someone in his life to look up to and to learn

from.
Harper Lee utilizes different personalities and a range of priorities to display the impact of having a father present, positive or negative. Through experiences, emotion, and conflict, she gets the point that having a father figure changes a child's mindset on life and how they see right and wrong. In the book it demonstrates how each kid acts relatively like their parents which proves that a good father figure has a significant impact on their child’s life.