English 9/4 Doyle
Atticus: The Father In Harper Lee’s litereay work, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch models the perfect parent. Atticus lives in Maycomb County, Alabama alone with his two children, Jeremy (Jem) and Jean-Louise (Scout). Atticus is an only parent since his wife passed away, when Scout was little. Atticus Finch is a good father because he shares a truthful relationship with his kids that will always be treasured. He's also a man of patience and he understands his children. He is their teacher, protector and friend. Most of what Jem and Scout know and do comes from Atticus. He teaches them many important life lessons that can’t be learned from any book. Atticus teaches Scout that is no one ever understands a person well, until you look at this from their point of view (30). This shows a special bond between him and his kids, and that is that they respect his as a father and they value his opinion and advices. Atticus also teaches his hid that killing mockingbirds are sin because they don’t do anything to hurt anyone in this world (90). This advice can be taken literally, as in don’t kill a mockingbird or as in when we hurt things that do no harm to us, we are the ones who are doing a sin. An example of Atticus following his own belief is when Atticus stands up for Tom Robinson. Atticus believes that Tom Robinson is innocent in the case for raping Mayella Ewell and Atticus defends him. Atticus does this because he is a parent who knows that if he says things and he himself doesn’t follow it, then why should his children. Atticus treats his children like adults. He teaches them small morals which have big meanings to it. He is a great parent because he is not only their father, but he is also their friend.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is a distant parent. Atticus teaches his children many things for example, he teaches Scout how to read and write, and teaches both his children important life lessons. Atticus’s parenting style reflects on the type of person he is, he…
- 428 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
A major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the moral nature of humans. At the beginning of the novel, Scout and Jem live in their childhood world, intuitively assuming that everyone is good because not once in their lives have they seen what evil truly is. As Jem and Scout transition from their naïveté and innocence, Atticus is there every step of the way, in order to guide them towards the right path. He is neither the strictest parent nor the most affectionate, but the reader comes to see Atticus as the noblest man and father one could ever encounter. As Tom Robinson's trial looms around the corner,…
- 1607 Words
- 4 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In Harper Lee’s award-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the character of Atticus Finch is an archetypal hero. He possesses all the major character traits of a true hero, among which the following three are most impressive and dominant: the instinct and ability to protect the weak, kindness and courage.…
- 558 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
ticking to his beliefs,Atticus Finch’s actions to defend a “black” man accused of the rape of a “white” woman affect how the whole family was treated and seen. At school Scout is made fun of by one of her classmates Cecil Jacobs when he announced that “Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers”(99).(new to Scout, doesn’t know the proper way to react, very defensive) Scout also get another taste of this at Finch's landing where Francis comments’ ”I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides,but I’m here to tell you it is certainly does mortify the rest of the family...but now he’s turned out a nigger-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin” (110).Francis is upfront about the situation and foresees …( the reaction of Maycomb to the Finches ie Mr. Ewell) to come. He touches upon the consequences that the whole family could endure because of Atticus. Atticus is essentially “ruinin’the family”(110). more specifically the family name. His actions to defend a “nigger” will cost his extended family humiliation and hatred because they too have the last name Finch; is now associated with Atticus, Tom, and the trial in Maycomb.…
- 250 Words
- 1 Page
Good Essays -
Atticus did many terrific things in this novel as a father other than slight mistakes he might have made. When Atticus said “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.” --Atticus (pg. 30) that was really foreshadowing the story towards Tom Robinson and adds to teaching his kids equality. Also, the fact that he even stood up for Tom Robinson as a white man defending a black man is greatly teaching his kids to not care what anybody else thinks or says and just be your own person. That is a quality that many people and children are…
- 621 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Instead of ignoring his children’s curiosity like other parents, Atticus Finch is always willing to answer Scout and Jem’s questions. He treats his children as adults and shows his respect to them. Atticus sees things from different perspectives and keeps an open mind. When Scout doesn’t want to go to school, Atticus listens to her thoughts and also explains the teacher’s point of view, "I have a feeling that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she'll get after me“(Lee 32). While raising his children, Atticus doesn’t only tell them how they should behave, but help them understand why they should behave in this certain way. His morals affect his children. Jem looks forward to be a person like Atticus Finch by saying “I wouldn’t care if he couldn’t do a blessed thing. Atticus is a gentleman just like me”(131). Atticus teaches his children to be a model of courtesy and amicability. Scout admires Atticus when he waves gallantly to Mrs. Dubose, an elderly, ill-tempered woman who lives near the Finches, “it was times like these when I thought my father…, was the bravest man who ever lived” (105). Scout and Jem are both proud of their father, Atticus Finch, a respectful man who gives meaningful advices and speeches to his children.…
- 759 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story that takes place in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Like any southern town of this time period, Maycomb is filled with scandals and other thieveries, prejudice, and gossip spreading news faster than wild fire. Because of this, many characters are considered outcasts just for being different than other members of society. Throughout the book, Lee recreates a world that segregates/divides black and white communities. This corrupt idea of society unjustly influences the lives of many, like Scout, the innocent protagonist. Amongst all of the misinformed citizens of Maycomb, Scout has an influential role model- her father, Atticus- who teaches her, as well as other town members, what it means to be a truly moral person. In her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee shows how Atticus is the moral compass of the town through his honesty, wisdom, beliefs in racial equality, and his teachings.…
- 327 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Atticus is the father figure for his kids, Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. The Finch family lives in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The kids spend much of their time playing with their gregarious neighbor, Dill, and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor Boo Radley. When their father, Atticus, who is a widowed man and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges against a white girl, he is in/at a detriment. The trial, events following and the people they have interactions with, expose Jem and Scout to racism and stereotyping. This completely changes their view of the world. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, uses characterization to portray how a child’s…
- 945 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus is a good father to both Jem and Scout. During the course of the book Atticus has been blamed to not have been a good father to his children when he allows them to do what most parents would not allow. Such as allowing Scout to wear breeches as it shows “[Scout] could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress…” (Lee 83). This shows that people inside the family and outside the family want Scout to act like a lady and do what lady are suppose to be doing, not running around in boy pants. As it said “[Scout] could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches…” (Lee 83), this shows that Atticus is very worry or care much of what she does. Though it may show that Atticus is a bad father…
- 444 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus has instilled in his children his strong sense of morality and justice. He is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed to racial equality. With his strongly held convictions, wisdom, and empathy, As a father Atticus is affectionate with his children, Jem and Scout, ready with a hug whenever he can and is available to spend time reading to them during the night. Although he allows his children the freedom to perform many risky tasks and get into dangerous situations, he is also a firm disciplinarian, always teaching his children to think of how their actions affect others and devising punishments to teach his children valuable lessons. He makes sure that they get a proper punishment for what they did, why they did it, and make them fix it if they can.…
- 458 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is portrayed as a respected, knowledgeable, and true person. I have a good deal of respect for Atticus Finch, mainly because of his outlook on parenting and basic respect for others. Atticus believes that you truly can't understand someone unless you step into their shoes. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view" (Lee 34). This quote shows that Atticus is a caring parent and wants his children to learn that every person is going through their own problems and you mostly don't know all of them. He wants them to know to be kind to others no matter how they act. Atticus wants his children to learn certain lessons through experiences rather than seeing or hearing things. “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 it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 116). Atticus has good parenting morals because he understood that Jem had to go read to Mrs. Dubose to keep her mind off the painkiller. He wanted Jem to be brave and do it, even if he didn’t want to, because then he would truly understand what bravery was. All in all, Atticus is a great father figure and a fantastic parenting model.…
- 869 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Anyone with the right qualities can be a hero. They just have to be brave, strong, and inspiring to others. Nicole Moore is one example of a hero. Odysseus, from Homer’s The Odyssey is also a hero.…
- 414 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus Finch is one of the major characters in the novel who is held in high regard in the community of Maycomb. Atticus, as the father of Scout and Jem, is the role model and pillar of support for them as they develop through life. Harper Lee has deliberately created Atticus and given him certain characteristics to voice her own views and opinions on issues of prejudice and injustice. Atticus is a man with high morals and respects all people around him, regardless of what they think of him. He is the key character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird that Harper Lee uses to present her own views and beliefs.…
- 983 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
As a father, Atticus is a great leader in his own household. Not only does he teach his children verbally but he teaches them by setting a good example as a role-model. He accepts the challenging case of the alleged rape of Mayella Ewell as the lawyer of the defendant, Tom Robinson because he feels that he should take responsibility of ensuring that there is justice. He needs to make a good impression for his children by doing the right thing and being an ethical and honest man. Atticus has nothing to hide from his children and always provides answers to questions that are always asked of him. For example, when he is talking to Uncle Jack, he says, “When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness’ sake. But don’t make a production out of it.” (Lee, 87) Not only is he honest, but he is open minded and always takes into consideration both sides of a story. By doing this, he is making sure that he is being fair and not bias. For example, whenever Jean Louise and Jem argue, Atticus does not only listen to Jem’s side of the story, but he also hears Jean Louise’s version of it (86).…
- 785 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Although the children are used to present a mature understanding of the human condition and the coexistence of good and evil, the guiding moral voice of To Kill a Mockingbird is embodied by Atticus Finch. He knows that rather than being simply creatures of good or creatures of evil, most people have both good and bad qualities. Atticus tries to teach this ultimate moral lesson to Scout and Jem - "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". This educates them, as well as the audience, that important thing is to…
- 849 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays