Examples Of An Exemplary Father In To Kill A Mockingbird

An Exemplary Father From dancing with daddy on his feet to playing catch with him outside, everyone has recorded precious memories of their father, or a man they looked up to. This male influence helps children develop into adults with a hand to guide them as they go. The same went for Atticus to Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus assisted the children through every difficulty they encountered. He tried to explain the mysteries of life and the choices of humanity, yet still allowed Jem and Scout to figure things out for themselves. Every child deserves a father who loves and cares for them the way Atticus did for his children. Atticus, Jem and Scout’s father possessed three important traits a great father should have – gentleness, conscientiousness,
This means that if one wants his child to be good, he must demonstrate what that looks like. Atticus, as a very conscientious man, knew this and did his best to exhibit his best qualities. “’You mean if you didn’t defend that man, Jem and me wouldn’t have to mind you anymore?’ ‘That’s about right.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because I could never ask you to mind me again.’” This conversation between Scout and her father very clearly states Atticus’s spiritual conviction to help Tom Robison. According to Atticus, someone who would not stand up for the rights of an innocent man did not deserve respect. Defending a man like Tom Robison in a place like Maycomb would have taken immense measures of courage, and Atticus accepted that responsibility. Atticus’s conscientiousness changed Jem and Scout’s lives and showed them a respectable way to
“’Well if you don’t want me talkin’ that way, why do you send me to school?’ My father looked at me mildly, amusement in his eyes.” This short snippet of a conversation between Scout and her father, one of many, shows Atticus’s patience with his daughter. At some point Atticus must have grown weary of his children’s endless questions, but he never let them see it. He always explained things they did not understand kindly and patiently. No matter the circumstances, Atticus allowed Jem and Scout to figure things out for themselves instead of simply forbidding everything. Similarly, Atticus had this attitude towards everyone else he came into contact with. With a patient attitude like this, Atticus gained large measures of respect from the citizens of