Atticus Parenting Analysis

a. Atticus is a wise man, committed to justice and equality, and his parenting style is based on fostering these virtues in his children—he even encourages Jem and Scout to call him “Atticus” so that they can interact on terms as equal as possible. Throughout the novel, Atticus works to develop Scout’s and Jem’s respective consciences, through both teaching, as when he tells Scout to put herself in a person’s shoes before she judges them.

Lee uses a rhetorical device, polysyndeton, to reinforce her tone towards Atticus. Throughout the novel, Lee has been affection and loving towards Atticus, through all the trials and tribulations that he has put her through. This final page reinforces the idea that Scout loves Atticus and does not blame him for the hard times that she has gone through. Scout still feels trust and safety in Atticus as she describes that “his voice was so deep and his knee was so snug that I slept” showing that she is still comfortable with him (Page 375-376). Readers understand that Scout has no true understanding of what happened over the last few months in her life, but as she tells this story looking back she understands and knows what Atticus did was right.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (p.30) The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee includes a plethora of essential themes that make one think deeply. The story takes place in the 1930’s when segregation tensions were high. The narrative is told through the eyes of a young girl, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus is a lawyer fighting a case for an African American man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, both Scout and her older brother Jeremy (Jem) Finch learn many life lessons that are crucial for all children to learn about. One fundamental lesson learned by the children, is the lesson of having empathy.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930’s in a small town in Alabama called Maycomb. It is there we are introduced to Atticus Finch who is a widower with two children, Jem and Scout. As a father, Atticus does his best to teach his kids the necessities of life; however to some Atticus is not a conventional father due to his full time job that not only causes him to be away from his kids for much of the day leaving Calpurnia to do much of the parenting, but also inadvertently exposes Jem and Scout to danger. Even though he is time poor he manages to model compassion, moral integrity and respect that affects the way the kids hold themselves. Atticus’ work commitments allow Jem and Scout to become independent in themselves. This

Atticus’ fairness also shows he is a good father because he believes that everyone deserves a chance to be understood and all have reasons for their actions. For example, after revealing the news to Jem and Scout of Tom’s death, he says, “Depends on how you look at it. What was one Negro, more or less, among two hundred of ‘em? He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner” (Lee 235). This passage shows Atticus's fairness because he always tries to put himself in other people’s shoes in order to give everyone a chance at being understood, as he teaches Jem and Scout to do. He gave up his respectable reputation among many of the whites in Maycomb to defend Tom Robinson, and still speaks highly of the men who killed him. When he says this, he is trying to make the children see that the men who killed Tom did not know him as a person, but as a Negro who committed a crime, so cannot be discriminated upon for doing their job. Along with Atticus’ sense of fairness, his Teaching also characterizes him as a good father to Jem and Scout.

Furthermore, as Atticus is seen as a role model he is challenged by Scout. Atticus is challenged as Scout is determined to find out if he is a good father who doesn’t only do things for the well-being of Maycomb County, but also does things for her by being an ideal father. At times, this has an effect on both Atticus and Scout, as Atticus starts being honest with his daughter. This honesty also leads to Scout having faith and trust in her father. The qualities and characteristics that Atticus and Scout have, enhances’ the relationship between them as they both learn that they need each other’s support to overcome difficulties and hardships.

Lee’s characterization of Atticus Finch as just and moral displays that considering events from another’s point of view can help people understand others’ prejudice, and negative actions. When Atticus’ daughter, Scout, is six years old, she attends school for the first time. Scout confides to her father about her first day of school during which she became upset. As any parent would, her father gave her some advice, “‘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” (Lee

One thing that stood out was that Atticus was always encouraging Scout and Jem to become the best person they could be. Scout stated, “ I could not remember when the lines above Atticus’s moving finger separated into moving words, but I had stared at them all the evenings in my memory.” (18) This supports Atticus in the fact that he always was making sure to make time to not only teach his kids to read, but also it encouraged father and son/daughter time with his children which created an incredible bond between the family. Atticus also supported his children through their actions. Specifically, with Scout he always encouraged her to be the lady that she is and not to conform to society. Some examples would be dressing how she wants to dress and not becoming racist no matter what people say to her. With Jem, Atticus is proven to be an outstanding father because on page (272) it stated, “You heard what Scout said, there’s no doubt about it.” Shown in this quote, Atticus as a father is supportive and trusts his sons word over anyone else’s and this proves the bond and relationship between the two is stronger than anyone’s

1) Atticus is an empathetic person who tries to make sure people are treated equally, and in the case of his children, that people should grow up and make a positive difference. Atticus shows his empathy by telling Scout to try to understand what Miss Caroline is going through. Harper Lee is trying to show that with empathy, everyone benefits, and there would be less hate and injustice. Atticus says, “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.” (Lee 39). Atticus is telling Scout to look at the world through Miss Caroline’s eyes, to see why Miss Caroline reacts the way that she does. Atticus believes that if Scout can see how scared Miss Caroline is, with teaching a new school in a new way, then Scout can understand what makes Miss Caroline act the way that she does. When Scout asks Atticus why he is angering the town by defending Tom Robinson, he says that he must, or else he would no longer be reputable. Atticus says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (Lee 101) Atticus leads by example, and that if he did not hold himself to the same standard that he wants Scout and Jem to be at, then he is no better than the rest of the town. He knows that he is going to lose, but wants to show his children that it is important to do the right thing no matter the consequences or result, and

Atticus Finch is a model father created by Harper Lee in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird. He is an important figure in the Maycomb, Alabama Community. He raises his children, Jean Louise Finch (Scout) and Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem) with wide sets of morals, disciplines them, and is a true role model. Atticus allows his children to be individuals and does not try to change who they are. He teaches them fairness and equality among many different types of people in Maycomb. He is always teaching his children about how their actions may affect others, then, as a result, devices punishments to teach Scout and Jem valued life lessons. In many situations, Atticus can chastise his children, but he allows them mature and notice their own mistakes

Growing up happens during the magical times of freedom given to children in their early years. Wise parents discern when freedom is necessary for their children, are very clear about their expectations, and determine fitting consequences for actions out of line. Harper Lee personifies this role of a wise and caring parent in the father figure of her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, a character made to mirror the author’s own father, is a lawyer and a well-respected citizen of his Southern Alabama town. Through Atticus, Harper Lee establishes a standard of good and evil, developing the theme of morality during his interactions. Atticus establishes right from wrong in most every relationship, especially with his children, his

Lastly, Atticus emphasizes how vital inner peace and making the moral decision in a given situation is to maturation. For instance, in a conversation with his children, Atticus comments, “Before I can live with other folks I got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by a majority rule is a man’s conscience.” (Lee 105) By emphasizing the importance of having personal integrity and doing the ethical thing in any circumstance, Atticus provides his children with wisdom that will carry them through life. Therefore, through unremittingly reiterating the importance of moral decisions, proving the need for pacifism and establishing the importance of multiple perspectives, Atticus verifies himself as a major contributor in Jem and Scout’s development into adolescence.

Atticus has a strong sense of morality and justice. One of his main aims is to install these virtues into Scout and Jem. He initially does what is right and sets an example for his children to do the same. This can be seen when Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson. Even though Atticus knows he cannot win the case, he takes it anyway because it is the right thing to do.

Parenting, lauded as one of the most difficult jobs in the world, means constantly being under the scrutiny of others, including your children’s friends. This is no different for the parenting styles of Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Walter Cunningham, three parents from Harper Lee’s critically acclaimed novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Three different parentings styles led to three different types of children: the curious minded, the rascals, and the respectable, showing that how a parent treats their child and others in their lives does matter.

This demonstrated the emotional journey that the kids are going through realising that they don’t have a mum and the fact Atticus feels a sense of despair and sorry as he listened to their conversation. In the end Scout has grown matured and has overcome the prejudice and has understood the neighbourhood gossip does not necessarily tell the truth judging by her self-experience.