Some people think that Atticus’s parenting style is great and very laid back, while others think it might be a little bit lax. I am somewhere in between. I do agree that his parenting style is very laid back, which would be very nice in certain situations. I also think however, that he could be a little more strict with his parenting. Atticus is a very laid back parent which I think is really cool. My parents are very strict on what I can and can’t do. So Atticus’s parenting style looks like a very good way of parenting. I like how he lets his children learn from their mistakes on their own, even though he knows what they’ve done and could’ve easily punished them. He doesn’t make it awkward for them to have to own up to their mistakes, he doesn’t even bring it up unless it is something very serious that needs to be dealt with right away. For example, when Jem tore up Mrs. Dubose’s flower bed, Atticus punished him by making him read to her every day for almost two months. With my family it’s the opposite. If …show more content…
For example, he lets his children do whatever they want to do, whether it be dangerous or not. As a parent I would be very concerned with the safety of my child. He also doesn't monitor his children as much as he probably should. If he lets his children get away with everything that they do, eventually they will grow up causing a lot of trouble. There are sometimes when Atticus is strict on Jem and Scout, but I don’t think he is strict enough. For example when he found out that they were the ones who snuck into the Radley yard he did nothing about it. The children could’ve gotten themselves killed by entering that yard and Atticus acted like it was no big deal, almost as if he could care less what happened to his children. If it were my children I would definitely punish them for not only intruding into the Radley yard, but almost getting shot in the
He believed in giving his children freedom to walk around town and talk to whomever they wanted to without his supervision. Because of this, they were able to learn from experience rather than just school alone. This also showed that Atticus treated his children as equals rather than just taking the role of the hierarchy. Another thing he did that allowed Jem and Scout to be treated as equals was allow them to call him by his first name which was very uncommon. Atticus never beat or hit is children even though it was legal and a regular thing for parents to do back then, Atticus instead resorted to alternative, non-violent, punishments when his kids misbehaved such as making Jem read to Mrs Dubois after Jem wrecked her flowers.
Although deemed by most to be a good parent, Atticus’ lack of supervision affects his children Scout and Jem and even exposes them to danger. Atticus is not a perfect father. He has a full time job that restricts him from being around his kids for most of the day and also puts them in a dangerous position. When Atticus agreed to take on the ‘Tom Robinson case’ he knew full well that he was going to have a lot of tension with people, and even though he did the the right thing by defending an innocent man despite his colour, some may argue that he puts his beliefs before the welfare of his children. This puts the kids in danger because Atticus while losing the case still makes Bob Ewell embarrassed by being shown up like the way he was. This causes a hatred that provokes Bob to hurt Atticus in the deepest possible way, by attacking his children. It was Atticus’ call to decide that he would send Jem to the pageant instead of himself, and that was what ultimately gave Mr. Ewell his chance to get back at Atticus. This shows that Atticus is not the perfect father, if there is such a thing, but proves that even Atticus has flaws or faults to foresee
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.
I believe Atticus is a good father because he saved scout from a rabid dog. He is providing a good stable foundation for his children, at least he's trying to. He disciplines them and tries to keep them out of trouble.
It is difficult to define what makes a good father, but Atticus’s unconditional love for his children is admirable. In Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is portrayed as a good father with many good qualities. However, like any human, he is not perfect. He does has some flaws. Atticus was portrayed as an amazing father, however, he did possess few bad qualities as well.
Atticus is a wise father and helps his children accept people no matter how they look or act. This is evident when he says “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” (Lee 33). Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout mature at different paces. Atticus guides his children as they begin to grow and mature. “It ain’t right, Atticus,” said Jem.” “No son, It’s not right.” (Lee 243). When Atticus lost the case, Jem expressed how he felt. He had tears on his face. Here was a turning point for Jem because he was old enough to understand the case. Atticus comforted him and agreed it was not right. Atticus shows affection towards his children when they saved him from trouble with “the mob”. “As they passed under a streetlight, Atticus reached out and massaged Jem’s hair, his one gesture of affection.” (Lee 176). At first, Atticus may have been frustrated with his children being at the office. Then, their innocence saved him. Atticus has many characteristics and is a loving father. Atticus displays a valuable lesson about equality and fairness for his children.
Mrs. Alexandra, from my understanding, a good parent is one who creates a safe nurturing environment for a child to grow up in, displays characteristics of a positive role model, and is an active part of a child’s life. (Atticus, look at Scout and Jem affectionately ) Good parents provide moral guidance, sets limitations, and implements consequences for a child’s behavior. (Atticus, use a ruler and slap it in your hand looking at Scout and Jem symbolizing a Spanking as punishment) Atticus is a very effective parent to Scout and Jem. I know he is constantly working; but rest assured, his children are his primary concern and he loves them very much. (Atticus, hug Scout and Jem or do something showing your love <3) Atticus finds time for his
To begin, Atticus is a great parent because he is not a hypocrite. Atticus adopts the beliefs, morals and values he teaches his children to his own life. Atticus taught Jem and made him witness how hard it is for their morphine-addicted neighbour, Mrs. Dubose, to fight through pain so that she can die unaddicted to meet her desire of dying beholden to nothing and no one. Mrs. Dubose is viewed as a brave woman by Atticus because she chooses not to die defeated (which is the easier way) but rather, to fight against something that is more powerful. Whereas, a man with a gun usually adopts his power from his gun to frighten others which makes people mistakenly think that he is brave when he is only choosing the easier way of looking powerful. This is why at one point in the story, Atticus teaches his son what real courage is when he says:
Bob Ewell was a father of 8 children with poor upbringing. His son, Burris Ewell was very rude to his teacher by calling her a “snot-nosed slut of a school teacher”. This implies that Bob Ewell probably behaved crudely at home, making his son naturally disrespectful. He also had beaten up his daughter, Mayella Ewell and taught her to lie in court despite knowing a man’s life was at stake. Another parent is Walter Cunnningham Senior. He set a bad example by joining a lynch mob. He made his son think that it was fine to lynch someone by using vigilante justice. Both parents were unconsciously leading the children to the wrong path. Although Atticus did not use “normal parenting methods”, he set a good example for his children to follow. By being a good role model for his children, they would listen to him more as he practiced what he preached, thus respecting him even more. If Atticus is truly a “failure as a parent”, what other parents in the book considered as? Atticus tried to bring his children up in the best way possible, by setting good examples for them, hence being a responsible
Also, at night if Atticus wakes up, he will more than likely get up and check on Jem and Scout. An example of Atticus is very protective is that Atticus always does his best to make sure his kids are happy and safe. One way to show that is when it was very cold outside; Atticus put more coal in the fire and put blankets on Jem and Scout to warm them up. Atticus also asks multiple questions before or after Jem and Scout do something like where they were, or what they were doing to make sure they are staying out of trouble. Lastly, Atticus always keeps a very close eye on his kids, especially Scout because they are really all he has,and Atticus would like to always keep them safe. Another asset of Atticus’ parenting skill is that he disciplines Jem and Scout in a way that if very effective, and helpful. The reason why his parenting is effective is that he uses his words, never violence. Jem said that he has never gotten spanked, so Atticus probably does not like using violence on Jem and Scout. Also, Atticus yells at his kids if they are doing anything bad to get them to realize what they are doing wrong. Lastly, when Atticus gets mad, he is strict enough to get Jem and Scout to listen to him, but not too strict that it is mean. Atticus is also a very wise man, so whenever he has the opportunity to share something with Jem and Scout, he does, and it is usually when they get in trouble and it
He then holds them responsible for what they do and say. Although his ways are different than the societal standards, Atticus’s involvement with his children is effective for discipline. He does not always discipline them in the same manner, but does so in ways fitting to the circumstances. Atticus chooses particular words to express exactly what his children need to hear in order to mend their ways. Often, he simply expresses his disappointment. Sometimes, he uses firm reprimanding. Once, we see Atticus use his keen intellect, employing what Scout calls “the oldest lawyer’s trick on record” (50) so that Jem admits to “putting [Mr. Radley’s] life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood” (49), as Atticus describes it. Scout’s father teaches by example countless times when he reminds her that “it ain’t time to worry yet” (70), even when a fire threatens to sweep away all of their belongings. In addition to his honest discussions with Scout and Jem, Atticus gives them many profound lessons through his intentional interactions with others.
would be safe to assume that he had the same parenting styles and practices as other parental figures in the 1930’s. Actually, that statement is false. Atticus taught Scout and Jem many life lessons. One of the most important lessons was equality. Back in the 1930s there was a lot of racism, mainly pertaining to the south. Atticus was on of the few people in Maycomb county that was not
The only thing I found very weird was that Jem and Scout both call their dad by his first name instead of calling him father or even dad. They could even be doing it out of respect for their dad as well. I found that very odd I think he's a good dad because he stood up for tom Robinson after all the other white people were against him. So Atticus wanted to show a good example for Jem and Scout and show them that there was no justice and equality in that hole situation and in any way wasn't right. Atticus, in my opinion, took a big stand for Tom Robinson because Tom is black and Atticus is a white man. In my opinion, Attics is a good dad and are mostly has a good relationship with both of kids and seems very loving and fair with both of his
What defines a good parent? Who defines a good parenting style? Society, through parenting books and magazines, has discussed this at length, and there are obviously varied opinions. There are certain attributes that are generally used consistently to define a good parenting style. It is not discipline or respect, but the characteristics that stand out for a good parent are trust, love, listening and understanding. Love gives confidence and makes people what they want to be. In Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, these key attributes are used to define the parenting style of Atticus, the father of the 2 children, Jem and Scout. I believe that the author has defined a good parent as someone who loves his/her children unconditionally, communicates openly with them, someone who is there for them, some one who teaches good morals and values, and someone who shows them right from wrong. Harper Lee has intelligently demonstrated these characteristics by contrasting the parenting styles of Atticus (the good parent) vs. Bob Ewell, who plays the role of the antagonist in the book, and is portrayed as a bad parent. Both of these men are single parents, and the book therefore does not have much opportunity to view the role of the mother in the upbringing of the children. To illustrate this, the author has cleverly used the examples of 2 women, Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra, to share her thoughts on the importance of a woman’s role in a child’s life. Though these women
Atticus is a great parent. He does many things that make him a great parent such as, being respectful, giving great advice, and he is very caring. To begin with, Atticus does not expect the respect of his children but earns it, this is shown many times, but the best example is when he tells Scout “We’ll go on reading as we always have.” (pg.41) he is showing he respects Scout because he believes she is smart enough to read and agrees more with Scout than her teacher. Secondly, he gives them great advice, when Scout is upset about her teacher telling her not to read, Atticus tells her that she will get along with people better if she can climb into their skin and walk around in it. He makes her understand what is happening in her life and resolves her issue. Lastly, Atticus is very caring.