Responsible Parenting
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author uses the character of Atticus Finch to show what it means to be a good father. Atticus, although a single father, still manages to raise his kids in the toughest of situations. He practices what he preaches making him an exemplary father for Scout and Jem as well as teaching them about the important aspects of life and seeing people beyond who they are. He knows that it will be a challenge raising kids as temperamental as Jem and Scout are but does so regardless, showing his amazing parenting skills and setting a role model for Jem and Scout. Lee uses Atticus’s beliefs, trust, and lessons to convey that Atticus is a good father.
Atticus teaches his kids morals that they do not get quite at first, but end up realizing later, thereby gaining respect for their father. One of his main morals talks about prejudice and how one can “... never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view”. (39). Morals like these are what separate Atticus as a parent from others and make him stand out; he properly prepares his kids for the future. He openly tells his kids what is important in life as well as nurturing them with important advice. Another one of his morals is that understanding the innocence in people as well as the truth is very important; he conveys this message after Jem receives his first air gun, telling Jem, “Shoot all the bluejays you want but remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird”.(119).
Atticus expresses the importance of understanding the innocence in people and not to go by what others claim they are; this moral shows how wise of a man Atticus is and how well mannered his kids will grow to become.
Another one of Atticus’s beliefs is that kids should be told the truth directly; they should be treated as equals and deserve to know what they want to know; changing the truth just to accommodate the fact that they are kids is wrong. He knows that kids will get mad and how “Children are children, but they can spot evasion faster than adults, and evasion simply muddles ‘em”. (17...
