To Kill a Mockingbird - Atticus as a Fater

How does Harper lee show Atticus to be a good parent

Throughout ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird' Harper Lee shows Atticus to be a very good parent and role model to his children. He has a huge presence through the whole book and helps show the morals of the book.

Atticus is a significant character in the book. He stands up for his beliefs even when the whole town is against him. He tries teaching these morals to his children: even when Mrs Dubose speaks about Atticus in disgust, he still tells Jem and Scout to be nice to her, ‘You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it's your job not to let her make you mad'.

He also teaches his children ‘Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em but remember it's a sin to kill a mocking bird'. He is consistent with this throughout the book and shows it by defending Tom Robinson. This shows him to be someone who stands by his word and practices what they preach. This is a good role model for children as it gives them someone to look up to. Harper Lee shows Jem to look up to Atticus as he tries to be like him. While Jem is growing up through the book it is clear that Atticus is his role model as he tries to be a role model for Scout. At the beginning of chapter 16 Jem tries comforting Scout, ‘‘Try to go to sleep,' he said. ‘It'll be all over after tomorrow, maybe.'

The respect the children have for atticus can also be reflected in the way he speaks to them.Atticus does not dumb down his language to what he thinks is their level, but he also is willing to explain patiently whenever they have questions. When scout asks why she should pretend that she doesn't read with atticus anymore, atticus explains it to her in adult terms and then when asked for an interpretation he explains. He says "I'm afraid our activities would be received with considerable disapprobation by the more learned authorities."

Jem and I were accustomed to our father's last-will-and-testament diction, and we were at all times free to interrupt Atticus for a translation when it was beyond our understanding.

"Huh, sir?"

"I never went to school," he said, "but I have a feeling that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she'll get after me, and I wouldn't want her after me."

When Scout doesn't want to go back to school, Atticus doesn't just tell her that she has to go and that's that; instead, he listens to Scout's explanation of why she's upset, and tries to make her see her teacher's side of things before coming up with a compromise that makes Scout happier.

We see later in the book that Scout admires the way her father listens to her reasoning before punishing her. This is evdident when she tells Uncle Jack, "When Jem an' I fuss Atticus doesn't ever just listen to Jem's side of it, he hears mine too" Scout also tells Miss Maudie, "Atticus don't ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard". Atticus runs his family like a judge: he's the one in charge, and has a clear set of rules that he expects his kids to follow, but he makes sure that both sides have their say.

Atticus doesn't expect his kids to respect him just because he's their father, but because he acts in a way that deserves respect. His honesty with his children means that they trust him, and look to him for guidance.

Atticus is the opposite of a hypocrite: he says what he means, and lives how he thinks. In raising his children, he tries to get them to understand not only how they should behave, but why they should behave that way. This parenting attitude works most of the time, but causes problems when the kids apply Atticus's own principles in ways he doesn't expect. This is evident at the jail when Jem refuses to leave atticus.

We were accustomed to prompt, if not always cheerful acquiescence to Atticus's instructions,