Atticus Parenting In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Atticus is the parent of the protagonist, Scout Finch, in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Atticus is also that one parent that we all have who doesn’t give us that freedom that we want in this world. There is no arguing, disagreeing, or debating what the man says. In this case, Scout is the one who is suffering. In this novel, at some point Scout becomes fearful, afraid, and even threatened by her own father. Although Atticus has taught his children to stand up for what they believe in, Atticus’s parenting has a negative effect on his children because he is too worrisome.

Throughout this novel there are many instances Atticus represents bad parenting. The first is when he is talking to Uncle Jack and Scout is secretly listening …show more content…
In chapter 30, Mr. Tate asks, “Mr. Finch do you think Jem killed Bob Ewell? There’s no doubt about it...I can’t live one way in town and another way in my home...Bob Ewell fell on his knife, I can prove it.” In this scene Atticus and Heck bicker back and forth until Atticus becomes so focused on not losing his kids and trying to be the exact same person in two different places. Atticus goes as far as accusing his own son, Jem! What would happen if Jem did get convicted of murder and it was his own father’s fault? Once Mr. Tate stood his ground, Atticus became clueless and couldn’t think. A good father should always protect their children from harm’s way and Heck Tate had to do Atticus’s job. This shows how Atticus’s worrying in difficult situations displays a negative effect on his …show more content…
In chapter 27 Scout needs someone to escort her to the school and she decides to ask Atticus. Atticus responds by saying, ¨as tactfully as he could that he just didn't think he could stand a pageant tonight...it didn't matter whether they went or not. Jem said he would take me.¨ Once Atticus refused to go to Scouts pageant, I know Atticus was expressing bad parenting. Jem however, was even sympathetic to accompany Scout. Throughout the novel, Atticus has let his children wander around Maycomb and the only one who told him so was Aunt Alexandra. Atticus knew that there was threats against him, violence, and a drunken old liar in Maycomb. Yet still Atticus risked that danger as far as letting his children wander through the town alone in pitch black darkness. He soon paid the price for his mistakes when Bob Ewell attacked Scout and Jem on their way home from the pageant. Atticus was too concerned with the other things on his mind that he does not think about his children's protection. This not only instills negative values into Scout and Jem, but also shows how Atticus is an unacceptable father to kids who need safety in the times of violence going on in Maycomb.
To conclude, Atticus is an inadequate father for Scout and Jem and has a negative effect on them. Atticus does not provide safety in times of need and is clueless in the face of fear or defeat. Atticus also admits that he can get by with threatening
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