To Kill a Mockingbird- Is Atticus Finch a Good Father? Essay

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Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird depicts Atticus Finch as a good father to his children due to his sense of fairness, his teaching, and his honesty. Atticus depicts fairness by treating his children and all others with respect and understanding. He teaches his children important life lessons and prepares them for when they go out into the world, and he sets a good example by always being honest. To be a good father, these are three very important qualities to possess.
Atticus Finch’s fairness shows that he is a good father to Jem and Scout because instead of simply denying his children’s of everything they ask him, he allows them a chance to explain and offers a compromise. For example, in the scene where Scout informs Atticus that she …show more content…
This passage shows that Atticus is a good father because he doesn’t dumb down his language to what he thinks his children will understand. He is always willing to explain when they have questions about anything or don’t understand something he says. This helps Jem and Scout to progressively learn more complex vocabulary. Atticus knows that his children are smart enough to understand his choice of wording, even if he has to explain it to them a little more, and that by teaching them they will eventually learn to understand completely on their own. Atticus’ teaching also shows that he is a good father because he reads with Scout every night. For example, after supper on the night after Scout’s first day of school, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, “Scout, ready to read?” (Lee 29). This shows that Atticus is a good father because he teaches Scout how to read at an early age and continues to help her practice by reading the newspaper with her every night. Evidently, you can see that Atticus values teaching his children because he reads with Scout each and every single evening. Not only does this help Scout learn to read, but this is a good way for Atticus to spend time with her every day. This costs time and as a busy lawyer, time is very precious to Atticus. Atticus Finch’s teaching also characterizes him as a good father because he teaches his children to be polite and treat everyone
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