Atticus Finch

A father is someone who is there for his children, to care, to love and to teach them how to face the world on their own. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch cherishes his children, Jem and Jean Louise, and wishes them to strive beyond their potential. Jem and Jean Louise, also known as Scout, love their father for everything that he does. Atticus does his best to teach his children right from wrong with his own personal methods that should not be judged. Many neighbors and family members question and complain about the control that Atticus has over his children.
Neighbors, as well as family members, often complain about the behavior of the Finch children. Maycomb, where the Finches live, is an old town where the people in it forget what it is like to have children playing and laughing among themselves. Jem and Scout created new games every day to play with one another, such as role play or rolling down the hill in a tire until it bumped into something. In addition to the games, Atticus does not allow his children stay in the house, but wants them to explore new adventures on the block. Because of the unfamiliarity of children and their actions, Atticus is accused of “letting his children run wild.” Similar to the neighbors, Aunt Alexandra, Atticus’ sister, thinks that Scout is unladylike. Aunt Alexandra believes that Scout should not be running around and playing in the dirt, but instead should be wearing pretty clothes and doing ladylike things. Aunt Alexandra even tried to enforce the use of Scout’s proper name, Jean Louise. Throughout the novel, Aunt Alexandra complains to her brother about Scout’s behavior. Alexandra claims that Atticus is not doing the right things for his daughter by letting her run around ...

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...because of the situation his children faced. When the children were in a life-death situation, he realized the horrors of the world and how he cannot always protect his children. He believed that he would need to prepare them for anything. He also realized that he raised two of the bravest children ever who have faced the most difficult situations in their lives.
Throughout the novel, Atticus’ methods of caretaking, lessons and attitude toward his children show that he is a good father. Jem and Scout loved their father for what he did for them and for other people. They knew their father was a great man who did things for the greater good and did not care about the judgments people made. Despite all the complaints and rumors about Atticus’ methods of raising his children, Atticus knew he raised two strong children and his children knew they had a strong father.