An ideal father would be able to solve problems properly, support their children's thoughts, consider their feelings and treat all their children equally. In particular, Atticus Finch of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee proves himself to be the perfect example of a better father in contrast of Baptista Minola from "Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare.Although both fathers want a stable future for their children, Atticus Finch's teachings are considered more valuable by treating his children equally, and setting good examples such as promoting equality, and to not become prejudice.
As Lee Haney has quoted, “Parents must lead by example. Don't use the cliche: do as I say and not as I do. Parents are children's first and most important role models,” it is important for a parent to set healthy and positive examples throughout a child's development stage. In a small town of social division through prejudice and intolerance, Atticus teaches to Jem and Scout his values and beliefs through setting examples. Atticus teaches them that prejudice is bad by going against societal norms, such as taking a black man's case in a dominating “white society” and standing up for the African-American community to defend their equal rights. When Scout questions, "...Why did Cecil say you defended niggers? He made it sound like you were runnin' a still," Atticus then responds, "I'm simply defending a Negro...they're clean living folks. Scout, you aren't old enough to understand some things yet...there's been some high talk around to the effect that I shouldn't do much about defending this man." (Lee, 75) This is important in the novel because Atticus demonstrates tolerance to his children when he receives the Robinson's case and decides t...
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Lee, Harper. "Chapter 3, Chapter 9." To Kill a Mockingbird. New York, NY: Warner, 1982. N. pag. Print.
"Lee Haney." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2014. 22 January 2014. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/leehaney295618.html
Shakespeare, William, and Ken Roy. "2.1.69-70." The Taming of the Shrew. Toronto: Harcourt Canada, 2003. N. pag. Print.
"Taming of the Shrew." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. .
"To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee." To Kill a Mockingbird: Summary & Analysis. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. .
Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York, New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1960. Print.
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch’s parenting skills were often questioned throughout the novel. Although there were people that didn’t believe he was a good father, I think that he was. There are many different reasons provided throughout the novel that prove he is a good father. Atticus may let his children get away with a little more than the average parent would, but he has a good head on his shoulders. He is open to giving his kids more freedoms and there’s nothing wrong with that. Atticus approaches life with a devotion to fairness and exposes his children, Jem and Scout, to real life. Overall, he makes a pretty good father.
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. N.p.: n.p., 1960. Lordmacktitan.weebly.com. TaleBooks.com. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. .
Shaw-Thornburg, Angela. “On Reading To Kill a Mockingbird: Fifty Years Later.” Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Meyer, Michael J. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. 113-127. Print.
Moore, Andrew. “To Kill a Mockingbird.” To Kill a Mockingbird. N.p., n.d. 14. Web. 03. Apr.
True role models are those who possess the qualities that we would like to have and advocates for what they believe in. In an instant bestseller classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes Atticus Finch as a role model and still is to be considered one today. Atticus Finch, being a single father in the 1930s has an extremely different parenting style compared to the other parents. Despite the fact of living in a town full of racism, Atticus is one individual with a very different opinion towards African Americans. Furthermore, Atticus is a very humble man. In addition, Atticus is courageous to defend an African American, Tom Robinson. Not to mention that Atticus is an upstanding mortal, he also has extraordinary parenting skills.
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves for classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for their execution of style and the importance of their content.
Atticus teaches a great lesson of "self" to his children when he decided to take the Robinson case. Atticus has proven to be an honorable man because he could have easily been a coward and refused to defend a "nigger". Atticus replies to Scout's question of why he took the case by saying that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't take it. He was determined to defend this innocent black man, Tom Robinson. He did a great thing and wasn't influenced by the other whites in the community.
This quote, along with others, proves that Atticus teaches his kids about equality and how to treat others. Atticus Finch was not the average white man in his time. Thus, Atticus is a man of trust, honesty, and belief. Atticus stays true to his word and believes that all men and women are equal. This is excellent advice to pass down to your kid, and that is exactly what Atticus does with Scout and Jem. Atticus teaches the children that racism is terrible and that a person’s personality is more important than the color of the person’s
Lee, Harper. "Chapter 11." To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Harper & Row, 1960. 113. Print.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.
Atticus Finch as a parent teaches Scout and Jem moral values and tries his hardest to pass on to his children his way of thinking. Atticus worries that his children sees to much racism and injustice, and tries to show his children that all people are equal no matter the color of their skin. He teaches them to go against the norm in Maycomb which is prejudice and unjust in their actions.
During a time when black people were thought to be lower than white people, Atticus defended a black man in court. He said to his children, "I'm simply defending a Negrohis name's Tom Robinson," (pg. 75). It required a lot of confidence and caring for Atticus to defend Tom, and the black community knew that Tom did not stand a chance without Atticus' help. They respected him and looked to him as a hero. They showed this when they stood up for him in the courtroom. Reverend Sykes said to Scout in the courtroom, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin," (pg. 211). The entire group of black people who were there stood up for him. Also, the parishioners at Calpurnia's church made Jem and Scout feel welcome when they visited their church. This showed that the black people also respected Atticus' family. If Atticus were just trying his best in a difficult circumstance, then he would not be as respected as he was by the black community. The black people greatly acknowledged the qualities that Atticus displayed by defending Tom and looked to him as a hero because of these qualities.
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is an astounding portrayal of Southern tradition and human dignity, a novel whose themes and lessons transcend time and place. The book is narrated by a young girl named Scout who matures over the course of the story from an innocent child to a morally conscience young adult. The cover of the novel displays a knot-holed tree containing a pocket watch and a ball of yarn, accompanied by the silhouette of a mockingbird soaring over the trees through a twilight sky. The portrait on the cover is an emblem that signifies the nature of Scout's maturation and the underlying themes presented by Harper Lee. Lee's signified themes, ethically rich and profoundly humane, epitomize traditional Southern mentality.