Essay on Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird

The style of parenting a household develops could leave a major impact on the children living there, who are progressing into adulthood. The matter of parenting effects on children is greatly indicated through beliefs, gestures, and background. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem and Scout live with their satisfactory father. During the 1930s, moreso known as the Great Depression Era, setting an example for children could have been hard. Considering their mother had passed from a heart attack when they were very young, sometimes living with just one adult in the house got overwhelming. Atticus, having to juggle around his priorities of work and his family, demonstrates what is said as responsible and good parenting. Through the difficult time the family had gone through, Atticus made sure his children had enough support to make it, but still gave them the independence they needed. He always made sure to be there for his children. As they grew up more, however, the independence he had been teaching kicked in and they became more mannered, respectful, and individualized. Now that they were at a reasonable age, they were picking things up on their own more often, such as the right from the wrong. Seeing from Atticus’s decision about standing up for a black man, Tom Robinson, in court about a case of rape, they quickly observe the racial inequality and bias they are living in. This however does not stop them from developing as good people. Atticus is a good father because he provides his children with shelter, protection, guidance, and teaches them right from wrong. 

Atticus lets his children struggle; he teaches them to make decisions for themselves, for he believes that learning from your mistakes will only push you farther in life. When Scout describes the treatment Atticus provides for them, she emphasizes, “Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment” (Lee 6). Atticus supported his children like no other father. He always made time for them, and gave them the strongest advice. Atticus gave advice since he did not want to resolve Scout and Jem’s issues for them. The point of courteous detachment is to give and provide young minors with their own voices. Atticus for example, did not have a strong voice in nearly any of his children’s actions, for he pushed them to make their own decisions, and learn from their mistakes. Everything was up to them, that is unless they seeked further assistance from Atticus without him coming to them first. He made sure they really needed help before stepping in, and helping them learn right from wrong. In parallel, James Lehman, a man who dedicated his life and provided to the troubled youth explains, “Failure is not the end of the world. It’s a lesson. It’s a gauge of how she’s doing. And it’s designed to help her see that she’s not making the grade. If she’s failed something, she needs to solve the problem responsibility” (Lehman). Likewise to Atticus and giving his children the opportunity to grow, Lehman shows how even with a grade of a personal success rate, it  is necessary to solve the issue and upgrade your consistency alone. Mere help could be useful, but learning to take your mistakes and fix them is a good way to find pride in oneself and believe to push harder in the future. Connecting both Jem and Scout’s personal lives to the perspective of Lehman, it is portrayed that failure is good. Also connecting back to the point in which Atticus provides his children with support and guidance, but to only some extent. Failing and working to come back from the specific mistake could only push one farther in life. Learning from the mistakes of oneself and others will help push you and strive to be the best. Parents overstepping will only prevent their children from growing and developing into teenagers and adults. 

Atticus believes in independence, he believes in pushing his children to make their own decisions and face their reality; in order to not overstep, he only puts himself into their problems when they come to him for his help. Atticus explains how he plans to grow his children into respectful and responsible individuals, in hopes they trust him enough now, for in the future he can be there for them. He implies, “I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town. I hope they trust me enough” (Lee 88). Atticus had strived to do nothing other than to provide his children with a good role model, and  someone to look up to, respect and trust. Atticus understands that everyone goes through rough patches, and needs support here and there, but respectfully, he keeps himself out of it unless asked. By implying that he will only step in when his children physically ask him to, he is showing that he respects them and believes they will make the right choice. He hopes that as they continue to push through things with little assistance, they will grow up to be more individualized and responsible. In a related perspective, Hanna Rosin, a woman with similar stories suggests, “Kids once took special pride in knowing how to get places alone, and in finding shortcuts adults normally wouldn’t use” (Rosin). Essentially stating that by working independently and accomplishing things with little help, it is more likely that children will take pride in it. Take Hanna for example: she, a child, went through school, and/or home problems with a holding hand, growing her into a more incapable and irresponsible girl. This is because everything was done for her, or with an exceeding amount of assistance. In order for her to become more of a liable woman, she would have to learn to take pride in the things which she had done independently and continue to push away help in unnecessary situations. Drawing a parallel between the independence Atticus provides for his children and the amount of pride Hanna expresses, it is evident that learning to grow as an individual is best. If someone were to go through their early years holding an elders hand and having everything done for them, or with a high value of assistance, they will grow up to lack key points in life such as responsibility and value. Attiucs shows his children that he is there for them, that he has shelter and a place in his heart dedicated to them only. That he will be there for them, but not overstep into their personal lives. 

Some would say Atticus is a poor father for putting his children at the eye of attention when he took on Tom Ribinson’s court case, and by drawing attention to their home and not providing for his children. However, of course, he is taking on the case for the good, in hopes it will draw attention to what is right, in standing up for his beliefs; Atticus is hoping his children follow his example in standing up for the right, not always the expected. When Atticus first receives the case, Scout and Jem question why he had not turned it down; he explicated, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 76). Atticus takes pride in what he does. He hopes that by showing the people of Maycomb that he is not afraid to stand up for his beliefs, and what is right, that he will gain even more of their respect. He says that just because something had put another down, does not give the right to give up. Atticus’ unique parenting style has and will continue to affect the roles, gestures and understanding of his children, Jem and Scout Finch. 

All things considered, the fact that Atticus was able to level out his work from his family, provide for his children and give them guidance, shows that he is a great father figure. The importance of having a good parenting role model could cause an effect of a lifetime. Being nurtured and guided with courteous detachment as Scout puts it, allows a healthy and strong future ahead.