Good Parenting Style in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird

What defines a good parent? Who defines a good parenting style? Society, through parenting books and magazines, has discussed this at length, and there are obviously varied opinions. There are certain attributes that are generally used consistently to define a good parenting style. It is not discipline or respect, but the characteristics that stand out for a good parent are trust, love, listening and understanding. Love gives confidence and makes people what they want to be. In Harper Lee’s book â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, these key attributes are used to define the parenting style of Atticus, the father of the 2 children, Jem and Scout. I believe that the author has defined a good parent as someone who loves his/her children unconditionally, communicates openly with them, someone who is there for them, some one who teaches good morals and values, and someone who shows them right from wrong. Harper Lee has intelligently demonstrated these characteristics by cont rasting the parenting styles of Atticus (the good parent) vs. Bob Ewell, who plays the role of the antagonist in the book, and is portrayed as a bad parent. Both of these men are single parents, and the book therefore does not have much opportunity to view the role of the mother in the upbringing of the children. To illustrate this, the author has cleverly used the examples of 2 women, Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra, to share her thoughts on the importance of a woman’s role in a child’s life. Though these womenShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Parenting In To Kill A Mockingbird746 Words   |  3 PagesParenting, lauded as one of the most difficult jobs in the world, means constantly being under the scrutiny of others, including your children’s friends. This is no different for the parenting styles of Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Walter Cunningham, three parents from Harper Lee’s critically acclaimed novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Three different parentings style s led to three different types of children: the curious minded, the rascals, and the respectable, showing that how a parent treats theirRead MoreEssay about Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird991 Words   |  4 Pagesbe a lady, don’t you?’ I said not particularly† (Lee). Jean Louise Finch is a tomboy growing up in a world where a girl is expected to become a lady. Submissive housewives and proper ladies were the expectations set for women in the time To Kill A Mockingbird took place. Scout Finch lived in a household that had a strong male influence; aside from Calpurnia, she had no real present example of what she was supposed to become. 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Atticus raises his children by himself, with the help of some kind neighbors and a housekeeper named Calpurnia. Scout and Jem understand the complexities and differences amongst their neighborhood and town. Unlike most of the citizens in MaycombRead MoreEssay On The Truth In To Kill A Mockingbird1128 Words   |  5 Pagesor teach your children, is that life is not castles in the skies, happily ever after. The biggest lesson we have to give our children is truth† (Safire 99). In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, a lawyer, emphasizes teaching his children the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. To Kill a Mockingbird exposes the reader to several situations in Maycomb County, Alabama, in the 1930s, and reveals Atticus’s beliefs concerning those situations. Atticus’s beliefs canRead MoreAnalysis Of Atticus Finch s Kill A Mockingbird 1516 Words   |  7 Pageswhile the rest of the world was against him. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch dealt with this unbearable task. He was appointed to represent a black man in the 1930’s who had been falsely accused of raping a white woman by the name of Mayella in the town of Maycomb. Atticus, without hesitation, stepped up to the challenge with open arms when all the odds were against him. He chose to look past the color and into the good nature of this man. Atticus Finch had a significant influenceRead MoreReading Not es On Kill A Mockingbird3311 Words   |  14 PagesMarcus Djuhadi Mrs. Dunn P.D. American Literature, Period 6 To Kill A Mockingbird - Reading Notes Summary // Style Language // Response // Other PART ONE Chapters 1-3 Main character introduced: Jean Louise Finch (â€Å"Scout†) Her older brother: Jeremy Finch (â€Å"Jem†) Father: Atticus Finch, works as a lawyer Mother died when Scout was 2, Jem remember her but Scout does not Jean Louise explains her ancestral roots; her family seems financially secure Maycomb, Alabama is the exposition - fictional, but