Atticus is Unrealistic

A detailed Summary of Atticus is Unrealistic

Atticus, of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, does not comport himself believably because he does not have racist views while almost everyone around him during that time does, he treats his children like complete equals, unlike most adults during that era, and he believes all people has goodness in their hearts, no matter how cruel or heartless they act. Atticus seems very unrealistic in the sense that he does not discriminate towards Blacks, while almost everyone surrounding him does. During the 1930s, in the South, racism appeared omnipresent. In Maycomb County, the majority of the population had prejudiced beliefs, including Atticus' family. For example, Aunt Alexandra and her husband, relatives of Atticus, believe that Tom Robinson committed the crime and believe he deserves punishment due to his skin color. Atticus, on the other hand, feels he must defend Tom in court for himself, Tom, and his children, and that skin color is not a reason to judge a person. Only rarely do people decide not to follow the beliefs that their family, peers, and neighbors have. When Scout asks Atticus if he qualifies as a "nigger-lover", Atticus answers "Don't say nigger, Scout. That's common." meaning he feels tha

Along with Atticus' compassion toward Blacks, his attitude toward his children seems also inconceivable for the period of time and place he lived. An adult likely would not act as lenient with his or her children as Atticus behaves. He allows Scout and Jem to wear the clothes they like, play practically all the games they enjoy, and, most importantly, question Atticus' authority and word. Scout fits the perfect definition of a tomboy, wearing overalls, beating kids up, and doing everything a young boy would do. Most parents would consider Scout's behaviors as improper. Many parents, in any period of time, and would think of Atticus' parenting as inappropriate, yet he does not seem to mind one bit and allows Scout to do much as she chooses. Likewise, if Jem or Scout question Atticus' rules, Atticus stops short and listens with full interest instead of becoming angry and scolding them, and he may even change his actions. For instance, when required by Aunt Alexandra to ask his children to behave more properly as to uphold the family name, Scout states that she doesn't think she can remember all of that. In response, Atticus says, "I don't want you to remember it. Forget it."(134). This shows that Atticus realizes that Scout has made a valid point, and that what he asked of her is foolish. Another example occurs when Atticus receives the assignment o

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Approximate Word count = 919
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English