Saturday, January 12, 2013

What is Scout's attitude toward Atticus

Scout greatly loves and respects her father. She sees him as a role model and an endless source of wisdom and knowledge. The big old world outside can be a dark and scary place sometimes and Scout needs Atticus' shining example of decency, integrity, and good sense to light the way. Scout is forever asking Atticus questions, seeking his guidance on matters that she's too young to understand. Whether it's race relations in Maycomb or the nature of empathy, Atticus is always on hand to provide his daughter with sage advice.
Having said that, Scout—like just about every child at some point in their lives—feels a little embarrassed at her father. For one thing, he's older than most other fathers in town, less energetic. He doesn't lead a particularly active lifestyle; when he's at home, he just sits there and reads. Atticus may have many admirable qualities, but being a cool dad isn't one of them.
That's why Scout's so astonished when Atticus demonstrates his skills with a gun by shooting dead the rabid dog Tim Johnson. Atticus is so modest that he never told his children about his reputation as a crack shot. So when Scout witnesses his incredible skill as a marksman at first hand, she's suitably impressed. Not only is Atticus wise, humane, kind, and unfailingly empathetic, it now seems that he's also kind of cool in his own little way.

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