Father, lawyer, and friend, the gentlemanly Atticus Finch hopes to shape the character of his children. The novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is the story of the childhood of the young girl named Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Throughout the book, Scout’s father, Atticus, tries his best to raise her and her brother, Jem, the right way as a single parent. To Kill a Mockingbird exemplifies the way the character of Atticus Finch either uses ritual or abandons it in order to develop certain character qualities within his children. He is specifically focuses on the development of honesty, courage, and humility.
One of the most prominent character traits that Atticus tries to teach Scout and Jem is honesty. During the Robinson case, Atticus utilizes, yet also intentionally abandons, the rituals that he follows in his daily life in order to make the real truth of the case known to Judge Taylor, the jury, and the crowd. When interrogating Mayella Ewell about the abuse she experienced, readers are able to see that he acts like a gentleman, which is a ritual he follows daily, and tries to show her that he wants the real truth out of her, not what Mr. Ewell forces her to say. The Harvard Law Review “Being Atticus Finch” expands on this idea, saying, “He is friendly and polite to a fault, but Mayella is right to be suspicious: as his cross-examination of her soon reveals, his affability is also part of his professional technique. It is intended to disarm her, to put her