Think about your parents. Think about how they raised you. Influenced you. Taught you. Are you better because of who they are? Or do you feel like you would’ve been better off without them? If you’re a parent yourself, do you ever look at the tactics of other parents with a sense of disapprobation? Through literature we have the opportunity to read about the different parents of our beloved characters. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Walter Cunningham all have different personalities and beliefs, which affect their different styles of parenting.
Atticus Finch is the epitome of benevolence to the citizens of Maycomb, and especially his children. He’s a lawyer who can be very logical at times, but uses his logic in compassion
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Take Walter Cunningham for example, he’s a hard-working man who provides for his family. Not only that, but he sends his son Walter to school. This is a man who understands the value of education and imposes it on his son because he loves him. In the book we catch a scene of Walter Cunningham in a lynching mob going to the town jail, trying to take Tom Robinson’s life. While at the jail the mob encounter Jem, Scout, Dill, and Atticus Finch. Scout notices Cunningham and starts to talk about how she knows his son, and how he’s a pretty neat kid. This apparently awakens Cunningham to a sense of his own consciousness, and he leads the mob away. There are many ways you could look at this situation, but I believe that because Scout spoke about Cunningham’s son, Cunningham realized he wouldn’t want his son to be doing this. In that moment you can see the human in Cunningham, and the desire to be a good example to his son. Even though he is poor, he doesn’t carry the same abusive traits that Ewell has, but strives in his own way to become more of an example like Atticus.
In conclusion, there are many illustrations of parenting in To Kill a Mockingbird. Some styles are caring, while others are more abusive. These men are all such unique people that it’s not a surprise when we see their own personalities and beliefs intertwine with their