It's hard to imagine a better literary example of the
perfect single father than Atticus Finch in the novel To Kill a
Mockingbird. Atticus is left to bring up his children alone after his young
wife died of a sudden heart attack. Although Atticus is much older than most of Jem and
Scout's friends, it is his wisdom that helps to guide his children through life in tiny
Maycomb. He always finds time each day to read with Scout, and when the kids need to
have a heart-to-heart talk, he makes himself available.
He
gives the children more independence than most parents, and they respond by trying to
make him proud of them. When Jem makes the seemingly reckless decision to return to the
Radley House to retrieve his lost pants, he tells
Scout
"Atticus
ain't ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that
way."
Jem does not fear a
whipping (Atticus apparently has never spanked either of them); he just doesn't want to
disappoint Atticus. He allows them to watch the remainder of the rape trial (after
sneaking in and being discovered) despite the ire of Alexandra and
Calpurnia.
Atticus always speaks the truth with Jem and
Scout, telling his brother, Jack,
"When a child asks you something, answer him, for
goodness' sake... they can spot an evasion quicker than
adults."
He allows them the
freedom to curse once in a while, but he cautions them about using the word "nigger."
It's "common," he tells Scout. He debates his sister, Alexandra, about the wisdom of
making Scout more lady-like, allowing her to wear her beloved overalls constantly. In
the end, the children turn out okay. We know this from the first pages of the novel,
when the grown-up Scout seeks out a much older Atticus for advice--just as she had when
they were children. The diplomatic but straight-shooting Atticus "said we were both
right."
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