Question

Atticus, a widower, is rearing his two children with the help of Chalpurnia. Speculate on the kind of father you think Atticus will turn out to be. Recall Scouts comment about he and Jem finding him to be "satisfactory." Why do you think the children call him by his first name?

Answer 1

Atticus is characterized as a thoughtful and responsible father who is loving and moral, teaching his children important life lessons. His children's description of him as satisfactory indicates a deep mutual respect. The children's use of his first name suggests an informal and individualistic approach to parenting.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the text, we can speculate that Atticus will turn out to be a thoughtful, responsible, and loving father. In the classic novel, Atticus is portrayed as a moral and principled man who provides guidance and teaches his children, Scout and Jem, about the importance of empathy and justice. The fact that his children find him "satisfactory" suggests he meets their needs and expectations, playing both parental roles in the absence of their mother.

Scout's comment that Atticus is satisfactory reflects a level of maturity and understanding between the parent and the children that is probably based on mutual respect. Calling him by his first name may be a sign of this respect and a unique family dynamic where formality is less important than the substance of the relationship. It could also be indicative of the informal and individualistic parental approach that Atticus embodies, differentiating him from the more traditional and authoritarian parenting styles of the time.

Answer 2

Answer and Explanation:

There is a lot of discussion about why Jem and Scout call their father by their first name, which may sound disrespectful and very abnormal, mainly according to the society in which the characters live. However, the most acceptable statements about this are that, Jem and Scout call their father by their first name because he was a very absent father, who was hardly at home because of his work. Another acceptable statement is that Atticus, allows his children to call him by his first name, as he wants to make communication between them less formal and more open, placing them on the same level of treatment and respectability.