Now onto other discussion points. Why do you think Scout and Jem call their father by his first name? We know that Harper Lee was being tricky with us with the name of Scout, now what about Atticus?
Consider the following:
Atticus being a mentor and teacher
Atticus is an older parent
No mother figure for Scout and Jem
Miss Maudie's comment that Atticus is the same on the town streets as he is at home.
Your Homework over break:
Read Chapters 11, 12, 13 and 14. Continue using your chapter log! There may be a pop quiz!
Blog Posts:
Also, there will be some blog activities that I would like everyone to participate in! So, starting this week, I would like everyone to make at least TWO blog postings by Friday! (Refer to all the postings labeled To Kill a Mockingbird) Those of you that posted up until this point will receive extra credit, but any posts after today will be for a grade.
Keep on posting! I love it!
Miss Holmes!
REMINDER: It's a Wonderful Life is going to be shown after school on Thursday! Be there or be square!
27 comments:
Atticus
Father-Like
Gender: Male
Origin: English
This is what Atticus means. Atticus is Scout and Jem's father, and is the only parent figure, other Calpernia that they have. He always listens them and takes the time to be just and fair no matter what. Atticus is the same with his family as he is on the streets, he has no big secrets like Mr. Radley. I think that this is very clever of Harper Lee. Remember my song thought piece? The Lifehouse song "Simon" also has a play on names, Simon means -- to be heard. Little secrets are hidden everywhere. "There are words hidden under words hidden under words!!" Remember?
I think Jem and Scout call their father by his first name due to many reasons. First off, i think Atticus respects and listens to them on a deaper level then most parents do. Therefore they have a very different relationship. Although Atticus is a very solid father figure who steers his children towards the right answer he talks to them as equals, not as his kids. The earnest respect that Atticus gives Jem and Scout maybe a reason for them calling him by his first name.
I think that Jem and Scout call their father by his first name so that he seems like more of a friend to them rather then a parent.
i think gem and scout call their father by his first name because mabe its just they way they were brought up.
I think that Jem and Scout call Atticus by his first name because of the quote by Miss Maudie, "Atticus Finch is the same on the town streets as he is in his own home." This being said, Atticus might have told the children that he wanted them to call him Atticus because he felt the same way as Miss Maudie. I think that Attius is a mentor and a teacher as well as an older parent but those seem like reasons why he would not want Jem and Scout to call him by his first name. Since he is an older parent, he is most likely more "old fashioned" and it would seem like that would prompt him to be a stickler for manners or properness.
My thoughts are that Jem and Scout call their father by their first name in terms of respect. The respect, however, is not respect transferred from parent to child but respect from child to an adult who teaches them what they need to know. Also, the two children do not treat Atticus as a father figure but just as a guardian or an adult they know they must obey.
Hello......
well not trying to copy maddies idea or anything but i did over hear you and Maddie talking and figuring out that atticus' name actually means fatherlike. Atticus does show fatherlike qualities (not to mention that he is a father or anything....)Atticus is very fair and kind torwards Scout and Jem and would actually be a very great father in real life. Not only Atticus is a father but he needs to be a mother.
Even in the first chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird, we see that any time Jem and Scouts' father is refered to by Scout as "Atticus". We find out that this is his first name and Jem and Scout never call him "dad". I think that this further exemplifies his way of raising his children. Atticus is a well-educated lawyer and wants his children to learn a lot and make the most of life. Jem and Scout calling Atticus by his first name instead of "father" or "dad" is just another way of showing how he gives them freedoms at home. They think of him as a friend, or a mentor, rather than a parent with strict rules. He teaches them lessons on life as well as reading and writing. Also, this shows how Atticus views his children as equal adults, rather than as inferior children, like some people such as Miss Caroline do.
I think that Scout and Jem call their father by his first name becasue maybe, Atticus is not thier real father. Possibly, Atticus adopted them. Or maybe its just becasue they would like to call him by his first name rather than 'dad'. Maybe thats how Atticus rasied them to be.
I believe Jem and Scout call their father Atticus because they do not look at him like a father. They look at him almost like a peer, a mentor that is there to help them. They do not look to him for love so much, just support and guidance.
Scout and Jem have a father. Their fathers name is Atticus. Oddly enough Jem and Scout do not call their father "DAD". There are many reasons for this one becasue they relationship they share is is not a father children relationship it is more of a teacher student realationship. In fact the kids and their father do nothing that an ordinary family does. Atticus is simply there to teach the children how to get along in life. Cheif Holmes is the master!!!!!!
I think Scout and Jem call their father Atticus because he treats them as equals. He doesnt treat them like kids so they dont call him father or dad and he resoects them and listens to them more if they call him Atticus. Chief Holmes is the best teacher in the world!
I think that Jem and Scout call Atticus by his name instead of Father or Dad because they weren't really brought up like that.They were probably never taught to do so.Atticus doesn't treat them the way other parents do.He talks to them like they are adults and trys to make them wiser instead of playing games with them.
Well, Atticus could be they're great uncle. It's quite realistic. Jem and Scout's real father could have been black and they just don't know it. That could explain why Atticus feels so strongly about defending the black man in court. But, since their real father was black, he was killed by white men for doing something that they thought black peoples shouldn't do. That is why Jem and Scout call Atticus by his name.
I think Jem and Scout call Atticus, Atticus instead of father because he isn't their real father. Their parents might have died when they were young and Atticus decided to raise them. He might not want to be called father because it would be weird since he isn't their real father and would like them to call him by his first name.
I think Jem and Scout call their father by his first name because maybe where they live they are supposed to adress their father by their first name.
It is a little weird that Scout and Jem don't call Atticus dad so maybe he isn't their real father. Atticus could have adopted them or taken them in for a family member. Atticus could be their real mother's brother or another close family member and maybe he never really thought about them calling him dad but was just used to being called Atticus.
Scout and Jem seem to be very comfortable with there dad, i think they call him atticus just because atticus would liek other people to know that he is the same on the street as he is off. I think they also call him atticus because they were probably brought up like that, and he alo wants them to know that Atticus is boss and he has control in their home.
I think jem and scout call their father atticus instead of dad because Attics isnt their real father,I think their real parents are either dead or gone.
I think jem and scout call their father by his first name because he isnt their real father he may be a grandparent (that would explain his age) or he may be an uncle, and why is there no Mrs. Finch?
I think that Scout and Jem call their father by his first name because he wants to be the same to them as he is to everyone else in the neighborhood. He wants to be the same figure, the same model to everyone in the town as he is to his kids. Everyone in the town calls him Atticus therefore, his children should call him Atticus also. He wants to be a respected figure and good model to his children, and "dad" doesnt really fit that role that he is trying to play in their lives.
I think Jem and Scout refer to their father as Atticus instead of dad for some reasons. Atticus is their mentor and teaches them many things about life. He is always listening to them and treats them as adults. Scout and Jem may call their father Atticus instead of Jem because he is more like a friend and a mentor.
I think that jem and scout call atticus by his first name because he is not your typical father figure. Atticus treats his children the same way that he treats his friends, clients and neighbors. Miss. Maudie even says that Atticus is the same on the street as he is in his home. Atticus isn't called father by his clients and they are treated the same as jem and scout, so why should jem and scount call him father. It just doesn't fit his character.
Atticus is a loving, caring father who always takes the word of his family over the word of another. He is calm, focused, and supportive. He affectively portrays all of these characteristics by being the same in ihis house as he is on the common streets. The Maycomb community, of course, calls him Atticus, and because the children have never seen a transistion from the "town" Atticus to the "house" Atticus they have most likely never seen a reason to call him by anything other than what he is commonly refered to by.
Another possibility is the the names "mom" and "dad" are like a set, and because Scout and Jem never really had a mother figure they were never compelled to call Atticus "dad".
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