Guide Mentor

Atticus Finch

As their father, Atticus is supposed to provide guidance to Jem and Scout, but he does an exceptionally good job of it. He isn’t afraid to speak honestly to his kids, and even explains what rape is to Scout when she asks. Atticus not only talks to his children about what he wants to teach them and why, he also tries to provide a good example to them in his own conduct. In practicing what he preaches, Atticus shows his kids that such behavior is not only desirable, but possible. And as the ethical center of the book, Atticus gives the reader a moral compass with which to navigate the shifting sands of Maycomb values.