Although both Atticus Finch and Aunt Alexandra wanted the best for Scout
and Jem, Atticus preferred to be open with his children, while Aunt
Alexandra was strict and clamped down on Jem and Scout. Being the abnormal
man that he is, Atticus was against telling lies to his children, even a
white lie, and debated with Uncle Jack about this. "Jack! When a child asks
you something, answer him, for goodness' sake. But don't make a production
of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than
adults and evasion simply muddles 'em." (p. 87.) Atticus shows us how he
was very honest with his children. When Scout asks Atticus if he is a
n_____ lover, Atticus says he most certainly is. "I certainly am. I do my
best to love everybody . . . I'm hard put, sometimes---baby, it's never an
insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name." (p. 108.) How many
parents would tell a kid who was the age of Scout that? And explain it like
that? Not being afraid, Atticus transfers his good beliefs into Scout. On
the other hand, Aunt Alexandra was a no-fuss lady, and she was so strict on
stereotypes that she made Scout's life a living nightmare. "Aunt
Alexandra's vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea
sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born;
furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life."
(p.81.) Obviously, Aunt Alexandra decided that Scout should live a certain
way and not any different. Not admiring Scout for her uniqueness, she
preferred that Scout act like a girly girl. When Scout asks Atticus if she
can visit Calpurnia, and Aunt Alexandra happens to overhear her, she gets
enraged. "You may not." Prejudiced, Aunt Alexandra did not care how Atticus
had brought up the children to be colorblind, but immediately inferred that
Scout could not go see and black people. Although it seems that Atticus was
a much better parent than Aunt Alexandra was, it must be remembered Aunt
Alexandra parented the way the others did it, while Atticus did it the
exact opposite. Without either of them, this class novel would not be as
great.
