They're ugly, but those are the facts of life... As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it — whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash."
Atticus set a good example for his children. He is very modest. He admits: "Sometimes I think I'm a total failure as a parent, but I'm all they've got. Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and l've tried to live so that I can look squarely back at him." He is a tender father and a clever teacher. "First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. " You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." He takes every opportunity to teach his children good. He told Jem: "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden1 to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew."
Atticus Finch taught his children to be strong and clever, to overcome hard times bravely, to be just and kind, to distinguish the good from the bad.
The whole novel is the story of Harper Lee’s childhood and her brother’s. We enjoy their amusing adventures and games. Readers of the novel admire the artistic taste and talent of Harper Lee, and Knowledge of child psychology.