A Dead Shot

I liked this set of chapters because we learn a lot more about Atticus. He doesn't worry what other people think of him, including his own kids. It seems he can sense how his kids feel about him being so old, yet, he still doesn't feel the need to brag to them about his shooting abilities. I think it is part his own humility and part trying to create humility in his children. He also wants them to be less worried about superficiality. He wants them to be proud of him for taking a difficult-on-all-levels criminal defense case and not for being a dead shot.

We also see more of his parenting style, which is pretty relaxed, but yet still attentive. He knows his kids well and knows what their biggest weaknesses are. He has enough sense to ignore Scout's language and to focus his attention on the bigger problem, her hotheadedness. Also, when he talks to his brother about having kids you start to see that he he isn't detached and that he really does love his kids and loves that he has kids. Atticus would be a confusing parent to have at first, but once you were old enough you could look back with appreciation and see what a devoted parent he was, which is what Harper Lee/Scout seems to be doing.