Interesting Facts about Atticus and My Dad

Do you know everything about your father?

An essay by Harry Staley

Pine Point School

November 1, 2010

Did you ever wonder about your parents and what they were like in their younger years? I did wonder that, and I found out a really cool fact about my dad that I didn’t know before. When Atticus killed Tim Johnson Jem and Scout were very surprised that his own father was an amazing marksman. Scout, Jem, and I all had the same reactions when we were told something interesting about someone we know well.

(TS) Atticus amazes his children when he kills the mad dog, Tim Johnson, with one shot, because they didn’t know their father could shoot. (SD) Jem and Scout can’t believe what they’ve just seen and heard, because they thought their father was an old, boring man who just sat around and read law, but the second Atticus fired the rifle; his children realized that there was more to Atticus than they knew. (CM)When Atticus took the rifle the sheriff told him it was a, “one shot deal.” (CM)Then, in what seemed like hours actually took seconds, as Atticus smoothly shot Tim Johnson, and when the dog dropped, It was clear that Tim Johnson was dead. (SD)Although they thought Atticus was a boring old man, Jem and Scout discover that he was a very good marksman. (CM) when Atticus was younger he was known as, “ol’ one shot Finch.” According to Miss Maudie, “if he shot fifteen times and hit fourteen doves he’d complain about wasting ammunition.” (CM)Now that Atticus is older he doesn’t hunt anymore but he never even told Jem or Scout about his talent. (CS) There is more to Atticus Finch than an old man who sits around all day reading law because if you really learn about him you would know that he is actually a very interesting guy.

(TS)When I asked my dad to tell me an interesting story about himself he really had to think about it but when he gave me the answer I didn’t believe him. (SD) When he did respond to my question he said that when he was thirty three he went on a business trip to Rome and that’s where he met Bowie Kuhn.(CM)  Bowie Kuhn was the commissioner of MLB baseball. (CM) My dad worked with Bowie on his trip and Bowie asked my dad to stay in Rome and assist him in raising money for a new hospital. (SD) The hospital would only be made if my dad and Bowie asked many people in Rome for money. (CM) My dad did raise the money for the hospital but he lost contact with Bowie Kuhn who is no longer the commissioner of baseball. (CS)My dad does many jobs like this now but I think working with someone with Bowie’s famousness makes my dad’s work cool.

As you can see there is more to people than just what you know about them. Scout and Jem would have never known that there father wasn’t a great marksman until the incident with Tim Johnson. I don’t think I would have ever known that my father was close with the commissioner of baseball unless I sat down and asked him what are some interesting facts about him. Jem Scout and I now know something knew about our fathers but there still might be more to them than we know.