Many people claim that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Alexandra Finch is a character in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird that can be described as old fashioned and traditional as she believes whites are superior to blacks and ladies should be feminine. Atticus Finch on the other hand, is quite modernized and accepting of others as he treats every person with respect and does not lack compassion. Though Atticus and Alexandra Finch were born and raised of the same mother and father, they are complete opposites in their personalities which plays a key role in their diverse parenting style.
Firstly, Atticus and Alexandra Finch both parent the children in a special way. They both believe they are helping them succeed to the best of their ability but that may not always be the case. Alexandra Finch is racist and prejudice. Through her grandson Francis we learn that she calls her own brother a "N-Lover", "Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin" (Lee 83). Like the saying "monkey see, monkey do" Francis repeats what he has heard his grandma say about his own uncle. Though Alexandra may think that she is raising her grandson in an effective way, she is doing the opposite. She is doing the opposite. She is passing her close-minded judgement unto Francis which puts him at a great disadvantage. Instead of growing up to be a young, compassionate, caring man, Francis will now treat people of other races cruelly and even belittle others simply because of the mentality that Alexandra has instilled into him.
In contrast, Atticus Finch has a more modern approach when it comes to parenting his own children. Atticus teaches his children to not judge others based on outward appearance, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--.