He doesn't believe all the stories about Arthur Radley and does not want his kids to believe in them.
Atticus tells the children to leave Boo Radley alone and stop playing the game because it's unfair to make a game out of someone else's life or personal circumstances. He wants them to show empathy and respect for Boo Radley's feelings and privacy, rather than treating him as a source of entertainment or curiosity.
the laughing she heard from inside the house and atticus found out"Atticus's arrival was the second reason I wanted to quit the game. The first reason happened the day I rolled into the Radley front yard. Through all the head-shaking, quelling (trying to stop) of nausea and Jim yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk. Someone inside the house was laughing."Scout is scared of the laughing she heard from the Radley house when she rolled in the tire, and Atticus was already suspicious that the children were acting out Boo's legend, or the "Boo Radley game."
Atticus returned home to Maycomb to defend Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman.
The first reason for Scout wanting to quit the game happened the day she rolled into the Radley front yard. She heard someone laughing inside the house. Atticus’s arrival was the second reason she wanted to quit the game.
Nathan Radley tells Jem that he filled in the knothole with cement because the tree was dying and he wanted to stop it from spreading. In reality, he likely did it to prevent Boo Radley from continuing to communicate with the children.
Atticus accepts Boo Radley by showing him kindness and compassion, acknowledging his humanity despite the rumors and prejudice surrounding him. He demonstrates empathy and understanding towards Boo, ultimately helping Scout see the goodness in people regardless of their differences.
Atticus stops the children from sending a letter to the person leaving gifts because he believes it would rob them of their mysterious pleasure in the gifts, and he wants to respect their privacy. Atticus values privacy and wants to maintain the innocence and wonder of the situation for Jem and Scout.
It is implied in "To Kill a Mockingbird" that Boo Radley was responsible for leaving the gifts in the knothole for Scout and Jem. As for the sewing of Jem's torn pants, it is strongly suggested that Boo Radley also performed this act of kindness as a way to connect with the children and show his goodwill towards them.
Atticus meant that the children, by empathizing with Walter Cunningham and seeing the situation from his perspective, were able to understand the humanity in him and appeal to his kindness and reason, preventing a violent confrontation. It highlights the power of empathy and understanding in diffusing tension and promoting harmony.
To Jem, the fact that Atticus has never whipped him signifies his father's belief in using reason and understanding to discipline him. It demonstrates Atticus's respect for his children's intelligence and his commitment to teaching them through positive reinforcement rather than physical punishment. Jem views this as a reflection of his father's patience, trust, and guidance.
The children stopped Walter Cunningham from fighting by having Scout talk to him about her father, Atticus, and his kind treatment of him. They diffused the situation by getting Walter to see reason and helping him save face in front of others.
The laughing from inside the house
Atticus explains that reason is the ability to think logically and make decisions based on facts and evidence, while emotion is the capacity to feel and empathize with others. He emphasizes the importance of balancing reason and emotion to make sound judgments and act with compassion and understanding towards others. Atticus believes that both reason and emotion are essential aspects of human nature that should be embraced and cultivated.