Compare and contrast the presentation of Atticus and Gradgrind. How successful do Harper Lee and Charles Dickens believe them to be as fathers?

I will begin by giving Atticus' basic views. Atticus believes that children should be allowed to be children. "I asked Atticus about it, he said there were already enough sunbeams in the family and to go on about my business, he didn't mind me much the way I was." However Gradgrind believes that children should be seen and not heard. "These portentous infants being alarming creatures to stalk about in any human society." This shows how different the two father's views are. Gradgrind views children as numbers in the Coketown population. Atticus also respects children because of their pureness and innocence and is described as treating his children with courteous detachment. Gradgrind doesn't allow his children to be childlike. He doesn't allow them to behave like normal adolescents. Gradgrinds reaction when he finds his children watching the circus he reacts in a "In the name of wonder, idleness and folly! What do you do here."