Parents hide their childhood memories from their children for many reasons. Some are embarrassed, some are afraid and some are ashamed. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch's nickname describes his childhood. Rather than discovering his second character from their father, his children, Jem and Scout, seek information from Heck Tate, the county sheriff, because Atticus is ashamed of a moment in his adolescence. In fact, it shapes the way he lives the rest of his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Atticus is one of Maycomb County's best shots. However, his children only discover this characteristic when a dog with rabies appears in front of them. While they play, Calpurnia, their housekeeper, calls Atticus and Heck Tate. When they arrive on the scene, Heck Tate gives Atticus a gun to shoot and kill the dog, which he does successfully. Jem and Scout are in disbelief at what their father is doing when Miss Maudie says, “I saw that, One-Shot Finch” (Lee 128). Miss Maudie deduces that Atticus is an incredible shot who possesses the ability to hit anything he desires using a single bullet. Additionally, she deduces that One-Shot Finch is Atticus' childhood nickname. However, Atticus does not inform Jem and Scout of this skill, which is rather strange considering that most people in Maycomb find this attribute prestigious. Moreover, this knowledge can easily change his children's perception of him. Atticus is portrayed as a boring character who doesn't have an exciting life, and that's exactly what Jem and Scout think of him. Knowing this, Jem and Scout's thoughts about Atticus change drastically. Conversely, Jem and Scout, as well as the reader, must understand Atticus' ambiguous reason for keeping a secret. Atticus does not tell his children about his second personality for an unclear reason. When he was a child, he had a life-changing experience with his gun, which is why he is reluctant to let Jem and Scout own guns. Eventually, Uncle Jack buys them guns, which Atticus lets them keep. However, he institutes a policy for their use: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee 119). Atticus uses the mockingbird to show his innocence. He also tells his children that nothing innocent can be harmed. However, Atticus chooses to no longer use weapons because as a child he killed a defenseless human when he was young. He blames himself because his unique shooting skills ended the life of a person who didn't deserve it. Furthermore, he regrets his actions because he didn't think it through thoroughly. As a teenager, Atticus was not as knowledgeable or wise, so he did not think about long-term outcomes. However, this life-changing experience determined how he lived the rest of his life. Atticus's shocking experience shapes the way he lives the rest of his life. His children think he is a boring old man who never does anything worthwhile and will never do anything exciting for the rest of his life, which is shown when Scout says, "Our father has nothing do. He worked in an office, not a pharmacy. Atticus didn't drive a dump truck for the county, he wasn't sheriff, he didn't farm, he didn't work in a garage, and he didn't do anything that would arouse anyone's admiration” (Lee 188 ). After killing an innocent human, Atticus doesn't live his life to the extreme, which makes him boring. He chooses to help people.