To be one character in a book you love

Ha! I love it when randomness attacks, just like now. This one gets me excited and wondrous. Though, it is not a difficult question for me to answer:

If I can be an additional character in a book, the book will be…  TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.

Here goes the entire plot I can imagine vividly. Me, being a 7 year old girl. (Body being as thin as a board, with frizzy hair and an awkward smile) I will spend my afterschool hours hanging out with Jem and Scout and Dill. When we sneak into Boo Radley’s house, I imagine being the first one who walks in. Though, on a second thought; I might be the first running away.

I would be one character with such curiosity that I will insist to get a lot of chance talking to Atticus. He seems to know it all without being pompous. I have such adoration towards that man and somehow, he reminds me of the great Abe Lincoln.
 I would spend a night or two so that Jem will tell me his boyish secrets and I can play dress up with Scout using my Mom’s dress.

How about you? Is there any particular book that you wish you can be part of as a character? Or, is there a character you would gladly replace?

What about “The Cather in The Rye” ? (I so want to be friends with Holden). Also, I want to replace Bruno’s mother in “ The Boy in a striped Pajamas” . I mean, if I were a wife and a mother, I would be as brave as a Tiger in protecting its cub.

Have you read Pramoedya’s “Gadis Pantai”? Would you be a character who is courageous enough to ask Mas Nganten to leave all her misery behind?

from here

Manliness Lessons from Atticus Finch

To Kill a Mockingbird is a masterpiece from Harper Lee that I have read cover to cover for a handful of times and will treasure to be cascaded to my children in the future. I can go on and on talking about it, especially about my favorite characters : Scout and... Atticus Finch! I love it so much I even did not resent to watch the movie!
The movie is a black and white movie and I must say I adore it so much I don't care people make fun out of my taste in black and white movie. 

This is one of the conversation  I really like of Atticus and his daughter Scout:

“Do you defend niggers Atticus?” I asked him that evening.
“Of course I do. Don’t say nigger, Scout. That’s common.”
“’s what everybody else at school says.”
“From now on it’ll be everybody less one.”

This morning I read an article : Art of Manliness .
Now I know that I am not the only crazy lady in the world who thinks Atticus Finch is a fine gentleman. 
Here's a few paragraph form that article that blow my mind away because it is so true:

A man lives with integrity every day. In Maycomb County, Atticus was known as a man who was “the same in his house as he is on the public streets.” That was the standard he lived by. He did not have one set of morals for business and one for family, one for weekdays and one for weekends. He was incapable of doing anything that would broach the inviolable sanctity of his conscience. He made the honorable decision, even when that decision was unpopular. 

Cultivating empathy is paramount. If Atticus had one dominating virtue, it was his nearly superhuman empathy. Whenever his children felt angry at the misbehavior or ignorance of the individuals in their town, he would encourage their tolerance and respect by urging them to see the other person’s side of things:

Teach your children by example. Atticus is probably best remembered as an exemplary father. As a widower he could have shipped his kids off to a relative, but he was absolutely devoted to them. He was kind, protective, and incredibly patient with Jem and Scout; he was firm but fair and always looking for an opportunity to expand his children’s empathy, impart a bit of wisdom, and help them become good people. Read more

ps: Please, read the book please.