“No!” The child screamed. This word continually comes out of the mouths of young children in contemporary society and is directed at their parents. When parents ask their children to do something, this is a common response. It's a common response from children who think they have the right to challenge their parents' authority. In the 1930s children generally behaved very differently towards their parents. A high degree of respect was expected from children by their elders. In modern society, this level of expected respect has decreased. Many theories exist to try to explain why the respect children give their parents is collapsing. This lack of respect from children shows a great deterioration of civilization in modern society. As respect for the authority of many children appears to have declined in contemporary America, parental responsibilities must become a priority to restore civility. In the 1930s, parents, like Atticus, worked hard to instill very important morals in their offspring. In that generation, most children understood and, more importantly, adhered to the morals and standards set by their parents. For example, in the novel, Atticus says to Jem, "You want to be a lawyer, don't you?" "Our father's mouth was suspiciously set, as if trying to keep her in line. Jem decided there was no point in quibbling and remained silent" (Lee 55). argue or question Atticus since he knows his father deserves his respect. This is a perfect example of the average standards and morals that parents had in the 1930s. When children are young, they learn morals and standards as they grow up respect them and don't question their parents... middle of paper... respect their parents. Nowadays, children often ignore their parents' orders. This lack of respect has increased significantly since the 1930s. Children currently disobey their parents regularly and this is considered normal. Respect for their parents has significantly decreased compared to the past. The authority of parents over their children is much less evident now than it was in the 1930s role in society and making parenting a priority. The future is bleak for any improvements in how children respect their parents, unless something is done to change how children view their parents' authority. Works Cited Cowen, Tyler. “Why don't American children respect their parents more?” RSS marginal revolution. Np, Nov. 26, 2007. Web. Oct. 22, 2013. Lee, Harper. To kill a thrush. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. 55. Print.