In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” Jean-Louise “Scout” Fitch, is a curious, book-loving young girl who is well rounded and smart for her age. At the beginning of the book, Scout surprises her teacher with her well-roundedness for “Mrs. Caroline told my father not to teach me anymore, it would interfere with my reading.” Also, Scout talks about how she has grown up around words saying “I could not remember when the lines above Atticus’s moving finger separated into words, but I had started at them all the evenings in my memory, listening to the news of the day, Bills to be enacted into Laws, the diaries of Lorenzo Dow—anything Atticus happened to be reading when I crawled into lap every night.” Scout loves to read and has grown up around books,
Early in the novel, Scout illustrates the courage she embodies. On her first day of school, Scout acts as an ambassador for the entire class. She takes the duty of informing Miss Caroline of Walter Cunningham's situation. Miss Caroline had just scolded Scout for her ability to read, however, Scout still feels the classes' need for leadership. Most children at her age would fear speaking
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch shows us various aspects of her personality, in her actions, thoughts, and words. Her home life affects this greatly as her father Atticus raised her with equality and a sense of freedom. Scout speaks her mind and does not confine to the standards of society at the time. Scouts intelligence is evident on her first day of school, when her teacher discovers her ability to read. Miss Caroline is off put as she was not expecting any of her students to be this advanced. Scout realizes this when “…she discovered that I was literate and looked at me with more than faint distaste.” (Pg.22) Her intelligence is also shown by her ability to realize when to use physical force in an argument,
At the start of the novel, Scouts teacher, Ms. Caroline tells her that she reads too much at home and that her father should stop teaching her. Scout comes home very disappointed that her teacher has told her to stop reading, which is one of her favorite things to do, and therefore she concludes that she hates school and will not return. Her father responds by saying that as long as she goes to school he promises he will continue to read with her nightly, as they used to. This scene depicts Atticus value of education- that he is still willing to read with his daughter. Not only does Atticus teach Scout lessons about education such as reading and writing, he also teaches her lessons about a different type of education- morality.
Despite the early introduction to this lesson, Scout doesn’t fully understand it, or at least learn it, until the very last chapter when she finally meets Boo Radley, and stands on his porch thinking about the compilation of events which make up the book, from Boo’s point of view, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.” This shows the understanding Scout has finally had of the way people are perceived and the way they actually are. It shows that she has learnt what many
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s father, Atticus demonstrates his self-control and empathy towards Scout and her problems which makes him a positive role model in his daughter’s life and maturation growth. After school, Scout exclaims to Atticus that she does not want to attend school anymore due to the fact she had a dreadful first day of the first grade. She complains to Atticus about her teacher, Miss.Caroline and how she disapproves of Scout’s competency of reading and writing. Miss.Caroline expresses to Scout that she should not be literate at her age and now has to undo the damage that has been done by her father; this statement is ironic because teachers are supposed to encourage learning and help further advance their
In addition, Scout is very smart, attentive, and curious, the book shows this in many ways for example, in the beginning, Scout gets a new teacher Miss Caroline Fisher, and Scout ends up getting in trouble for being the only one in her grade level to know how to read, and write. This proves her traits because when Atticus reads the books or newspapers since she is always curious and wanting to know more, she observes his finger and follows his finger while he reads the words aloud, this helps her comprehend the words and understand, eventually over the year of Atticus reading to her, she picks up a reading skill quite
These types of topics are quite touchy and not generally talked about until a much later age, but Atticus sympathizes towards Scout’s curiosity and tells it to her
Out of all the characters in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Jean Louise Finch most known as “Scout” shows empathy throughout the novel. In the novel Scout is able to allow her to understand the meaning behind “ To not judge a book by its cover” and also how to "put yourself in someone else's shoes”. At the end of the novel, Scout truly knows how Boo Radley (a old man that everyone in the Maycomb area spreads rumours about) lives and what he sees; by standing on his porch. Scout is a very tom-boy girl, she wears overalls and not dresses, she hangs out with boys and she even fights like a boy. Scout is known for using her fists first and not her words “he made me start off on the wrong foot” (Lee 30).
Scout comes home, frustrated about her first day at school. Scout’s positive expectations of school were crushed when Miss Caroline tells her to stop reading because she has been taught incorrectly. After school Scout explains her day at school to Atticus, and her teacher’s cluelessness and unreasonability. Scouts most valuable lesson from her first day of school comes from her father, where she learns to try to see situations from the others point of view. Ironically, Atticus teaches more to Scout and Jem, than their teacher, Miss Caroline,
Throughout the work, Lee uses Atticus, the children 's’ father, as a device to communicate the message that children often learn the most important lessons outside of school. This becomes particularly evident in Chapter Three when Atticus makes a special deal with Scout after her teacher, Miss Caroline, tells her that she is not allowed to read with him at home
When she invites him to lunch and sees how Atticus treats him with respect, despite their “financial struggles,” she learns the importance of dignity. This interaction broadens Scout's understanding of her community and the complexities within it, contributing to her development as a
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird Scout is a 6 year-old girl who lives in Maycomb, Alabama with her brother Jem, dad Atticus, and their cook Calpurnia. She goes to what is most likely called Maycomb County School. Scout is smart, adventurous, a tomboy, and definitely curious. You can most likely can tell she’s adventurous and curious. Scout is also considered smart as she can fully read and write at her age.
They bond over reading the newspaper daily. Scout loves sitting in his lap reading with him. Every night after dinner. “I couldn’t remember when the lines above Atticus’s moving finger separated into words, but i had stared into them all the evening in my memory.. anything atticus happened to be reading when i crawled into his lap every night” (18) Scouts talking about how she did not remember when the words turned into sentences, but she read anything atticus would read every night. Miss Caroline says the her father cannot teach Scout anymore. When Scout returned home that night, she tried to convince Atticus that she did not want to return to school anymore. But atticus knew better and says “If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have. Is it a bargain?” (64) Scout loves to read with her dad and she rather not go to school then not to be able to read with her dad on a daily basis. Her dad sees no wrong doing with her reading and promises to let her keep
On her very first day of school, Scout had been condemned by her teacher for already knowing how to read. Miss Caroline, Scout's teacher, had told her: "Now tell your father not to teach you anymore" (17). Scout took Miss Caroline's words to heart and thought that if she continued to go to school, she would have to give up her nightly reading sessions with Atticus. Scout advised Atticus: "But if I keep on goin' to school, we can't ever read anymore..."(31). This shows Scout's naivety as she focused and was fixated on such a small detail that other people wouldn't give a second thought about. Scout was willing to obediently listen to anything Miss Caroline told her as if it was the law. Unexposed to the evils in the world, Scout was so innocent and naïve, and therefore, she did not realize or even think of going against what Miss Caroline had instructed. Being naïve on the fact that not everyone in the world is always truthful and follows all the rules, Scout was infatuated on a moot
The whole of the part one of this novel is a series of life lessons preparing Scout for the hardships she is going to face in the second part of the novel. Due to the influence of the likes of Atticus, Miss Maudie and Mrs Dubose, Scout goes from a naïve young girl who thought with her fists rather than her head, into a more mature, empathetic girl. This essay is going to discuss some of the lessons Scout learns and how they impacted the way she became at the end of part one.