Scout Unreliable Narrator

Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is honest. Scout is a tomboy at heart and isn’t afraid to show it, and doesn’t try to be someone else. On her first day of school she explains to her teacher who Walter Cunningham is, even though it gets her in trouble.

Scout empathizes with Walter Cunningham during school at the beginning of the novel. Her teacher Miss Caroline offers Walter a quarter because he has no lunch. Walter’s family can’t afford lunch so he says he has forgotten his lunch money. He declines her offer, Miss Caroline can’t see why so she continues

One way the main character, Scout, learns that before they judge someone they need to walk in that person’s shoes and understand them is through her first grade teacher. In the beginning of the book, Scout was starting school, she was going into first grade and she had a new teacher named Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline wasn't from Maycomb, she was from Winston

Harper Lee introduces Scout as an insensible tomboy caught in the midst of contrite prejudicial conception. She has not yet discovered what is right and wrong due to various misconceptions that the people of Maycomb

“Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just sit here and eat in the kitchen!” This is just one of the many examples Calpurnia sets for the children. Calpurnia is the Finch’s cook but she takes her role in the children’s life more seriously. She acts as parent; constantly teaching the kids lessons about life and race. She serves as a bridge for Jem and Scout between the white and black communities. Calpurnia could be the mother Jem and Scout never had because she is wise, caring, and patient with the kids.

As the story begins and we start to analyze the characters, Scout comes off as an being unable to grasp the realities of life due to her childlike innocence. We see this through her thoughts and actions. Walter Cunningham has a misfit with Scout in the beginning of the novel that can be an example of both her innocence and intolerance. It starts when Scout's teacher, Miss Caroline, tells Walter to take her money for lunch and suggests paying her back later. Walter refuses and Miss Caroline gets irritated. In attempt to explain why Walter doesn't take the money, Scout tells Miss Caroline the stigma of the Cunninghams. Scout says that Walter can't pay her back because he doesn't have the money; No Cunningham would ever take anything they couldn't pay back. When Scout gets in trouble for talking back, she blames it on Walter and reacted as follows, "Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt..." (Lee 30). This quote

  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

Already knowing how to read, Scout is punished when her teacher says her father should not “teach you any more. It’s best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage- [...] Your father does not know how to teach” (Lee 23). School said that Scout’s knowledge was damage, and wanted to cast her behind instead of throwing her ahead. The teacher made Scout ashamed of knowing how to read, instead of celebrating it. Later during that day, Scout learns a real lesson from her cook, Calpurnia. After Scout was being rude to a boy asked over for lunch, Cal declared “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear? [...] Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em” (Lee 32-33). Cal teaches Scout a vital lesson about treating others, one that school would ignore. Kids must learn when they are young that everyone deserves respect, and that it does not matter who they are, or else they could cause problems to others later. School is a place that parents send their students to learn. But when Atticus sent Scout to school, she is embarrassed by her teacher and told that her knowledge is damage. At home, she learns a real lesson after wasting her time in school. Knowing how to treat others will get one much farther than knowing what the capital of Michigan is. Real life

Finally, Scout, being a little girl, shows tremendous mental courage and does not fear putting her life at risk to save other people. 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

First of all, Lee’s critical tone of prejudice is demonstrated by Scout’s innocent curiosity and perception of her surrounding society. Specifically, Lee’s critical tone is illustrated by Scout’s curiosity and the numerous questions she asks her family members throughout the duration of the novel. For example, when Scout raises questions to her Aunt Alexandra concerning her prejudice towards the Cunningham family, her innocence is exhibited by her desire to understand the world, but also to question it. A specific example of Scout’s curiosity is when Aunt Alexandra informs Scout not to invite Walter over for dinner, which leads Scout to ask “Why not, Aunty? They’re good folks” (223). Aunt Alexandra responds with: “The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem” (224). Aunt Alexandra’s response exemplifies her prejudice towards the structure of the social classes in Maycomb County. However, Scout’s innocent nature enables her to remain uncorrupted by prejudice and to question the unquestionable. Lee’s use of a child as a narrator allows her to ask the tough questions regarding Maycomb County’s way of life and question why it is prejudiced towards a certain individual or group of individuals. Moreover, Harper Lee’s choice of narration

To begin, the Cunningham family occupies a critical role in showing kindness throughout the story. While the family may not show compassion to others in the early scenes of the book, the behaviors of others influence them. Near the start of the story, Jem and Scout invite Walter over to the Finch home for dinner, during which Scout begins to taunt Walter for pouring syrup all over his food. When Calpurnia sees this, she pulls Scout aside and gives her a lecture that reads, “Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!” (29). This moment in the story serves as a reminder to

The narrator was Scout Finch, a five year old girl who lived with her father, brother and Calpurina, the black nanny. Scout narrated the story from a first person point of view using an informal tone with Southern dialect. Readers had the opportunity to visualize the events from a child-like perspective. According to Richard Sullivan “the unaffected young narrator uses adult language to render the matter she deals with, but the point of view is cunningly restricted to that of a perceptive, independent child, who doesn’t always understand fully of what’s happening, but who conveys completely, by implication, the weight and burden of society. There is wit and grace in the telling” (Sullivan, 1960, p.29).

After starting school, Scout comes upon his first lesson from Atticus. When Walter Cunningham refuses to take a quarter from Miss Caroline to pay for his lunch, Scout begins to explain to her teacher that “The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back.” Scout had overheard her father talking to one of his clients, Mr. Cunningham, about how he would pay Atticus for his work on his entailment. Atticus explains to Mr. Cunningham that the money was the least of his worries. Scout later learns that the Cunninghams pay in what they have, for example, stovewood or turnip greens. When Atticus says “ If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Scout learns that some people live differently than her, and that it is important to always accept that some people are different. When she explains the situation to her teacher, she gets in trouble, in turn making her not want to go to school anymore.

The novel to Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is the story of an unfortunate society, where people are greatly affected by poverty due to the Great Depression. The story is based on a narration by Scout Finch, who describes her family and her town, Maycomb. Scout and her brother, Jem, are also introduced to other children, and they share stories and fantasies regarding a mystery man, Boo Radley, who lives in their neighborhood. Scout has a blunt nature, due to which she is an ill-mannered person who does not have any control over her anger and also shows no patience. When Calpurnia gets to know about Scout’s attitude problem, she makes sure that Scout learns the right manners about controlling her anger and showing an enormous

The narrator of “To Kill A Mockingbird” is Scout Finch and as we read the book, we can see