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Miss Caroline is not only a inexperienced teacher, but she is also new to Maycomb. In her eyes everyone is equal and status is not based upon wealth. In Maycomb that's not the case, your family is based upon your wealth. Since Miss Caroline is new she does not know how things are run, Scout knowing this decides to explain it to her, while Miss Caroline insists walter takes some money for lunch since he doesn't have one. Scout begins to tell her how the Cunninghams never take what they cant pay back. This doesn't set well with Miss Caroline, she then proceeds to hit Scout with a ruler and make her stand in the corner. Scout is confused and angered because she was just trying to help her learn about their society. Later, While Miss Caroline was
Aunt Alexandra recognizes Scout’s maturity when she invites Scout to a seemingly meaningless lady’s brunch. As Scout views the gathering,she understands that this is no ordinary brunch but it is a showcase of social talent. Scout remembers, “There was no part about it, I must soon enter this world” (Lee 267). In this quote Scout comes to the realization that being a lady is not only justified in actions but also in universally accepted social functions. It is here that Scout’s lessons in womanhood come full circle and she is able to embrace a part of her existence that she had brushed off for a long time. Mayella Ewell is a singular character that gives an important insight into understanding of lower classes but in a less literal sense she is an extension of Scout. Mayella is part of Scout that is arrogant,confused, and denies the truth of the adult world. As Aunt Alexandra constantly mentions, she will never befriend the Cunninghams “Don’t be silly, Jean Louise,”said Aunt Alexandra. “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” (Lee 256). While in relation to Scout, Aunt Alexandra is portrayed as uptight, she is the ideal lady of
Scout always listening to the knowledge of her teachers when she was younger makes her innocent and naive. First, Scout’s constant obedience to her teachers and lack of retaliation for her beliefs express her naiveness: “Now tell your father not to teach you anymore. 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. You can have a seat now” (Lee 23). This quote expresses how Scout was belittled by her teacher for reading outside of school. This aggravates Scout, however she holds in her anger, like any child, and she is forced to sit down at the command of her teacher, Miss Caroline. Also, Scout couldn’t defend herself when she explained to
In the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Jean Louise Finch shows herself to be a quick tempered child. Scout shows her temper when she says, “catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt then Jim came by and told me to stop.”(pg.30) In my opinion, when Scout was taking up for Walter Cunningham for being poor, Miss Caroline assumed that Scout was not telling the truth but being a smart allelic, and Scout got in trouble. If Scout had explained herself a little better it would not have been such a bad misunderstanding. Like the time when Walter was putting syrup on his vegetables and meat, Scout was making fun of him and she got in trouble and says, “but he’s gone and...
Throughout the story, Aunt Alexandra’s behaviors indirectly teach Scout that prejudice is a disease with deep and far reaching roots. As Scout is exposed to Aunt Alexandra’s ideas regarding the hierarchy of society, she also begins to understand why Aunt Alexandra holds such opinions. When Aunt Alexandra comes to stay with the children, she also brings along her unending gossip about other families in Maycomb. Scout explains that “Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land, the finer it was” (173).
As the reader first encounters Scott, she is found to be influenced by a prestige – honored environment as validated by her behavior towards the low status Cunningham's. People with more money think they are better than those with less money. Maycomb has a hostile and unsympathetic view of people with different colored skin and people who come from families with a low income. If someone in the town is poor, they will be treated differently and be segregated from others. The richer do this to make sure the poor know that they are lower than them. It seems that the poor are not given a chance. Scout accepts this as if it were wholly logical, evidence that she is gullible to the attack of social classes that she regularly faces. This point is strengthened as the story progresses to scouts first day of school. At no...
Scout begins to realize that people's ignorance isn't always their fault. Her teacher, Miss Caroline, is new in Maycomb, and doesn't know about the families living there. Scout was very upset that she got scolded for explaining the caste system to the teacher, but then she began to understand. ''...but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we'd have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all of Maycomb's ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better.'';(30). A lot of the time, people don't stop to understand a person, but are quick to make judgements. All people need to do is to try to understand why the person said what they did, try to see where he or she is coming from. Only then can mankind know what to do in a...
Scout tried to explain this to her teacher, Miss Caroline, but got in trouble. Scout was so angry she rubbed Walter’s nose in dirt. Jem invited Walter over for dinner and Scout made a remark that made Calpurnia furious. She told Scout, “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (32). Scout went on to say how just because he is a Cunningham he was not company. Calpurnia became even more furious and raised her voice and said, “Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em” (33). This lesson was important because Scout learned just because you might be better than someone or have more does not mean you should act like it. Calpurnia gives the talks and is there for both children just like a real mother would be. Miss Maudie is another Maycomb citizen who is an important role model for Jem and
Caroline's point of view, which made her realize that she had, ¨... learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learned several things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better.¨ (30). This made Scout realize that Ms. Caroline wasn’t a bad person just not informed about the people in Maycomb County
However, their lack of money was a result to Mr. Cunningham not wanting to accept assistance from anyone out of fear of causing them an inconvenience (Lee 20). Walter Cunningham is referred to as having hookworms and not having shoes (Lee 19). He is discussed between Scout and Miss Caroline when she realizes that he did not have a lunch and offers to loan him money (Lee 19,20). Scout explains, “‘The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back-no church baskets no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it’” (Lee 20). By this encounter, Scout hoped to educate Miss Caroline on the status of Walter’s family and states “‘That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the country folks after a while” (Lee 20). Walter Cunningham, is also discussed between Scout and her Aunt Alexandra, later in the novel, after the encounter with him and Miss Caroline (Lee 223,224).Scout had hoped to defend Walter and is pleased with herself for the action she took (Lee 223). She thinks she should invite him to spend the night with them sometime, but quickly realizes that Aunt Alexandra has other views of the Cunninghams (Lee 223). Aunt Alexandra states, “‘But they’re not our kind of folks….you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like
The Cunninghams are mistreated by part of the society in Maycomb. Aunt Alexandra, who mistreats them the most, is prejudiced toward the Cunninghams, she does not like them. She thinks that her reputation, and social status are going to be stained if Scout plays with Walter Jr.. Scout wants to invite Walter over, but Aunt Alexandra does not like Walter, she says that they are folks from different class. She thinks it is best if they do not see each other. She once talks to Scout about how different they are, "Because - he - is - trash, that's why you can't play with him.
Caroline to help out Walter, on behalf of the students. She is aware that Miss. Caroline yells at her for all most anything she says, but speaks out anyway because she is brave and wants to help Walter, knowing that their family does not have much. Scout is making Walter feel less embarrassed for the fact that he is poor. Scout shows bravery throughout the whole novel, and courage and bravery are what get her through all the conflict and dispute that is occurring in
The first way that Scout shows a sign of empathy is in the classroom with Miss Caroline. Although Scout doesn’t know it, she has been giving Miss Caroline a very hard time. Miss Caroline is getting very stressed about her day and when she has had enough, she punishes Scout. “Miss Caroline picked up her ruler, gave me half a dozen quick little pats, then told me to stand in the corner” (Lee 24). Although Scout was punished, she is still learning to be empathetic upon seeing how much this affected Miss Caroline. when she saw how stressed Miss Caroline was with the kids. “As I was last to leave, I saw her sink down into her chair and bury her head in her arms. Had her conduct been more friendly toward me, I would have felt sorry for her. She was a pretty little thing” (Lee 24). Scout
n the novel To Kill A Mocking Bird, the children judge their new teacher Miss Caroline because she was from the south.The only reason why they didn’t like her besides that she was from the south was because they thought that she was too mean.As Miss Caroline was settling in her new classroom she tried tdlling the kids that just because she was from the south didn’t mean they could judge her.The childern understood why they were too hard because judgeing someone that is coming from a didn’t place doesn’t mean you could judge them.
highlighted by the reader, often understanding events better than Scout herself. The first example of Scout moving from innocence to experience is in Chapter 2, when Scout unwillingly begins school. Her fellow pupil, a student. Walter Cunningham, refuses to borrow money from Miss Caroline. buy lunch, however Miss Caroline will not accept this refusal.
This shows that Ms. Caroline’s way of teaching discriminates against how Scouts have learned to read. Ms. Caroline is narrow minded when it comes to teaching and does not get the way of the small town. Also she does not know that the kids there are intelligent and that the kids are used to a harsher environment which leads to no education being taught to the kids at all throughout the book. This means that throughout the book little is taught to Scout in school, but mostly by her father and her surroundings. Getting taught in school is not the only thing that affects Scout throughout the book.... ...