To Kill A Mockingbird Scout Selfish Quotes

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

Miss Caroline the people of Maycomb, and thus she suffered the consequences. In the story, Scout states, “Your shamin’ him, Miss Caroline. Walter hasn’t got a quarter at home to bring to you, and you can’t use stonewood” (Lee 28). Miss Caroline was shocked and she grabbed Scout from her desk to the front of the room. Miss Caroline exclaims, “Jean Louise, I’ve had about enough of you this morning...You’re starting off on the wrong foot in every way. My dear. Hold out your hand” (Lee 28). This excerpt between Miss Caroline and Scout illustrate how Scout tried using her knowledge to explain the ways of Maycomb county. However, she couldn’t defend herself enough to make Miss Caroline understand, so her knowledge didn’t prevail, and she suffered the consequence of her lack of understanding. Scout gets up by command by her teacher and takes her punishment despite not saying anything false. To conclude, Scout’s inability to use her knowledge for her defense and her acquiescence towards her teachers make her naive and innocent.

Scout using what she learns in school to make real world connections makes her maturity expand.

Scout’s newfound knowledge emphasizes her maturity: “Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home” (Lee 331). This quote demonstrates Scout’s recent development to maturity, because she takes a historical event and puts it into context of her own town. She’s making big comparisons like her town’s discrimination towards African Americans and Hitler’s discrimination toward Jews, which indicates that Scout is starting to use her education to examine the bigger picture of reality. Also, Scout begins to question the actions of Hitler and tries to interpret his wrongdoings with what she learns in school and her own knowledge. In the story, Scout narrates, “One maniac and millions of German folks. Looked to me like they’d shut Hitler in a pen instead of letting him shut them up. There was something else wrong―I would ask my father about it” (Lee 329). This quote exemplifies Scouts maturity, because instead of just learning about Hitler and abandoning everything she learned later on, Scout wants to understand why Hitler did what he did and how. This shows how Scout wants to see the world for what it really is. Scout’s beginning to see the world for what it really is, thus depleting her

innocence.