Scout reflects: “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” What comparison is Lee suggesting in...

It seemed that Scout Finch was always reading.  She had started to read at a young age.  Long before starting school, reading seemed natural to Scout.  It was simply a part of her life.  

On Scout's first day of school, however, her teacher told her to stop reading.  Miss Caroline said that Scout should no longer read with her father each night.  Instead, she wanted Scout to learn how to read the "right" way....

It seemed that Scout Finch was always reading.  She had started to read at a young age.  Long before starting school, reading seemed natural to Scout.  It was simply a part of her life.  

On Scout's first day of school, however, her teacher told her to stop reading.  Miss Caroline said that Scout should no longer read with her father each night.  Instead, she wanted Scout to learn how to read the "right" way.  It was after this scene that Scout made the following statement:

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read.  One does not love breathing (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 2).

After Miss Caroline's new command, Scout gained a new appreciation for reading.  She realized that she valued reading.  It was important to her.  She also realized that reading was so essential to her life that it was like breathing.  She did not pay attention to it, but yet it was a necessary part of daily life.