Saturday, December 12, 2015

What are important items for Scout in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one thing we learn about Scout is that she deeply values reading. We particularly learn how much she values reading when her first-grade teacher chastises her for already knowing how to read and tells her to make her father stop teaching her to read, despite Scout's protests that Atticus never taught her; it just came naturally to her because she is precocious. At that moment, Scout reflects on how important reading is to her, saying, "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing" (Ch. 2). In other words, reading has become such a daily part of her existence that she has never thought of herself as being without it, just as she has never thought of herself as being unable to breathe. Since reading is so valuable to Scout, one item of importance we can name for Scout is any type of literature, including books, Time magazine and The Mobile Register. In fact, being dissatisfied with her education at school, Scout later notes that everything she learned, she "gathered from Time magazine and reading everything [she] could lay hands on at home" (Ch. 4).

Scout is also a tomboy. As a tomboy, she takes great pleasure in her independence and in moving against the grain of society, just like Atticus is independent and does not adhere to social norms. As an independent tomboy, another item of importance to Scout is her overalls. In fact, while spending Christmas at Finch's Landing in Chapter 9, Scout comments on her Aunt Alexandra's frequent criticisms of her clothing. Scout narrates having the following conversation with her aunt:


Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. (Ch. 9)



Yet, as Scout grows older and observes Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie, she begins to understand exactly what it is to be a lady. Therefore, as she matures, other items that become important to Scout are her "pink Sunday dress, shoes, and petticoat" (Ch. 24).

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