Tuesday, September 18, 2012
For what does Scout get into trouble for with Miss Caroline? What does this reveal about Scout's character? Miss Caroline's? Burris'?
When Scout was at school, she got in trouble with Miss Caroline. Scout told Miss Caroline that Walter was a Cunningham. "Miss Caroline, he's a Cunningham" (26). The Cunningham's never know the next time they will be fed, "They don't have much, but they get along on it. (26) Scout then got patted on her hand with a ruler.
This reveals that scout will stand up for her classmates, and also that she can relate to them, she is poor as well, not as severe as the Cunninghams, but the Finch's are still poor. This shows that Miss. Caroline is sensitive and will not stand down for anything. At one part in the book, Burris Ewell, acted out in class because Miss Caroline was calling him dirty. No one who is poor should be treated like this, do you think so? What do you think Scout and Burris should have done differently in class? Why?
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It seems as though Scout is almost like a translator for Miss Caroline. Scout explains several things to Miss Caroline about the Maycomb way that she didn't know before. Miss Caroline is transitioning into a new environment, and Scout is helping her by translating the way of Maycomb into something that she can comprehend. Scout made the right decision helping her classmates out, however, she didn't help them out of kindness. "Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop." (25) Scout's actions benefited both Miss Caroline and Walter, but her actions were for a cause much less admirable than kindness.
ReplyDeleteScout is only 6 or 7 years old so she doesn't perfectly understand what is socially acceptable but regardless she definitely could've been nicer to Walter. For a child she could've at least been nice when she was speaking directly to him. For example, when Jem invited Walter over for a meal and said Scout wouldn't fight anymore she said, "I wouldn't be too certain of that." And on the same page the Scout said in her mind, "but precious noon time minutes were ticking away." (23) She may have straightened up her act momentarily but that was purely for selfish reasons because she wanted to not waste her "noon time". Do you think that Scout's opinions about how to be kind to people change at the end of the chapter or does she think the same?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Josie's second question, I think that first off, Scout did not present herself in a very good way to Miss Caroline, and clearly did not make a good first impression on her. For example, Miss Caroline says, "You're starting off on the wrong foot in every way, my dear." (28) The first day of school is a day where you make your first impressions on your teachers, and you learn the ropes of your classes. Scout started her first day of school in a very different way. Perhaps, instead of getting on her teacher's bad side, Scout could have gotten to know Miss Caroline's teaching style. Although it is Scout's first day of school, Miss Caroline is new to the Maycomb ways, and maybe if Scout had been a little bit more behaved, things would have gone better.
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