Quote (Ch1-4)

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” -Atticus Finch

So far this is in my opinion the most important thing that Atticus has said to Scout. It allows her to begin to empathize with others, and not judge someone until she begins to see something from their point of view. This helps her to understand why someone would do something that she would never consider doing. I have a feeling that this quote will have a profound effect on Scout’s life. I also believe that these words will have a massive effect on the book, and may even be part of the main message that the book is supposed to convey.

Separation of the Classes (Ch1-4)

In chapters 1-4 of to kill a mocking bird the economic divide between Scout and her schoolmates is very obvious. This novel takes place during the depression, a time when pretty much everyone was poor. Scout’s father is a lawyer, which is a career that almost never stops making money. The first significant sign of Scout’s family’s economic prosperity is the fast that they have a full time Nanny/House Keeper. Although Atticus is a rich man, he has not let money corrupt him or his children.

The first sign that Scout and her family do not look down upon those less fortunate than they is that she treats her nanny as if she were a part of the family. The second sign is that when Miss Caroline finds out that Walter does not have lunch and loans him a quarter, Scout tries to explain that Walter will be unable to pay her back. The third sign is that after Scout bullies Walter, Jem tries to earn his forgiveness by inviting him to their house for dinner.

Although Scout is not negatively changed by her economic prosperity she still is different from the poorer class. When Walter spread Molasses on his food at Dinner, she reacts this as if this action is strange and alien to her. She also shows this when she notes that Burris Ewell only comes to school once a year so he does not get in trouble with the law, but she does not connect herself to Burris when her father says that the law requires her to go to school.