This quote reveals Scout’s impulsiveness. When she finds gum inside the hole of the Radley tree, she just crams it into her mouth. She does not seem to care about the potential risk(s) of her action, and just listens to her instincts. Although this particular instance did not do any harm, it does reflect a main part of her personality in the beginning of the book. When Walter Cunningham ate over at the Finch’s for dinner the first time, Scout treats him as an inferior since he is so poor. She is judgemental of the poor little boy, and is greatly rebuked by Calpurnia. However, later on in the book, we find a change in Scout’s perspective. She now defends the Cunninghams to Aunty and begs to play with Walter, much to Aunty’s distress.…show more content… This reveals her instinctive retreat to violence. However, when she discusses the incident with Atticus, he tells her not to fight back. So the next time someone initiates a fight with her, she obeys the wise advice of her father and does not touch him. This uncovers a change in Scout’s personality- she now does not fight back. Much to Scout’s dismay, Aunt Alexandra wants her to dress and act like a lady. While Scout would much rather play outside in her overalls and without shoes, Alexandra insists that she wear ladylike clothing and act mature. She places a huge pressure on Scout to abandon her tomboy actions to become a lady, creating a relationship of animosity between the two. As a single father left to care for his two children, Atticus has a major influence on Scout’s life. He is a caring father and teaches her many things, such as reading. In this quote, he scolds Uncle Jack for avoiding Scout’s innocent question, and although the question she asks was inappropriate, he still treats her as a young adult and believes it is only fair to answer her questions. This brings Scout to harbor a huge level of respect for her father, causing them to share a special father-daughter
