Saturday, January 8, 2011

How would you analyze Scout using quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird?

Scout is a very complex character, so an analysis of her should be fairly focused. For example, what kind of a person do you think she is? By answering that question, you can begin to analyze the ways she demonstrates those specific characteristics in the book.


Scout is often viewed as young, innocent, brave, tough, honest, intelligent, and precocious. In order to analyze her more closely, consider choosing one of those character traits, or another that you have noticed yourself that is not listed here, and begin to find quotes from the book that back up your claim that her personality is such.


Let's say you wanted to talk about Scout being brave. You might cite the example from Ch. 15 where she steps into the middle of the conversation (more accurately, the brewing fight) between Atticus and the mob who have shown up to the jail to take Tom Robinson. She strikes up a conversation with Mr. Cunnigham about his son, Walter. This is brave of Scout because she recognizes how tense the situation is and that Atticus is in a tight spot. She hopes to relieve some of that tension, and without realizing it, she does something very brave. The best part? It works! This is just one, and perhaps the most extreme example, of Scout being brave.

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