To Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis

Scout

Characteristic/role

Evidence

Explanation

Context

First person Narrator

-Humour

-Objective viewpoint

“the worlds ending Atticus! Please do something!”

“well dill after all he’s just a *****.”

Her innocence and complete faith in her father to the point that he can save the world, provide humour for the reader

Even though scout has been taught her whole life not to be racist she still is able to belittle a person just because of their colour and this shows how entrenched Maycomb is with its disease

America was a very racist society-Jim crow laws and Civil war

Confident and sociable

Her ability to run over to Atticus and spark a conversation about “his entailment”

Her confidence enables the reader to learn about different people and areas in Maycomb, showing us an insider view on its society

Brave

She is the first person to speak in the classroom

Tomboy

“aunt Alexandria was fanatical about the subject of my attire”

“you should be in a dress”

Scout’s Pride in being a Tomboy Questions what it is to be a woman and exposes the prejudice that many women faced in the era.

Southern Belle and only getting the vote in 1920.

The name Scout is also a boys Name and the fact that it isn’t her real name shows that she wanted to be viewed that way.

Intelligent

Can read at the age of six

Her intelligence is used by Lee to question why women should be portrayed as foolish and helps to break down gender roles

Dewey decimal system

Innocent

“the worlds ending Atticus!”

Doesn’t understand the trial

Scouts initial innocence and subsequent loss of it help the audience to

Ill tempered

“try fighting with your head for a change”

Scouts quick temper is seen as very un-lady like and her maturing away from it by taking up the “doctrine of Cowardice” shows Atticus’ impact on her

Kind

“To me there is just one kind of folks. Folks”

Invites Walter Cunningham home

Her kindness shows the reader light in a dark book and emphasises how eventually thing swill change and Maycomb will shirk off its usual disease.

Atticus

Characteristic/role

Evidence

Explanation

Context

Consistent

“Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.”

Atticus’s consistent behaviour and respect for other make him the protagonist of the novel as he makes a stark contrast to many other in the novel.

Good/Bad Father

Leaves his kids to go to the pageant alone, putting them in harm’s way

“Atticus was feeble”

“he played with us, read to us, and treated us with a courteous detachment”

“When a child asks you something, answer him”

“Atticus doesn’t just listen to my side he hears Jem’s side too”

GOOD- As a father Atticus constantly imparts his teaching to his children with the aim of making them well educated and respectful human beings

BAD-However Atticus’s courteous detachment from his children creates a kind of separation which removes the idea of a loving father this is…