Character Analysis of “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Essay

In the novel, â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, the character Scout plays an important role; Harper Lee portrays her as straightforward, abrupt, impulsive, and even just plain rude. One example of this is when Scout says, â€Å"He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham,† (Lee 24) in reference to when Walter Cunningham was over at the Finch residence, and Scout disapproved of the way he ate his food, that is, with a liberal amount of syrup. This shows that she is unafraid to speak her mind. Also, it shows that she is very opinionated about classes of people, as the Cunningham boy was of a lower class than Scout’s own family. This, in addition, proves that Scout can be unruly when she wants to be. Another great quote from Lee’s story, to go along with the one above, would be when Scout decides to take a piece of gum from a knothole in a tree on the way home from school. â€Å"I stood on tiptoe†¦hastily looked around once more, reached into the hole, and withdrew two pieces of chewing gum minus their outer wrappers. My first impulse was to stick it into my mouth.†(Lee 32) This excerpt from the story shows Scout’s impulsive side, showing that she does not always think before acting. There is also another side to Scout that we do not see as much, the gentle side, where she cares for Jem, and wants him not to go to the Radley’s to give Arthur Radley a note. Another example is when she goes with Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose, a horrible woman, every day. In conclusion, Scout may seem rowdy, unruly, and uncouth, and she may be, but on the inside there is more to that, she also is a caring little girl.