Why is scout dissatisfied with her father

He tells his son that no matter what she said, those poor flowers never did anyone any harm, and Jem needs to go apologize—right now. Meanwhile, Scout finally speaks her mind. No, her dad says, it's not fair.

But things are only going to get worse as the Tom Robinson case gets closer. When they're older, they'll understand why he's doing what he's doing. But isn't Atticus wrong, because most of the townspeople think he is? Nope, Atticus says. Personal conscience isn't a democracy. Finally, Jem's back. He cleaned up the yard and apologized even though he didn't mean it , and now Mrs. Dubose wants him to come over every day except Sunday to read to her.

Atticus says he has to do it. There's no point in apologizing unless it's sincere. As a sick old lady Mrs. Dubose can't be held responsible for her actions. Atticus is a lot more forgiving then we are. Anyway, Jem heads over to Mrs. Dubose's house for his first round of reading. Scout goes with him.

They find her in bed, and she gets in a few sharp words before Jem starts reading. Her face is disgusting—wrinkled, spotty, toothless, and drooling—so Scout tries to find something else to look at. After a while, the kids notice that Mrs. Dubose's frequent corrections of his mistakes had dropped off, and she doesn't even notice when he stops mid-sentence. She appears to be in some sort of fit. The kids ask if she's all right, but she doesn't answer.

Then an alarm clock goes off, and Mrs. Dubose's servant Jessie shoos them out of the house, saying it's time for Mrs. That Judge Taylor might have had his reasons for naming him? In the Finch family: Scout is astounded when Aunt Alexandra informs her that she can't invite Walter Cunningham to play at her house "'Because — he — is — trash'" and because "'Finch women aren't interested in that sort of people.

Importantly, Scout ultimately decides for herself that "'there's just one kind of folks. Lee also provides a unique perspective on the role of women in these chapters. Admittedly, Atticus is less concerned about women's "place" than any other character in the novel with the possible exception of Miss Maudie. So although he's somewhat bemused by Scout's reaction to the fact that women in Alabama can't serve on a jury, he's still forced to explain, "'I guess it's to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom's.

Hearing Atticus, who doesn't have preconceived notions about the way that women should behave, say something so silly is likely one source of Scout's laughter. Still, as much as she dislikes women's role in Maycomb society, she is ultimately willing to accept it. Unlike her brother, Aunt Alexandra is so committed to her feminine duties that she makes woolen rugs, a very hot job, in the dead of summer. The work must be done, women must do it, and comfort doesn't matter.

This woman is obsessed with turning Scout into a lady. Jem finally tells Scout that Aunt Alexandra's "'not used to girls,. She's tryin' to make you a lady. Can't you take up sewin' or somethin'? Ironically, though, when the children fear for Atticus after Bob Ewell's threats, Jem entreats Scout to throw a tantrum reasoning "it might work if [she] cried and flung a bit, being young and a girl. Throughout the novel, Lee has been working on two levels. First, she's trying to expose the injustice in whites' treatment of blacks.

Secondly, she subtly questions the ideals of Womanhood. Through Scout, Lee shows how women who don't question their assigned roles are as oppressed as African Americans.

Lee is speaking as much in favor of women's liberation as she is civil rights. He is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed to racial equality. When he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man charged with raping a white woman, he exposes himself and his family to the anger of the white community.

Read an in-depth analysis of Atticus Finch. Four years older than Scout, he gradually separates himself from her games, but he remains her close companion and protector throughout the novel. Jem moves into adolescence during the story, and his ideals are shaken badly by the evil and injustice that he perceives during the trial of Tom Robinson. Read an in-depth analysis of Jem Finch.

A recluse who never sets foot outside his house, Boo dominates the imaginations of Jem, Scout, and Dill. He is a powerful symbol of goodness swathed in an initial shroud of creepiness, leaving little presents for Scout and Jem and emerging at an opportune moment to save the children. An intelligent child emotionally damaged by his cruel father, Boo provides an example of the threat that evil poses to innocence and goodness.

Read an in-depth analysis of Boo Radley. Read an in-depth analysis of Calpurnia. In his knowingly wrongful accusation that Tom Robinson raped his daughter, Ewell represents the dark side of the South: ignorance, poverty, squalor, and hate-filled racial prejudice.

Dill is a diminutive, confident boy with an active imagination. He becomes fascinated with Boo Radley and represents the perspective of childhood innocence throughout the novel.

Alexandra is the perfect Southern lady, and her commitment to propriety and tradition often leads her to clash with Scout. Though one can pity Mayella because of her overbearing father, one cannot pardon her for her shameful indictment of Tom Robinson.

The black field hand accused of rape. An elderly, ill-tempered, racist woman who lives near the Finches. Although Jem believes that Mrs. Dubose is a thoroughly bad woman, Atticus admires her for the courage with which she battles her morphine addiction.