Scout's Innocence

Throughout TKaM, there is a commentary on youth and innocence. By meeting Scout in her earlier years, we are familiar with her character and more easily analyze her actions when she is older. Additionally, by making her intelligent and intellectually curious, dismissing her childhood judgements as naive is less valid. In the earlier sections of the book, we see Scout question the "unfairness" in the world--she recognizes the abuse her teacher doles out to Walter Cunningham, and tries explain and understand why it is wrong. By introducing this incident early in the novel, Scout's later dedication to defending her father's work becomes a character trait, and prevents her from becoming a "race warrior". When Scout is disappointed in the verdict and behavior of the town, we can understand it has her disappointment in people's unwillingness to accept basic equality. Had she been more aware of exactly how race played into each of these scenarios, her analysis would have run the risk of preaching against racism. TKaM's commentary on race is most effective because it combats the motivations behind racism, and focusses on why racism isn't any different from other kinds of discrimination. Since Scout, a child, is depicted as more sympathetic and understanding than adults, racism is portrayed as not only wrong, but juvenile, irresponsible, and irrational.