To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 2 question

Scout tells us the following about her teacher on the first day of school:

Miss Caroline was no more than twenty-one. She had bright auburn hair, pink cheeks, and wore crimson fingernail polish. She also wore high-heeled pumps and a red-and-white-striped dress. She looked and smelled like a peppermint drop.

Analyze the descriptive language Lee uses to describe Miss Caroline. What words or phrases help you visualize her? What figurative language does the author use?How does the author use the description of Miss Caroline to suggest something about her personality and style as a teacher? How does the description accentuate the personality clash between Scout and her teacher?

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Last updated by Laurem Z #842110
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I think the underlying message of this quote involves the sense of otherness that Scout's teacher represents. Maycomb is a poor rural farming community. Miss. Caroline’s bright auburn hair, pink cheeks are in striking contrast to the Maycomb experience. By introducing Mrs. Caroline, Harper lee juxtaposes two different worlds: the world of the city and the world of the rural. This juxtaposition is extended into the classroom experience. Miss. Caroline means well but is clueless about the experience of the children in her class.

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