Scout was rightly chosen to be the main character. From what I know about the book it could just as well be called "The Chronicles of Jem Finch." Scout is a very complex and important character who would be completly out of the book if she was not 1st person. Also on page 26 it talks about a poor yet noble boy named Walter Cunningham. He is in Scout's class. This book is supposed to take place during the Great Deppresion. Only from Scout's perspective can you see the people who suffer from the deppresion. Scout is also much younger than Jem and follows him on all of his adventures. I think that it is much clearer to the reader because Scout's shares insight on what she, a young child, thinks abou this whole mess.
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Jessica Reed
10/20/2009 07:26:07 am
As the narrator, Scout brought three important qualities to the book that Jem could not. First of all, she is younger than Jem. She shows what this time and place was like from a younger child's perspective. Secondly, since she was young and was a girl, her actions added amusement to the story. For example, her fake engagement with Dill was something that gave the story a little humor. Another example, since she was a girl she showed how brave the male figures in her life were. This can be found on page 52 when Jem gets the tire from the Radley's yard. If that part of the book was told from Jem's point of view the reader would probably just see how scared he was. Lastly, Scout's outgoing and feisty attitude is something that Jem can't offer to the story. Scout’s characteristics add a quality to To Kill a Mockingbird that Jem’s could not.
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Molly Buring
10/22/2009 06:19:30 am
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Molly Buring
10/23/2009 05:11:05 am
I think that Scout was picked for narrator for many reasons. One reason is that more things happen to her, that we know of, such as the new teacher, and the 2 students that took a while to ex[plain about. Both students were important to the story, and there was a reason why Lee but them in Scout's class. Also, since she is the only girl in the family, and the youngest girl in the book, it's a little more exciting with her narrating the story.
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Arjun Rajesh
11/21/2009 03:24:02 am
Scout was certainly a better narrator than Jem would have been. Jem is older than Scout and undertands the depression, segregation, and many other things that Scout does not. That takes the whole innocence thing away from the story. This story would not have even had a plot if Jem was the narrator since he understands everything. Also this is supposed to be a depression story and Scout is the one who truly sees the signs of the deppresion. Also, Jem is going through puberty and is always grumpy. That is not what you want in a narrator.
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