When someone is naive it means that they lack certain knowledge and experience in a particular area. Usually, when one is referred to as naive, it means inexperienced with life in general, but it can be specific to a certain subject area as well. For Scout, she is just a little girl and naive to many of life's issues. For example, she's naive when she asks Atticus to define rape, when she runs to Atticus...
When someone is naive it means that they lack certain knowledge and experience in a particular area. Usually, when one is referred to as naive, it means inexperienced with life in general, but it can be specific to a certain subject area as well. For Scout, she is just a little girl and naive to many of life's issues. For example, she's naive when she asks Atticus to define rape, when she runs to Atticus while he's speaking with a lynch mob, and when Dill breaks down crying during the Tom Robinson trial.
First, Scout asks Atticus to define rape in chapter 14. Atticus gives her a law book definition: "He sighed, and said rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent." Scout's reaction is completely naive: "Well if that's all it is why did Calpurnia dry me up when I asked her what it was?" (135). Had Scout really understood what Atticus said to her, her reaction would not have been so calm.
Next, in chapter 15, Scout doesn't truly understand the serious nature of the situation when the Cunninghams go to the jail. She only sees that her father is standing next to Tom's jail cell talking with some men. When she hears her father ask "Do you really think so?" she describes the scene as follows:
". . . it meant somebody's man would get jumped. This was too good to miss. I broke away from Jem and ran as fast as I could to Atticus. . . I pushed my way through dark smelly bodies and burst into a circle of light. 'H-ey Atticus!' I thought he would have a fine surprise, but his face killed my joy" (152).
Clearly, Scout is too naive to understand what a dangerous situation she just ran into.
Finally, during the trial in chapter 19, Dill starts crying during Mr. Gilmer's cross-examination of Tom because of how rude he was. Scout goes outside with him and naively says, "Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro" (199). Her flippant remark proves that she does not understand Dill's intense feelings of empathy for Tom. He tries to explain it to her, but she doesn't understand, really. She thinks it's just how lawyers act, but when Dill doesn't accept that explanation, she falls back on what her community has taught her is the normal way to speak to people from the black community.
No comments:
Post a Comment