Chapter Two Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird

Key Events

• End of Summer: Dill returns to Mississippi.
• Excitement for School: Scout is eager to start first grade after observing school children from her tree house.

First Day of School

• Miss Caroline Fisher:

  • New to teaching and unfamiliar with Maycomb society.
  • Discovers Scout can already read and write.
  • Reacts negatively, suggesting Scout should not read at home with Atticus.

• Walter Cunningham Incident:

  • Miss Caroline offers to lend lunch money to Walter Cunningham.
  • Scout explains Cunninghams don’t take what they can't repay.
  • Miss Caroline becomes frustrated, making Scout stand in the corner.

Themes and Analysis

• Scout's Observations:

  • Intelligent and perceptive, observes her surroundings keenly.
  • Reading and writing come naturally to her.

• Miss Caroline's Challenges:

  • Represents inexperience and an outsider's perspective.
  • Struggles to understand the social differences in Maycomb.

Social Divisions

• First indication of social and economic divisions in Maycomb.
• Highlights the Cunninghams' values of self-reliance and pride.

Character Development

• Scout Finch:

  • Observant and intelligent, sensitive to injustices.
  • Experiences a challenging start to formal education.

• Miss Caroline Fisher:

  • Illustrates the difficulties faced by outsiders in understanding local customs and traditions.