Even Atticus' family sees the situation this way, which explains Scout's fight with her cousin. .
Harper Lee's choice of first person narrative through Scout makes for some minor complications when reading. Because Scout is such a young girl, she does not fully comprehend the meaning of many of the events taking place. The trip to Calpurnia's church is the perfect example. To Scout, this seems very natural. She loves Cal and wants to know about Cal's life. But two white children in a black congregation in the 1930's are almost scandalous. Scout does not see it this way, but Aunt Alex's later reaction shows that such an event is far beyond social mores of the time. The narrative voice's innocence makes the novel very powerful and lyrical, but also requires closer examination. Whenever dealing with first person a reader must realize the filters the narrator has as a character that affect the picture presented. .
Explanation of Chapters 15 - 21 ("Part 3") .
Again, Scout's innocent perspective makes the reader unaware of the possible violence outside the Maycomb jail in chapter 16. The men who come that evening are a mob with the intention of killing Tom Robinson. Atticus was staying outside the jail with the hope of disarming the situation. When Scout and the boys arrive on the scene, they don't truly comprehend what is happening. Scout does not understand these men intend to kill Tom before he can even go to trial. It is the children's presence that disrupts the mob and eventually causes them to leave. The children make the men awkwardly aware of their cowardice and shame. .
When Mayella Ewell takes the stand, she calls into question the character of the white men in the courtroom. The fact that her word is not automatically taken over the word of a black man causes her to lash out and accuse the men of not being true gentlemen. Given the age-old code of Southern chivalry, this is a piercing accusation, and one that wins the case.