In the book To Kill a Mockingbird,
young Scout arrives upon the scene when she is worried about her father. She
and her brother Jem are both present. Atticus is standing in for the sheriff who is
out at the time. He is aware that Tom needs
protection.
The men gather around Atticus and demand that
he move and allow them to get Tom. They are a lynch mob who plan to take justice into
their own hands. When Jem is pulled back Scout becomes upset and moves to the front of
the crowd.
Scout becomes the voice of innocence who does
not see the men as a mob but as individuals. She begins to ask Mr. Cunningham about his
son, and she is puzzled by his actions. By speaking out Scout inadvertently stops the
men from being caught up in mob reality and moves them apart as individuals. Mr.
Cunningham feels awkward as he is separated out from the others and is forced to think
of himself in his individual role with Scout and Atticus. Scout's actions defuse the
mob mentality.
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