To Kill a Mockingbird Group

Question:

brooke8
brooke8
Student
High School - 10th Grade

What inconsistency in Miss Gates does Scout observe in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

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Posted by brooke8 on Sunday October 18, 2009 at 4:16 PM and tagged with book, characters, summary, to kill a mockingbird.

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  1. bullgatortail
    bullgatortail Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Miss Gates is Scout's third grade teacher in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout later questions Miss Gates' own judgement following a lesson that deals with Adolph Hitler's treatment of Jews. Spelling "democracy" on the board, Miss Gates explains that Hitler "is the government," further announcing that Americans do not allow for persecution or prejudice. But Scout has already noticed that Miss Gates does not treat all of her students in the same manner, and when she sees Jem after school, Scout reminds him of witnessing a conversation between with Miss Stephanie and Miss Gates during the Tom Robinson trial.

    I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an the next thing they think they can do is marry us. 

    Despite her youth, Scout understands the hypocrisy that Miss Gates displays--defending the Jews in Europe but criticizing the Negroes for their actions in Maycomb.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird/characters

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    Posted by bullgatortail on Sunday October 18, 2009 at 4:35 PM