To Kill a Mockingbird: Feature Article - Scout Finch Interview

This feature article presents an interview with Scout Finch, a character from Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' focusing on the social issues and racism prevalent in Maycomb during the Tom Robinson trial. The article explores Scout's perspective on the prejudices faced by dark-skinned people and the impact of societal influence on children's developing mindsets. It delves into the suffering endured by the Finch family for defending Tom Robinson, highlighting the ingrained racism of the early twentieth-century society. Through Scout's observations, the article examines themes of racial discrimination, justice, and the importance of empathy, emphasizing the lasting consequences of prejudice and the potential for children to develop a non-biased understanding of the world. The article also mentions the social context of the novel and the impact of the Great Depression on American society. The author also discusses the mockingbird and how it relates to the book.

Running head: FEATURE ARTICLE – AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOUT
FEATURE ARTICLE – AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOUT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1FEATURE ARTICLE – AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOUT
RACISM – A NUISANCE WITHIN THE SOCIETY
Guardian Correspondent: An interview of Maycomb resident Miss Scout Finch on the
Tom Robinson trial from the Asian perspective. The article is aimed at highlighting the issues
that are faced by the dark-skinned people in relation to the oppression that they faced at the hand
of the fair-skinned people. The article addresses the society at large on the racist practices that
are maintained within the social matters. The article addresses the long-term implications of the
implementation of the racism within the society.
Racism is an acquired trait on the part of the human beings. The trait is developed in the
minds of the human beings due to the societal influence on the mindset of the children in the
society. Should Scout be forced into developing a racist attitude rather than having a humanistic
attitude towards the society? Should the society not maintain the non-biased nature of the Scout
towards the judgement of the activities that have been going on around her.
Scout in Maycomb County
Scout is a very jovial child who has clearly been enjoying her childhood in the Maycomb
County. She is very happy to roam around in the locality in the companionship of her friends and
her brother. However, the mention of the trial of Tom Robinson puts on a grave look on the
innocent and jovial face of Scout.
Racist Prejudices – Context and Impact
The American society has been plagued with the issues of racism in the present days. The
dark-skinned people residing within the American society are facing various types of humiliation
within the given society on a daily basis. Tom Robinson, the accused, as described by Scout is a

2FEATURE ARTICLE – AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOUT
dark-skinned man who is disabled. However, she further states that his physical disability had
not been able to save him from the consequences that he had to face due to the ingenuine
accusation on the Mayella Ewell, a white resident of Maycomb County. Scout states that she
found nothing wrong on the part of her father Atticus when he had agreed to take up defense on
behalf of Tom Robinson. Atticus had always been of the view that people should be judged on
the basis of their behaviors and actions and not on the basis of their looks or their racial
backgrounds. The present social conditions, as observed by Scout, force the children in the
society to develop a discriminative attitude on the basis of the skin color of the concerned
person. Scout further reveals that the society treated the dark-skinned people in a worse manner.
The interview with Scout made it very clear that the seeds of the discrimination within the
society lie in the mindset of the people living herein.
Suffering of the Finchs for defending Robinson
Scout says that she as well as her family had to face a huge amount of suffering for
extending support to and defending Tom Robinson at the court. Scout stated that they had to face
a greater number of suffering and humiliation from the other fair-skinned people due to the
support and the defense that had been extended to the accused and disabled dark-skinned Tom
Robinson. Scout with great despise talks of the days when her friends tease her with the tag of
“black-lover”. The child had been unaware of the concept of racism as well as the consequences
of the same till she experienced it on a first hands basis. This is generally considered to be a
commonplace occurrence in the early twentieth century since the society considered it to be a
higher degree crime.
Treating Racist Prejudice

3FEATURE ARTICLE – AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOUT
The treatment of the Tom Robinson trial case reveals the racist mentality that is
maintained within the early-twentieth century society. Scout reveals that she could still hear the
voice of Tom ringing in her ears.
“Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em”
Scout rejects stratification and segregation as shown when she reacted differently to the
whole incident of the trial. She is a compassionate girl and felt quite sympathetic regarding the
unjust treatment of this compassionate and honest man.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things
from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and
walk around in it.”
The other children in the town of Maycomb could also build a racial prejudiced-free
mentality if their parents and society guided them so like Atticus had guided little Scout.
Residents of Maycomb County are so indulged with their fair-skinned pride that even the death
of a dark-skinned innocent was ignored by the fair-skinned population.