To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Summary - Chapter 2

Dill Leaves Maycomb:

Dill leaves Maycomb at the start of September. He went back to his hometown, Meridian town. This leaves Scout without her brother, Dill.

Scout Starts School:

This is Scout’s first year in school. She has been awaiting this event, but it did not take her long to discover that school does not interest her at all. She was excited to learn at school but lost her interest when her teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, poorly dealt with the child students — herself and her pupils.

Scout and Student-Teacher Conflict:

Scout believes the teacher does not know how to handle children well. Caroline knew that Scout already knows how to read. She presumed that her father taught her. This idea irritated Scout and made her feel guilty about being educated ahead of her peers. During recess break, Scout shares the experience with Jem. Jem takes the whining lightly and tells her Caroline employs a new method of teaching. In the afternoon, the teacher-student relationship becomes increasingly sour.

Scout being Compassionate and her Teacher being Heartless:

Scout’s classmate, Walter Cunningham, did not bring any lunch. Scout sees Caroline and offers the boy a quarter for his lunch, with the agreement that he will return the money the next day. However, Scout knows the boy’s family is poor and she explains this situation to the teacher. Walter would not be able to pay the teacher or even bring lunch in the future because his family is poor. She is aware that Walter’s family only pays her father with turnip greens, nuts, or any other goods whenever they seek legal help from her father. Scout expects understanding from the teacher, but instead Caroline slaps her hand with a ruler.

Scout Quits School:

Scout senses future, further trouble with her teacher and is surprised by how it escalated so quickly. Scout decides not to go back to school after the uncomfortable first day, school experience. She was grateful when class ended so she could go home.

This was a To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Summary 2; there are 31 chapters in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Summary - Chapter 2