Examples Of Walter Cunningham In To Kill A Mockingbird

Scout's experience with Walter Cunningham is the first where she realizes that she has to be kind even someone is different than her. Walter Cunningham is one of Scout's peers in her class who comes from a poor farming family. The novel states, "Walter Cunningham's face told everybody in the first grade he had hookworms. His absence of shoes told us how he got them" (Lee 19). Hookworms are inflamed body spots caused by walking barefoot in barns and pig pens. Walter's family could not afford to buy him shoes, which is why he had hookworms. On the first day of school, Walter had no money for lunch, so Jem and Scout invited him to eat at their house. Walter drowned all of his food in molasses, leading Scout to make an inappropriate comment. Calpurnia,

Their great idea was to leave Boo a note to find. Scout describes their scheme, "Jem attached the note to the end of the fishing pole, let the poll out across the yard, and pushed it toward the window he had selected" (Lee 48). Atticus caught the three of them and questioned their actions; he gave them a speech about how they were disrespectful. Through this incident, Scout learned that you should treat others how you want to be treated, as she would not have liked it if Boo had left a note in her window. As the story ends, Scout finally gets to meet Boo in person. Boo's true nature is different from what Scout has expected. The story reads, "I led him to the front porch, where his uneasy steps halted. He was still holding my hand and was showing no signs of letting go" (Lee 278). Scout realizes that Boo is not like the rumors she has heard. He was an anxious man who did not like social interaction, but Boo was a gentle giant. The man has a kind disposition and only wants to be a friend to the children. Through this experience, Scout gained the moral of not trusting the hearsay she has heard and not judging someone because of a