How Does Mrs Maudie Use Adult Language In To Kill A Mockingbird

Young narrators tend to be naive and inexperienced when they try to use adult language to express their anger. For example, in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, when the narrator, Scout, is forced to listen to her young cousin, Francis, degrade and belittle her father, she calls him a “whore-lady” (Lee 112). Scout is taught to have patience during the time of the trial and Francis pushes Scout to her breaking point. Adults in Scout’s life barely use offensive language most likely the curse word was said around her school and Scout picks up the word. Again, Scout uses adult language in inappropriate and confusing ways when she fights with her brother, Jem, and says, “You damn morphodite, I’ll kill you!” (Lee 184) Scout uses the word “morphodite” improperly and it really means two sexes present. morphodite is Scout’s mishearing of hermaphrodite said by Mrs. Maudie and what she said illustrates Scout’s childishness. Based on the quotes, Child Narrators tend to use adult language when expressing vexation

Such as the pink cotton penitentiary Scout mentions: “I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me.” (Lee) The reason Scout used a metaphor was to express how upset she was over what Aunt Alexandra told Atticus. Southern ladies like, Aunt Alexandra, seek to imprison free-spirited tomboys like Scout in a jailhouse of prim and proper femininity. Another example is when Scout talked to the mob of men: “Attitcus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in.” (Lee 205) Atticus told Scout about politeness and she used the advice he had told her and made a difference. Scout was brave enough to talk about what the men were interested in and changed their minds swiftly although she didn’t know exactly what was going on between the mob and Atticus. Politeness is taught from one to another and that habit can be used to make a