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Why does Scout prefer the world of men to the world in which "fragrant ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water?"

Scout is a "tomboy" who prefers playing outside and going on adventures to wearing frilly clothing and indulging in many of the feminine pastimes her peers enjoy. She would rather play with the boys and discuss what she perceives to be masculine topics than relate to other girls her age or to older women. In this sense, Scout finds herself able to relate to the theme of being an outsider, which is portrayed throughout "To...

Scout is a "tomboy" who prefers playing outside and going on adventures to wearing frilly clothing and indulging in many of the feminine pastimes her peers enjoy. She would rather play with the boys and discuss what she perceives to be masculine topics than relate to other girls her age or to older women. In this sense, Scout finds herself able to relate to the theme of being an outsider, which is portrayed throughout "To Kill a Mockingbird."


While Scout's wily personality stands on its own, a possible secondary explanation for her preference for the "world of men" is the fact that the two most important people in her life are men. Scout enjoys playing alongside her brother, Jem, and grew up as an accomplice to his wild adventures. On another level, Scout idolizes her father, Atticus, because he has always treated her with respect. While many of the women in Scout's life treat her like a child and assume that she isn't capable of knowing her own mind, Atticus treats Scout and Jem as an equal. As the primary male role model in Scout's life, Atticus represents a world of intellect and maturity that Scout herself prefers to what she sees as the shallow world of the women around her.


Although Scout's description of the ladies around her is somewhat condescending in its own right, her attitude towards the "world of women" is a reaction to a society that restricts her right to self-expression based on gender norms that dictate what a lady should and should not do.

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