Summary

The main characters in chapter two of the book "To kill a mockingbird" are Scout, Jem, Dill, Atticus, Miss Caroline Fisher, the Cunningham Family, and Walter. In this chapter, Dill leaves in early September and Scout goes to elementary school for the first time in her life. Even though she has been anticipating for it, the first day of school does not work out very well for Scout. Scout's teacher, Miss Caroline, makes Scout read books out loud and tells her not to be taught by her father. She assumes that Atticus has taught the narrator how to read and these lessons must stop because Atticus isn't a licensed teacher and therefore is doing his child more harm than good. During the recess, Jem tells Scout that her teacher is in the center of the Dewey Decimal System. After recess, Scout is bored during the class time, so she starts writing a letter to Dill in cursive. Miss Caroline makes the narrator stop, saying that first graders print, and cursive isn't taught until third grade. Later, Miss Caroline is halted in her inspection of her students' lunches by Walter Cunningham, who doesn't have one. She tries to lend him a quarter for lunch, but he refuses to take it. Jean Louise, or Scout, steps in, explaining to Miss Caroline that Walter is a Cunningham. The Cunninghams won't take anything from anybody, preferring to get by on the little they have. Jean Louise wants to explain but can't, so she just says that Miss Caroline is making Walter ashamed by trying to lend him money he can't pay back. Miss Caroline gets very frustrated at this, and calls Jean Louise up to the front of the class, where she pats her hand with the ruler and makes her stand in the corner. After the school ends, Scout feels bad for the teacher who sinks down into her chair and buries her head in her arms.