To Kill a Mockingbird

How does the author of To Kill a Mockingbird create sympathy for Scout in Chapter 9?

chapter 9 To Kill A mockingbird

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In Chapter Nine, Aunt Alexandra is presented as a dominating and traditional presence with strong opinions about how Scout ought to behave. Her ideas of what a Southern lady should do become a constant reminder for Scout that she is always doing something "wrong," which serves to create sympathy for Scout's situation. Scout, however, is always comforted by knowing the accepting and open-minded Atticus doesn't mind her "too much" the way she is. Scout's behavior constantly flies in the face of traditional Southern female attributes, but the codes that her aunt tries to force on her often seem unreasonable and unjustified since they are based mainly on sheer tradition. Scout can maintain her youthful identity for now, but when Aunt Alexandra moves in with the Finch family during the trial, she will find herself more directly torn between two worlds - her childhood innocence and the ideal behavior of a Southern lady.

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To Kill a Mockingbird