Chapter 26 and 27: The Radley Place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting, Explore this with reference to Scout's development. (Phoebe S)

Scout, Jem, and Atticus have been through intense emotional stress in the last year, so fears of Boo Radley are no longer meaningful to them. Scout and Jem have now begun school again and must walk by the Radley place every day. As Scout thinks "So many things had happened to us, Boo Radley was the least of our fears but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting” (Lee 326). In this quote, Scout means that it is not the house that has changed, but herself. She and Jem have both grown up and are not as close as they were before. As Jem is growing older, he thinks he is much more mature than Scout and can't be bothered with her childlike games. Because of this, Scout has had to face the past year alone. With Bob Ewell's threats and the trial, Scout has had to grow and be able to rely on herself more than ever. The town also treats the children as if they were made of glass. They all feel that Jem and Scout cannot help the Atticus is their father so in turn, the community pities the children. When saying "It was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting” (Lee 326) Scout is relating to the house by saying that her new world that she has been thrown into is not any different physically, but her behavior must be different so that she is accepted. In school one day, Scout's teacher, Miss Gates, teaches her class about Adolf Hitler and the prosecution of the Jewish people. Later, Scout asks Jem how Miss Gates can pretend to be unopposed to equality. After the trial, Scout heard that Ms.Gates was coming out of the courthouse and told Miss Stephanie Crawford "It's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves" (Lee 331). A younger Scout would not have noticed this hypocrisy and would have believed Ms. Gates. However as Scout has matured she now realizes that Ms. Gates may appear to be a Democrat, but she is a racist. Scout has grown since last summer in two ways, she is learning her forced role in the women's society of Maycomb and Scout is learning about herself and her own views.