Chapter 3

In Chapter 3, we return back at school and we meet our next character, Burris Ewell.

Miss Caroline panics when a 'cootie' crawls out of Burris Ewell's hair, and she immediately orders Burris to go home and wash, and then not come back until tomorrow. In Maycomb, the Ewell's are considered even poorer and less respectable than the Cunningham's.

Later on in the novel, we learn that Burris in fact, only comes into school for the first day at the start of every school year in order to avoid trouble with the law.

When Scout arrives back at home, she explains to Atticus about how she didn't like Miss Caroline because she told Scout not to read at home anymore, and Scout asks if she can stop going to school, and be home-schooled by her father instead. Atticus then replies that it is the law for her to go to school, and they continue reading to each other with Miss Caroline knowing.