Literary Note

‘That’s your job,’ said Atticus. ‘I merely bowed to the inevitable.”

When the children receive air-rifles for Christmas Uncle Jack tells Atticus that he will need to teach Scout and Jem how to shoot but Atticus declines and ask Uncle Jack to do it instead. This is another example of foreshadowing; in this case it is alluding to the incident with the mad dog. The use of the words ‘I merely bowed to the inevitable’ shows Atticus’s dislike of guns.
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