In To Kill a Mockingbird what does atticus mean when he says 'this summer's going to be a hot one'?

Answer 1

The literal meaning of 'the summer's going to be a hot one' would simply suggest hot weather, but clearly that is not what Atticus is getting at. Aunt Alexandra and Atticus agree (although Scout is not convinced it was Atticus' idea) that she 'should stay ... for a while' and in Aunt Alexandra's words, addressing Scout, 'it would be best for you to have some feminine influence.' When the children meet Atticus, he starts to tell them that 'We felt it was time you children needed -', but his justification for her visit is not answered directly. The reader already knows that Atticus has been absent on business for two weeks and that he is defending a case for a Tom Robinson, a black man, which is already causing tension between the Finch family and the white residents of Maycomb. Therefore the 'hot summer' Atticus is referring to is both the support his family will need during these difficult months and Aunt Alexandra's preoccupation with bringing the children up properly.

Answer 2

When Atticus says "this summer's going to be a hot one" in "To Kill a Mockingbird," he may be alluding to the fact that tensions in their small town of Maycomb will rise as racial tensions are brought to the surface during the trial. This statement could also symbolize the heat of the Southern summer mirroring the rise in conflict and prejudice within the community.

Answer 3

The literal meaning of 'the summer's going to be a hot one' is that Aunt Alexandra and Atticus agree (although Scout is not convinced it was Atticus' idea) that she 'should stay for a while' and in Aunt Alexandra's words, addressing Scout, 'it would be best for you to have some feminine influence.' When the children meet Atticus, he starts to tell them that 'We felt it was time you children needed ', but his justification for her visit is not answered directly. The reader already knows that Atticus has been absent on business for two weeks and that he is defending a case for a Tom Robinson, a black man, which is already causing tension between the Finch family and the white residents of Maycomb. Therefore the 'hot summer' Atticus is referring to is both the support his family will need during these difficult months and Aunt Alexandra's preoccupation with bringing the children up properly. Atticus mainly means that the summer is going to be full of protest and violence.

Answer 4

A lot of things are going to happen, like the trial.