This dialect is between Scout and her Father, as he reprimands her for the use of the "common" word, "nigger.".
During the nineteen fifties, many words considered faux pas in society today (such as the word "nigger"), would have been a part of the everyday vernacular of southerners. By adding the southern twang to a story the author is giving the reader more of a vivid picture of what living in this time frame would amount too. "If a book was set in a period of time when racism against blacks was common, then slurs are used by the author to make the reader feel like he/she is actually experiencing the book, rather than reading it" (Wright). This gives the reader a sense of realism, as well as a chance to put the word into context. The authors are given a chance to a look at southern dialect and portray it as either positive or negative. The protagonist of the story can bellow a racial slur and look to be a villain. .
An author can use the protagonist to show how certain words offend people. A taboo word can appear to the reader to be even harsher. This can thus single out the word as having a negative connotation instead of an everyday word. If talked about in school, an opportunity would be presented to talk about the language. Students would be able to hear the opinions of other students on the issue, thus allowing for a view perhaps contrary to the one offered in the home.
In Toronto, Canada, Ricker-Wilson discusses the use of the novel in her classroom. She was confronted with a lot the same questions that most teachers face while teaching this book. She found that through group discussion she could provide an atmosphere for learning about the time period and treatment of blacks. Ricker-Wilson states, "I consider it crucial, as an educator, to critically and experimentally engage students with contested material. It is important to sort through with students the host of messy and complicated issues in which difference, as perceived by both the societally empowered and dispowered, now embroils us.