Answer: The reader understands that townspeople are upset because Atticus is going to valiantly defend a black man. Scout is not mature enough to understand why people have prejudices against Tom.
Explanation:
In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is a man who is appointed by Judge Taylor to defend Tom Robinson. Tom is an innocent black man, accused of a crime he did not commit. Atticus, being morally upright, prepares to defend him and takes this case quite seriously. The townspeople of Maycomb, however, do not care about Tom's innocence. They have deep racial prejudices against black men, which is why they are upset that Atticus is going to valiantly defend him. People believe Tom must be convicted of crime only because of his race and regardless of whether he is actually guilty. Scout is not mature enough to understand why the townspeople have such prejudices, so it is all confusing for her at this point.
