Provide one quote that depicts Scout Finch's cowardice in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

In Chapter 8, Miss Maudie's house catches on fire and Atticus wakes Jem and Scout from their sleep. He tells them to go outside and stand in the Radley yard at a safe distance. Scout and Jem stand in the Radley yard and watch as their neighbors attempt to save Maudie's furniture before her house collapses. The next morning, Atticus and the children are drinking hot chocolate in the kitchen when Atticus notices that there is a blanket draped over Scout's shoulders. He asks Scout where she got the blanket, and both Scout and Jem are bewildered. They are shocked and don't know who could have given Scout the blanket. Atticus laughs and says, "Looks like all of Maycomb was out tonight, in one way or another" (Lee 95). Jem realizes that Boo Radley was responsible for giving Scout the blanket and begins to tell Atticus about all their exploits. Scout is still unaware of the situation when Atticus says, "Someday, maybe, Scout can thank him for covering her up" (Lee 96). Scout asks Atticus who he is talking about, and Atticus says, "Boo Radley" (Lee 96). Atticus then explains to Scout that Boo Radley walked up to her and covered her with a blanket. Scout is horrified, and she mentions,

"My stomach turned to water and I nearly threw up when Jem held out the blanket and crept toward me" (Lee 96).

Scout's reaction portrays her cowardice. She is terrified of Boo Radley and naively believes that he is a "malevolent phantom." The thought of Boo Radley sneaking up on her and standing so close makes Scout want to throw up. However, as the novel progresses, Scout begins to mature and views Boo Radley as the compassionate, though reclusive, individual he truly is.