Usually, black people had less money and land than whites. This could have resulted in whites thinking of themselves as Superior.
I think they add mood and other text features.
Chapter 7
After his adventures at the Radley Place, Jem is in a bad mood for a week.
Scout starts second grade. ...
Jem finally tells Scout what happened when he went back to the Radley House: his pants were folded up on top of the fence, and the tear in them had been sloppily mended.
CREEPY.
I am sure the answer is that Portia wishes that she were a young girl again.
