The Only Use
guile
in
To Kill a Mockingbird
(Edited)
- The internal arrangements of the Finch house were indicative of Simon's guilelessness and the absolute trust with which he regarded his offspring.
p. 91.6guilelessness = openness (lack of cunning; i.e., not deceitful or shrewd)standard suffix: The suffix "-lessness" in guilelessness means in a state without. This is the same pattern you see in words like fearlessness, powerlessness, and harmlessness.
Definitions:
-
(1)
(guile) cunning (shrewdness and cleverness) and deceitful
- (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)