Read the following excerpt from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty. When Jem and I asked him why he was so old, he said he got started late, which we felt reflected upon his abilities and manliness. He was much older than the parents of our school contemporaries, and there was nothing Jem or I could say about him when our classmates said, “My father—”

What can the reader infer about Scout and Atticus's relationship from the author's use of language in this excerpt?

A The author's use of the word "feeble" to describe Atticus shows that Scout is ashamed to have Atticus as a father because he is older than other parents.

B The author's use of the phrase "he got started late" shows that Scout finds Atticus humorous because he responds to his children's questions with wit.

C The author's use of the words "abilities" and "manliness" shows that Scout feels Atticus can measure up to the fathers of her schoolmates.

D The author's use of the phrase "there was nothing Jem or I could say about him" shows that Scout feels distant and alienated from her father Atticus.