To Kill a Mockingbird- Chapter 12

Asafoetida

The warm bittersweet smell of clean Negro welcomed us as we entered the churchyard – Hearts of Love hairdressing mingled with asafoetida, snuff, Hoyt’s Cologne, Brown’s Mule, peppermint, and lilac talcum.

Asoafoetida is the brownish gum resin of various plants. It has strong taste and odor and was formerly used to prevent muscualr or nervous spasms or convulsions. This sentence represents the younger Scouts innocence and naivety towards black people which wouldn't usually be accepted within her community.