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FEMINIST THEORY in to kill a mockingbird
To kill a mockingbird symbolism
FEMINIST THEORY in to kill a mockingbird
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What it Means to be a Lady From the Eyes of a Child While the women in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird come in a variety of personalities and backgrounds, all of their lives are led by one constricting factor; their gender. Scout's upbringing as a young woman greatly contrasts that of her brother Jem. Jem is educated as a young boy growing into a man while Scout’s journey is taken as a woman. The manacle of womanhood is but a concept if one does not consider the harsh faults and inhibiting limits of men or rather the struggle for “masculinity” that men are similarly constrained. Though she is repeatedly told to have ladylike manners and to dress in more feminine way, Scout mostly denies this norm but is still able to become a young …show more content…
Aunt Alexandra recognizes Scout’s maturity when she invites Scout to a seemingly meaningless lady’s brunch. As Scout views the gathering,she understands that this is no ordinary brunch but it is a showcase of social talent. Scout remembers, “There was no part about it, I must soon enter this world” (Lee 267). In this quote Scout comes to the realization that being a lady is not only justified in actions but also in universally accepted social functions. It is here that Scout’s lessons in womanhood come full circle and she is able to embrace a part of her existence that she had brushed off for a long time. Mayella Ewell is a singular character that gives an important insight into understanding of lower classes but in a less literal sense she is an extension of Scout. Mayella is part of Scout that is arrogant,confused, and denies the truth of the adult world. As Aunt Alexandra constantly mentions, she will never befriend the Cunninghams “Don’t be silly, Jean Louise,”said Aunt Alexandra. “The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines,you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem” (Lee 256). While in relation to Scout, Aunt Alexandra is portrayed as uptight, she is the ideal lady of …show more content…
Few have very strict and narrow definitions of what it means to be a lady, however; those who do appear extremely attached to the ideals and strive to maintain their image.There are many examples of this, although the most notable and influential to Scout has been Aunt Alexandra. Aunt Alexandra completely adheres to and advertises the highly ideal standard of a woman in the 1930’s. In the 1930’s the ‘ideal’ woman or the standard for it was extremely close minded as demonstrated by Aunt Alexandra’s very presence, Scout views her in a strict manner and says, “ Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand into a glove, but never into the world of Jem and me”(Lee 150). In the early stages of their living together, Scout resist the idea of giving up her masculine activities for a life like her Aunts. While Scout aims to reject her Aunt’s ideals Aunt Alexandra is the type of woman who understands that a woman’s image is always fragile because it is always in the hands of a man. Another woman in the novel that Scout resists for most of her early years is Calpurnia. Following Scout going to Calpurnia’s church, Scout begins to respect Calpurnia’s ways. Scout states “That Calpurnia had led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household was a novel one”
The Southern women were told and obligated, by some code of southern conduct, to mature into fair-smelling, perfect "ladies." By "ladies" they meant women who were well mannered, good at embroidery, and wore frilly, lacy dresses. One example of this southern tradition occurs when Aunt Alexandra comes to the Finch residence to help Atticus raise his children during the trial. When first arriving she says to Scout, "We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won't be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys." This comment implies that the only subjects girls are expected to understand are boys and clothes. Aunt Alexandra makes no mention of Jean Louise's intelligence, education, or personality. Her diction suggests that the only thing Jean Louise is capable of pursuing is her attire and a man. Scout discovers what a "southern lady" is as she notices how Aunt Alexandra "chose protective garments that drew up her bosom to giddy heights, pinched in her waist, flared out her rear, and managed to suggest that Aunt Alexandra's was once an hour-glass figure." Scout was considered to be very improper, wearing overalls and pants, but Aunt Alexandra would still try and introduce her to other ladies. I assume that she did this to try and influence Scout. She hoped Scout would form lady-like habits by watching others. Another example takes place after the trial, when Jem is appalled at the decision the court makes in response to Tom Robinson's case.
Even though many social forces impact Scout in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, gender impacts Scout the greatest. It affects her in how other people treat her. Unexpectedly, Aunt Alexandra shows up at the Finch household, and Scout asks why she had just shown up. Aunt Alexandra replies, “We decided that it would be good for you to have some feminine influence. It won’t be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys” (127). After Alexandra says this, Scout becomes puzzled because she does not think she needs a “feminine influence”. But, as she becomes older she is expected to act more lady like. Since she is a girl, she is expected to act prim and proper. Her being raised around men is acting against these stereotypes. Certainly, it is obvious that boys are more daring than girls. So while Jem and Dill want to get a sneak peak inside of Boo Radley’s house, Scout gets a little apprehensive. Jem shouts out, “Scout I’m telling you for the last time shut your trap or go home. I declare to the lord you’re getting more like a girl every day,” (51-52). After Jem said this, she decides she has no option but to join them. She does...
Scout is a young girl growing up in the south, she is intelligent, thoughtful, and good natured. Her identity is somewhat uncommon during the time she lives in. She is characterized as a tomboy, who doesn’t always act “lady like” or proper by southern standards. Scout most likely became the type of person she is by the care of her father, Atticus. He shapes her mind, while trying to protect her from a dangerous world and preserving her childhood.
Scout and Jem still are unable to accept her and are detached from her strong traditional southern views. As a result Atticus receives many criticism the way he brought up his children and is forced to act. 'Our Father was actually fidgeting. "No, I just want to explain to you that--your Aunt Alexandra asked me...son you know you 're a Finch, don 't you?" (177) However Jem and Scout notices this and become resentful towards the changed Atticus. As Atticus struggles with the Tom Robinson case, Aunt Alexandra plays the role of their mother since they only have Atticus “I know what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work." (170) however she also knows that instilling manners and acting as the motherly figure was the role of a woman, during that time period. Throughout the book, Atticus has struggled with the job of filling both the father and the mother. No matter how hard he tries, the roll of the mother can never be filled by Atticus. His character does not have the same personality traits that a mother would. All Scout needs is a loving mother, but when Aunt Alexandra comes, she does not nearly fill that role. She is even harsher and the spot still remains vacant. "...you 've got to do something about her," Aunty was saying. "You 've let things go on too long Atticus, too long” (36).This quote shows how Aunt Alexandra is demanding and looks as if she is trying to be the stricter side, which I dont think Scout needs "Atticus, it 's all right to be soft-hearted, you 're an easy man, but you have a daughter to think of." (136-137)I think Alexandra is totally wrong here. Scout does not like to listen to a demanding person telling her what to do. Instead of listening, she will simply do the opposite. A less harsh and caring mother would give Scout something more to mature. Alexandra is really into
Throughout the story, Aunt Alexandra’s behaviors indirectly teach Scout that prejudice is a disease with deep and far reaching roots. As Scout is exposed to Aunt Alexandra’s ideas regarding the hierarchy of society, she also begins to understand why Aunt Alexandra holds such opinions. When Aunt Alexandra comes to stay with the children, she also brings along her unending gossip about other families in Maycomb. Scout explains that “Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land, the finer it was” (173).
Aunt Alexandra is a woman almost immersed in her desire and need to fit in in Maycomb on the outside. Most of what she does revolves around what most people would do, including many of her opinions, as she constantly conforms to the opinions of the majority. This is obvious as she will not let Scout be anything but a lady, will not let her play with anyone too far underneath them socially such as the Cunninghams or Ewells, and especially will not express her opinions on her brother's case unless they agree with the opinions of the rest of Maycomb. However, even while she is focusing on being the lady the county would expect her to be, some of her opinions are just slightly different. While she is having a meeting with the neighbor ladies and the conversation takes a racist turn, Miss Maudie speaks up, making herself look bad and unladylike in front of the others, something that Alexandra would never do, but does not go unnoticed to her, as “she gave Miss Maudie a look of pure gratitude, and I wondered at the world of women. Miss Mau...
This quote is significant because it shows the gender roles that is used in the Finches home. After Aunt Alexandra came over to visit for a few weeks/months, many gender roles were changed. Aunt Alexandra felt like the head of the house, because she is trying to put the pride of the family back in her brother’s house. She was so consisted of changing the roles in the house. She wanted Scout to become the girl that every female should be, and wanted the family pride to once come alive in Maycomb, after Atticus made the decision of helping a black man. In her time period, female were discriminated and man were superior to women. Women were well educated back during the Great Depression, but wasn’t that superior to the men because they didn’t had their rights back there.
...she describes the pompous women. The author uses the women's conversations to emphasize the reasons Scout remains a tomboy and refuses the traits of Maycomb females.
Scout's narration and the character's dialog prove that Alexandra is characterized by her traditional values while Miss Maudie is characterized as a modern woman. The issues of gender roles are still a large part of society today and it affects a majority of adolescents because they feel the need to conform and ignore their individualism and that is why this novel is still relevant to society today.. The lesson to be learned here is to be comfortable in one's own skin and don't listen to negative feedback if it is not constructive. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.
One way Harper Lee develops gender inequity through stereotypes is through Scout’s experiences with the women in Maycomb. Scout is laughed at for wearing pants under her dress. Scout prefers pants over dresses because she’s a tomboy and can be more active in “britches.” On Sunday, Scout dressed up, but still had pants under her dress. When Scout is at the gathering with the women, Miss Maudie says, “‘You’re mighty dressed up, Miss Jean Louise,’ she said. ‘Where are your britches today?’ ‘Under my dress.’ I hadn’t meant to be funny, but the ladies laughed. My cheeks grew hot as I realized my mistake” (Lee 307). Because Scout is laughed at for wearing pants and not for something she thought was funny, she feels singled out and degraded. The ladies of Maycomb laughed at her because she had done something “wrong” in their eyes. She wore pants
The Cunninghams are mistreated by part of the society in Maycomb. Aunt Alexandra, who mistreats them the most, is prejudiced toward the Cunninghams, she does not like them. She thinks that her reputation, and social status are going to be stained if Scout plays with Walter Jr.. Scout wants to invite Walter over, but Aunt Alexandra does not like Walter, she says that they are folks from different class. She thinks it is best if they do not see each other. She once talks to Scout about how different they are, "Because - he - is - trash, that's why you can't play with him.
As a growing young girl, Scout was learning and experiencing things just like any other child would though growing up. She got older and was able to understand things a lot better as well as being able to apply lessons she had learned in her everyday life. She began to act slightly more grown up in situations such as Aunt Alexandria's dinner party. Scout forgot how much she despised her Aunt and how much she disliked dresses and joined the group of women in their conversations. Despite how she didn't want to "act more like a lady", she played along with her Aunt's "campaign to teach me (Scout) to be a lady" made an exception to please her Aunt and to create some peace between them. Upon hearing the news of Tom's death she concludes "if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I." This shows how Scout was beginning to act more ladylike for her Aunt.
Sexism is not as common a topic in comparison to racism, but does play a role in the development of the novel. This type of discrimination is expressed towards women from men and women alike. Men feel compelled to protect women from unsightly things, (Lee 221), and the women in Maycomb have the mind set that, to be a lady, they must conform to society's expectations of them. They believe they must dress, act, and speak a certain way to appease the community. Aunt Alexandra is a big believer in acting the way society expects her to and attempts to impose these values on her niece, Scout, who becomes mortified, as she has always been a tomboy and prefers spending time in the dirt. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my [Scout's] attire. She said I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed ...
In most countries, women only earn between 60 and 75% of men’s wages, for the same work. Sexism is still a problem in today’s society, but it has improved since Scout’s generation in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Scout believes from an early age that girls aren’t good, and that she can avoid the judgement that comes with being a girl by not acting like one. Being a girl for Scout is less a matter of what she's born with and more a matter of what she does. Scout’s elders influence her perception of womanhood by putting preconceived sexist views in her head. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee shows the reader how all women are expected to act lady like and be proper through the actions of Mrs. Dubose, Jem, and Atticus.
No matter where or who a person is, they are always learning something, either about themselves or about the environment around them. In Harper Lee's heartwarming novel titled To Kill A Mockingbird, the main characters Jem and Scout grow and mature throughout the story as they learn both more about themselves and the world around them. As the story progresses, they learn many life lessons including those about prejudice, people and how they have been categorized and judged, and, last but not least, gender issues.