Gender Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

The act of prejudice is one that everyone experiences. Whether it be, a person who is distributing hate, or a person who is receiving hate, everyone has contact with it. Although it is present all over the globe, it is prominent in the United States. Both in the present and the past, endless acts of discrimination have taken place and left a monumental impact on the country. The effect that it leaves can be seen in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. In this story, sexism, racism, and isolation, are demonstrated in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s. As the story progresses, Lee compares these concepts to one another and uses them to make a statement about the problematic nature in America.

The main issue of the section we are acting out of Chapter 11 in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is the prejudice that Ms. Dubose holds. She is both sexist and racist, both forms of prejudice that were common back in her generation, but were finally starting to change at that time. Aunt Alexandra and Ms. Dubose, most likely having been raised in the same time period, were both offended by Scout wearing pants. Ms. Dubose specifically asked ‘What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!’ (Lee, 101), which is greatly reminiscent of what Alexandra said at Christmas. Obviously, they were both raised with the same morals about having to wear dresses, causing them to be unintentionally sexist and myopic.

Because of what people have heard about Scout, they stereotype that she isn’t ladylike because she acts like a boy and wears overalls. Mrs. Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor, says, “’…what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways- a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café-hah!’”(Lee 135). In this case, Scout is considered a stereotype, but she changes her ways. Scout is confronted with her own stereotypes in the novel but as she grows and learns, she begins to regret her actions. Scout changes her ways throughout the book in order to get rid of the label people put on her. Even though she is still a tomboy at heart, Scout learns how to control her actions and act more like a lady.

Racial stereotypes are things where a person talks about how the other person’s race is. It describes all the “nasty” things in another person’s race. It’s basically gossiping about someone else’s race and ethnicity. Back then, in that time period, there were high amounts of racism and stereotypes, so in that case, a lot of African American people were most likely convicted for doing something they didn’t do. Even though the court is supposed to equally convict or release people who have commited a crime whether it’s Black or White people.

How Scout Develops from a Tomboy to a Young Lady in To Kill a Mockingbird

By using characterization in To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee shows how people try to drive others to follow their gender role and makes us wonder, why do people want this? In an argument with Aunt Alexandra Scout says, “I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could not do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants.” (108). We can clearly understand that Aunt Alexandra is trying to make Scout stop wearing overalls and instead wear girl clothes, in doing so, she is restricting Scout from doing the activities she enjoys like playing and running. Not only does Aunt Alexandra want Scout to stop wearing overalls which are for boys but also wants to make Scout a lady, she wants her to learn a woman's role, which helps prove my claim. In my theses I mention that people try to change others and in this case Aunt Alexandra is trying to change Scout into someone she is not, as can be seen this is not the only time people try to change the way Scout behaves. During Christmas at Finch's Landing Uncle Jack is correcting Scouts behavior, “Scout, you will get in trouble if you go around saying things like that. You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t you? (105). The reason for Scout getting in trouble is a result of her unladylike language, her uncle warns her that she is not to use that sort of language. As the book advances Scout becomes develops into a girl who is learning new skills and expressions every day, but because some aren’t appropriate for her, a woman, she is prohibited from doing so, or she will face ramifications. If Scout doesn’t want to face the consequences, she will behave and act like a lady, which is the last thing she wants to do, she will become one of several who had to adjust their lives in order to be a member of the society they live in.

In To Kill A Mockingbird I found that Scout was very harshly judged on they was she acts and dresses. “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress” (page 135) This scene was when Mrs.Dubose was screaming at Scout for not wearing a dress. I see that not only kids are telling Scout to change but that almost every adult is telling Scout to change and that she shouldn't be wearing that i the first place. Even if it's a different time period, and every girl was expected to be wearing a dress at all times, Scout at a young age of 6 is confident enough to keep on wearing a dress after everyone told her to change how its not ladylike. “If your scared go home, Scout when did you start acting like such a girl.” (Movie) This is when Scout and Jem were Going to Boo Radley's house, Scout was scared and Jem sees Scout are more like a boy than a girl, so when 6 year old scout got afraid Jem's first reaction wasn’t to go comfort her but to ask her when did she start acting like such a girl. I see this as the opposite of Mrs.Dubose, because instead of someone telling her to be like a girl it so someone telling her to be more like a boy. This puts a lot of pressure on Scout, who is only 6 years old! Weather it being make almost everyone in the town happy with her decision and make Jem sad, or make Jem happy and almost the whole town sad and maybe even a little

Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudices against gender roles are evident in a multitude of ways. For example, Scout states, “Until it happened I did not realize that Jem was offended by my contradicting him on Hot Steams..” (41). Scout saying this establishes the idea that girls are not to suppose to contradict boys. Dill is embarrassed and ashamed that a girl is not believing him and he takes offense to that. Miss. Maudie Atkinson is faced with the stereotypes of being a woman. Everyone expects her to stay inside and do housework. In fact, Miss. Maudie Atkinson declares, “I hate my house: time spent indoors is time wasted.” (47). Here it is evident that Miss. Atkinson is breaking her gender role. During this time period, women were viewed in a way

Scout was particularly affected by gender discrimination as she was a girl. She was told she acted too much like a boy when she should be acting like a girl. Scout described Aunt Alexandra as “Fanatical on the subject of my attire. 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 to be doing things that required pant” (108). Aunt Alexandra discriminated Scout for not wearing lady like attire and told her that if she continued to dress that way then she could not be a lady. Aunt Alexandra soon became determined to put an end to Scout’s non-feminine behavior. Atticus tried to explain to Scout that "She asked me to tell you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are. She wants to talk to you about the family and what it's meant to Maycomb County through the years, so you'll have some idea of who you are, so you might be moved to behave accordingly"(178). Atticus decided to take his sister’s word and told his children what they should act like despite him not approving of this. Scout’s behavior is what leads her Aunt Alexandra to discriminating her and telling her she will never be a lady if she continues to not dress

Throughout the book, Scout was being discriminated because she was a girl. Dill said, “Jem, you and me can play and Scout can watch if she’s scared” (Lee 51). This demonstrates that Dill and Jem think she can't do certain things just because she is a girl. Scout was always convinced that being a girl was a bad thing and by doing boy things, she could avoid being a “bad girl”. “I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that’s why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could go off and find some to play with” (Lee 54). This justifies how Scout is doing everything she can to not become a girl, even if it means hanging out with Jem and Dill. When Jem and Dill were going to peep in Boo Radley’s window, Scout got nervous because she was afraid that they would get caught, and how Boo would respond. Jem said, “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home-I declare to the Lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day” (Lee 69). This proves that Scout is getting yelled at for thinking like a girl. She is noticing Jem’s recklessness ideas. This states that sexism is a notable topic in To Kill a

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in a small town called Maycomb in the 1930s. In this novel the people of Maycomb discriminate against people that they have no background information about or people that are different in some way. An innocent black man is convicted of a crime he never commits, a man is stereotyped to be dangerous and scary and there are gender stereotypes.

In the beginning of the novel, Scout acts masculine and is unable to stand being called a girl by Jem, creating a negative connotation with being a girl. “‘Scout, I’m tellin’ 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!’ With that, I had no option but to join them” (Lee 69). To Jem, calling Scout a girl is insulting, and indicates uselessness and weakness. He stereotypes all

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird the author, Harper Lee, develops the topic of stereotyping and prejudgement as something negative through the characters’ speech and actions. The characters are standardized a great deal throughout the book. They are categorized as different things, but most of them prove the falseness of labelling to emphasise the theme of the novel, as well to teach the reader a moral lesson; to be less judgemental and be willing to accept others. In the novel, stereotyping others is based by the way they look or talk established on what society considers normal.The technique of stereotypes helps create the theme of the coexistence of good and evil. In chapter 20, for example, Scout and Dill find out that Mr.Raymond’s paper bag turns out to be Coke instead of whisky, and his constant drunkenness is fake. He explains, "When I come to town, […] if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey-that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does" (268). The evidence portrays

In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the main characters, Scout, recollects the three years of her life in a small southern city known as Maycomb, Alabama. The time period in which this book took place in was during the Great Depression. This was when there was a decrease in prosperity, employment and the manufacturing of industrialized goods. Lee decided to base her novel off of the common issues that society created, gender roling. Scout, also known as Jean Louise Finch, was the character that the author chose to represent gender role harassment. The “perfect” young girl was a pure image of femininity, and Scout was the complete opposite of that idea. Society painted the “perfect” picture of a little girl and any female who

Scout likes to be seen differently and does not follow the social expectation of how women should act and dress in the 30’s. She gets offended when her brother or anyone tells her she acts like a girl or refers to her as a girl. Scout likes being called a tomboy and that makes her unique. Scout says to the readers “I was not sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that's why other people hated them so…”(41). Jem said this to her because she though Atticus who is their father knew what they were playing and doing. So Jem was saying Scout was imagining that their father knew what was going on. Jem and everyone expects Scout to act like a girl, but she is not like that. Scout likes