The definition of a tomboy, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a girl who behaves in a manner usually considered boyish.” (Merriam-Webster) Tomboys are quite common nowadays, but in the 19th century, when Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women took place, being a classy, elegant woman was the ordinary. The main character, Jo March, matches the definition of a tomboy perfectly. Alcott writes about the lives of four little women, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and their experiences as they grow up. Three of these girls grow into the traditional type of woman. While, on the other hand, Jo goes against these customary ways. Specifically, Jo March defies the traditional domestic expectations of 19th-century American women by choosing to become …show more content…
Back in Jo March’s time, most women would marry either for social reasons or financial situations. Throughout the novel, Alcott creates an unrequited love story between Laurie and Jo. Laurie falls deeply in love with Jo while Jo thinks of him strictly as a friend. The reader sees Jo explaining this to Laurie in chapter 35 when she says, “You, you are, you’re a great deal too good for me, and I'm so grateful to you, and so proud and fond of you, I don't see why I can't love you as you want me to,” (Alcott 352). Although in that time it is seen as if a man loves a woman, the woman loves him back, but this is not Jo’s thinking. Instead Jo falls in live and eventually marries Mr. Bhaer although he will not financially help her in any way. Their love for each other goes unannounced until chapter 46 when Jo states she will be very upset if Mr. Bhaer leaves and he is exhilarated by this. Mr. Bhaer says “...that is so good!”, referring to Jo being upset (Alcott 456). He is excited about this because now he knows Jo cares for him as he does for her. Because of this they agree to get married and Jo, in the end, ends up marrying Mr. Bhaer for love and no other
It is illustrated that neither Ellen nor Carl married for love; Ellen married Carl, as the farm needed a man, whereas Carl “married the land” (17). This implies that Ellen is not happy with her marriage, and perhaps her decisions throughout life. Régine decides not to get married, and
Undoubtedly, Scout had tomboyish attributes. At times, it seemed as though she would rather be a lady than a tomboy, but this appeared prompted by her older brother, and constant playmate, Jem. When she protested to trying to see Boo Radley,
Scout hangs out with her brother Jem a lot in the book so she’s not much of a girly girl. She likes to hangout with the boys and have fun with them. Jem and their new friend named Dill decided it would be a good idea to get into a tire and have someone push it. Most first grade girls would be to scared to do this, but not Scout. She hopped right into the tire and said, “The ground, sky, and houses melted into a mad palette, my ears throbbed, I was suffocating” (page 49). When I was in first grade all I was concerned about was playing with barbies and I thought boys had cooties, but Scout likes to hangout with them. Her brother Jem has influenced her on being a tomboy because he got mad at her for acting like a girl and he quotes, “I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it’s mortifyin” (page 50). All Scout wants is to be able to hangout with her brother so she acts like a tomboy so she can fit in. Personally I think it is cool that she doesn’t fit the standard and act how a girl is supposed to act
Scout is considered a tomboy because she does not wear dresses because she can “do nothing in a dress” (Lee 92) so instead she wears overalls or pants. She also goes to Finch’s Landing and starts to cuss around her Uncle Jack; when he asks her does she want to “ Grow up and be a lady,” (Lee 90) she tells him “ Not particularly.”(Lee 90) When she does wear a dress for Aunt Alexandra and the missionary circle; she gets ridiculed because she tells them she wants to grow up
Annotated Bibliography Abate, Michelle Ann. Tomboys: A Literary and Cultural History. Philadelphia: Temple, 2008. Print. Michelle Abate has put together a scholarly evaluation of the evolution of the “tomboy” through recent American history.
In the beginning of the book, Scout is a tomboy. She acts, dresses, and walks like a boy because when she was little her mom died, leaving her in a house with two men, Jem and Atticus. Scout has a lot of masculine influence but
The two films, Tomboy and Pariah both challenge the hegemonic models of gender conformity. To begin with, in the film Tomboy, Alex is portrayed as a young girl, who enjoys being a saviour, a strong independent woman who can fight dragons with a sword in her hand and save the princess from ultimate disaster. Alex challenges the hegemonic model of gender by imagining herself as the warrior; reason being is that in many or in fact almost all fairy tales, the male figure ends up saving the day from destruction. So for her to be the rescuer challenges the hegemonic femininity. Further on, Alex is presumed to play basketball, hockey, and soccer and portrayed as someone who enjoys watching boxing as it can be pictured in the beginning of the short
“Girly-girls” are being judged more harshly than the “tomboys.” Girls often watch the behaviors of other girls by how they dress, makeup, bodily presentation, and even their diet. Nowadays, girls are often occupied with sports and they are not being regarded as being a “tomboy.” A “girly-girl” are girls that are being depicted as always getting their hair done, wearing a lot of makeup, always afraid to get dirty, and are mostly the popular ones. Whereas, “tomboys” are less popular, dress more masculine, and can get
Last year Zest Books and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published “Tomboy,” a graphic memoir for young adults by Liz Prince, about her experience growing up as a tomboy. Nowadays, if you are in high school and still wear boys’ clothes, people will definitely think you are a lesbian. Also, a girl who likes baseball or wants her hair cut short in liberal government, will grow out of such behaviors by condemning rather than honouring them. In early August, Target announced they will remove any gender references, including the use of pink, blue, yellow or green wall-paper behind the shelves in the toy section. Tomboy is an unhelpful word which defines girls who are brave, athletic or strong, the opposite of those characteristics are defined as
Throughout the novel, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane had lived in many places that have helped define the person she has become. Not only did these places guide her and help her realize who she was, but they also helped shape her into someone who she was proud to be. Many of these places might have had horrible conditions and cruel people, but in the end Jane would not be the strong, independent, and mature person she was if it weren’t for them. Gateshead and Thornfield were not the only places Jane has lived in, but they were the most significant. From not being loved or belonging in Gateshead to being so loved in Thornfield, she felt as if she would lose a sense of self; they both played a pivotal role in Jane’s development and journey
Jo also refuses to marry Laurie because she does not truly love him. Of course, it would be difficult to argue that Jo’s marriage to Laurie would be as disharmonious with the text’s moral stance as Amy’s intended betrothal to Fred Vaughn––indeed, it is probable that many readers would have preferred it over Jo’s marriage to Mr. Bhaer. Jo’s affection for Laurie is not predicated on his wealth, and it must be said that the Laurences use their wealth “nobly.” However, while we can say that Laurie does not contradict the novel’s moral ideal, Jo’s marriage to him would do little to advance it, particularly if the reader is to accept Mrs. March’s assessment that Jo and Laurie would fare poorly as a couple. Mr. Bhaer, by contrast, aids in Jo’s moral development.
Evidence: A way we can describe Scout a Tomboy is when... "Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I
John Rivers. As a friendship develops, she discovers his coldness. He cares only for religion, and its role in elevating his status. When he proposes to Jane, it’s more like a job offer than a proposal. Jane learns that her primary concern in marrying is romance, so she is repulsed by his offer. “He prizes me as a soldier would a good weapon; and that is all. Unmarried to him, this would never grieve me; but can I let him complete his calculations—coolly put into practice his plans—go through the wedding ceremony? Can I receive from him the bridal ring, endure all the forms of love (which I doubt not he would scrupulously observe) and know that the spirit was quite absent? Can I bear the consciousness that every endearment he bestows is a sacrifice made on principle? No: such a martyrdom would be monstrous” (p 345). It’s not the work that scares her away; it’s St. John Rivers and his idea of a heartless marriage that causes Jane’s refusal.
To begin with, Scout Finch is a Tomboy. Scout enjoys climbing tree’s, getting down and dirty on the ground, or running around with friends. There were many issues with this, as prejudice dominated the minds of people in the south in this century, most expected femininity of a woman. For example, Aunt Alexandra constantly
Thanks to the characters described by Adichie, there are important questions to be raised concerning love and marriage: If today’s man or woman wants to get married, for what reason will he or she walk down that aisle? Is it just a means to an end? Is it the mere fulfilment of societal demands?