Examples Of Oppression In To Kill A Mockingbird

Lydia Maria Child, an author and rights activist, once said “We first crush people to the earth, and then claim the right of trampling on them forever, because they are prostrate.” In the past, most people have been faced with oppression. Either it was being too short, not being the “right” race or gender, or being too low in social classes. Because of this, many can see that oppression is wrong. It should not happen. Yet, it still does. In the book To Kill a Mocking Bird, written by Harper Lee, there are two groups who are being oppressed: people of the lower class and women. Throughout Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird, it clearly shows the oppression of people based on their social status. While explaining to Scout why she can

When walking home, Jem and Scout found themselves in a conversation with Mrs. Dubose, their neighbor. While they were talking, Mrs. Dubose said “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” (Lee 117) Society has essentially made a standard that women must act feminine or else they will be a failure. Many women were oppressed based on this unfair standard. Scout was mocked by many who tried to enforce the standard of femininity. This caused a lot of civil unrest because of gender norms and stereotypes. When Scout was talking to Francis, she reflected on what Aunt Alexandra had wanted her to be, which was “Aunt Alexandra’s visions of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father’s lonely life” (Lee 93). By allowing herself to follow this standard, she will only find herself oppressed by it. Aunt Alexandra wanted Scout to act more like a lady. But by doing so, Scout would not be acting herself, roleplaying what is expected of her. They tried to guilt her by saying because she does not act like a lady, she’d make her father more lonely and miserable. It is terrible that women were oppressed by the idea of feminism for so