Gender Roles In To Kill A Mockingbird

Gender Speech

Since the early days in history, gender inequality is an issue being fought constantly. Women have always been treated as they are inferior compared to men, and don’t deserve to have as many rights. One of the definitions of gender is “either the male or female division of species, especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles in behavior.” Being defined based on your social role seems excessive, but that’s how it’s always been for women.

To Kill a Mockingbird was based during the 1930’s where gender roles were especially prominent. To act feminine was to be proper, calm, an understanding housewife, and act less superior than men. If you were not feminine, ladies would often shun and judge you. In ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Jean Louise Finch was perceived as a tomboy. She would wear overalls, scheme with the guys, and use “unlady-like language”. Seeing the world in black and white, Scout struggled to meet society’s standards on how a lady should look and act.

Within peers, social media, parents, and even schools. Men are expected to pay the check for the family, while women are presumed to balance work, and children. Since infancy, gender roles are shown in children’s toys. Boys have more advanced toys such as legos to build with, while young girls have more toys that require more imagination such as barbies, and kitchen sets. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ had examples of how younger girls were being raise to be a “proper southern-woman”. This meant to grow up to clean the house, learn to cook, be organized, and do whatever necessary to have a loving