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Gender Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The effort society has made to produce ideal female and male roles has plagued the expectations of individuals. American culture has conditioned men and women to fit certain criteria according to their gender. Particularly, societal norms dictate how one should behave and dress appropriately. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman recognize the opposing standards between the men and women of the South. Due to the importance of gender roles in Maycomb, Alabama, patriarchal values are prevalent and active in the white community. As a result, women are expected to maintain domesticity, display proper etiquette, and submit to the requests of men. Yet, protagonist Jean Louise “Scout” Finch challenges gender stereotypes through …show more content…

The expectations of Jean Louise, Calpurnia and Alexandra significantly differ from Atticus and Jem. There are various occasions where a male reminds a female of her status. Regardless of age, males have authority over females due to their masculine advantage. For example, Jem, Jean Louise’s brother, criticizes her when she refuses to partake in his plans, saying "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, Mockingbird 51-52). Jem’s statement evidently shows that being compared to a female is a form of an insult. Scout’s response demonstrates that males have a higher status when she states“With that, I had no option but to join them” (Lee, Mockingbird 52). Stefanovici explains: “…the implication is that boys are courageous and non-fearful and girls are weak and afraid. Nevertheless, what is most important in the scene is Scout’s reaction. Knowing that being called a girl is an insult and that being female is valued less than being male in her small Southern town, she suddenly becomes brave in order to remain acceptable to her brother”

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To Kill a Mockingbird Prejudice exists everywhere, but not with everyone. Some people choose to defy it, especially if it seems unreasonable, or immoral. This is found throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learns to defy unreasonable social norms, and unfair ones as well, by the action of adults around her, namely Atticus and Miss Maudie Atkinson. By gardening while wearing men’s overall, Miss Maudie shows Scout that you do not always have to conform to the social norm of women only wearing dresses to be respected.

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Scout demonstrates the idea that adversity does strengthen an individual by learning how to take her life situations, furthermore turn them into positive outcomes, resulting in her building an emotional wall in order to prevent her past from breaking her down, leading her to show the world that she is transitioning into a mature, young woman. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise Finch (Scout Finch) becomes exhibited to adversity in her early childhood. Scout begins by having an arduous time trying to be herself without facing the wrath of people narking on her about the way she dresses as well as the way she acts. Without a mother figure present in her life, the only way she feels like herself is by doing what she knows best, acting as well as dressing like a boy.

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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a small town named Maycomb Located in Alabama, highlighting the adventures of the finch children and many other people in the small town. The people in this town are very judgemental and of each other and it often leads to people being labeled with stereotypes and people think they know everything about that person however that is not reality. It is not possible to know the reality of a person 's life by placing a stereotype without seeing it through their own eyes and experiencing the things they experience. This happens often throughout the story with many people in the town. People are labeled as many things such a “monster” a “nigger” and many other things that seem to put them in their

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It is the lack of respect for her maid Calpurnia. Scout suggests that Atticus be dismissed. " " She likes Jem Better 'n he loves me, anyway, "I concluded, and suggested that Atticus lose

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Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout 's perception of courage drastically changes their behavior as they mature. They learn a lot about courage throughout the novel from their father Atticus and what they learn from him influences their choices and opinions. Although Jem is older than Scout, they both experience change in their behavior. At the beginning of the novel, Jem is still a young boy. He is defiant towards Atticus, he plays all the usual childhood games with Scout and Dill, and he engages in the younger children’s obsession with Boo Radley.

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Atticus is also very cautious about how he explains certain delicate topics to her, such as when she brings up the issue of rape he says that “Rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent.” (Page 149) explaining it in such a manner that she is still a bit curious as to the nature of rape yet does not inquire further and lets it go. " 'I asked him if I was a problem and he said not much of one, at most one he could always figure out, and not to worry my head a second about botherin ' him.” (Page 249)These lines show how skilled Atticus is not only in comforting his children but also in showing them how much they mean to him. The relationship between Jem and Scout is much like any other sibling relationship, full of love, support and trust.

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Pg.69). This quote represents the fear that scout shows while trying to hide her femininity. It shows that scout believes that women have a minuscule amount of power, and that she needs to act like a boy for her to even be recognized by Jem as a member of the group. Gender equality is not fully intact, as shown explicitly throughout the novel. Scout is not the only woman who feels the impact of sexism in the novel.

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Mrs. Dubose criticized Scout’s clothing and told her she won’t do well in life if she continues her ways. Besides Mrs. Dubose, Jem has also commented on Scout’s ways. When Scout disagreed with Jem, he told her she was acting more like a 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” (Lee 54). Jem disapproves of Scout’s feminine behavior and comments that being a girl is something negative.

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A behavior, of which, presents itself heavily while either talking, and or mentioning, the topics of religions, racism and classism. Given the time period is during the 1930’s, and that Maycomb County is located in the deep south, it is no wonder of why prejudice appears as a cultural norm. The Great Depression was going on at the time, and so, everyone is taking the chance in trying to look better off, in the terms of finance and living standards. In looking at the main family of the book, the Finches, they are part of the high standing class. And, as according to Aunt Alexandra, they, as a family, are above everyone.

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Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is set in the 1960’s, a time when men and women had specific and restrictive roles in society. Men were the ones to work and earn money for their families and women were expected to a caring and obedient homemakers. In many ways, those gender stereotypes are still very present today. The contrasting opinions of Atticus Finch and Aunt Alexandra provide the reader with the different views on how men and women should be raised, which in turn, affects the readers thoughts and opinions on the gender expectations and roles that are present in today’s society.

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In the title of the book To Kill a Mockingbird, gender roles play a big part in the time that the book was written. There are many examples of people being told what they could and couldn’t do based on their gender, and insults thrown around that are gender-based. One example of gender roles in the book are Jem’s comments on Scout’s behavior, especially when Jem and Dill are about to break into the radley’s. As they are discussing it, and Scout comes up and starts pestering them about what they are doing, Jem remarks that Scout is “gettin’ more like a girl every day!” pg.

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“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” This is a quote from Atticus Finch, a courageous and wise character from Harper Lee 's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. The story is told through the perspective of a young girl, Jean Louise ¨Scout¨ Finch. She lives with her older brother, Jeremy, and widowed father and prominent lawyer, Atticus, in Maycomb, Alabama during the time of the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, the children experience the injustice and prejudice of society through a tough case that their father was appointed to and are taught to respect and tolerate all people, despite their differences.

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Breaking Social Norms In To Kill A Mockingbird In To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, Lee depicts the main character Scout Finch as the primary feminist who defies social norms despite several influences in Maycomb County. Scout displays her feminist qualities throughout several occurrences in the novel. She continues to stay true to herself and fights for how she desires to act, while occasionally experimenting with her femininity.

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Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, illustrates how women are restricted by societal expectations. Women and girls are expected to act a certain way, to be feminine and docile. After an argument between Jem and Scout, Jem goes as far to shout, “‘It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right!’” (Lee, 153). Jem believes that Scout should be cooperative and malleable to be a typical girl.

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Females in submissive roles were proved by giving examples of when females were looked down upon. An example was when Scout was when Scout wanted to play but was told she could not because she was a girl. Women undervalued was proven by giving the readers examples of when they were treated poorly because they didn’t meet societies standards. Finally, a difference in roles between females and males was shown by informing the readers about the ways that females were told to act compared to males and how it was unfair. Females were treated poorly and had unfair standards they were told they need to meet.

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