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How Does Maudie Use Social Boundaries In To Kill A Mockingbird

411 Words2 Pages

One of the most important features of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mocking Bird is its fascination with issues. Lee shows an interest in presenting characters who deal with hate, racism, and is bound by social boundaries. An excellent example of such a character is Scout who is bound by social boundaries. The many experiences and lessons learned, dealing with prejudice, are carried through to her adulthood. She is an important emblem of the novel’s ability to show characters who reach out beyond their primary social group to establish sympathetic and helpful ties with others. Rebecca H. Best tell us that Maycomb, the setting of the novel, is “marked by strict class and race boundaries” (542). According to Jem, she divides the characters into 4 categories: the gentle folks of Maycomb (the Finches, Miss Maudie, Stephanie Crawford, Mrs. Dubose, etc.); “the black community;” people who are in the same class as the Cunningham’s who are honest and hardworking, but poor;” and the Ewells. …show more content…

She unthinkingly rushes into fights and scrapes, cries when her ego is hurt and is generally is rash in her actions. Scout gets in trouble because she knows how to read (Miss Caroline thinks that she has been taught incorrectly), for explaining why Walter Cunningham won’t take lunch money from Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline refuses to listen to Scout. Scout tries to explain to Miss Caroline that she was embarrassing Walter: “You’re shamin’ him, Miss Caroline. Walter hasn’t got a quarter at home to bring you, and you can’t use any stovewood.” Scout then gets spanked on her hand by Miss Caroline which this causes to be the first social mistake by Scout. She finds Walter and beats him up because he made her start off on the wrong foot with her first grade

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Jem gets in trouble by Mrs. Dubose and is forced to read to her as a consequence; Scout understands her brother’s begrudging behaviour and tries to help by withstanding the punishment with him even though she’s afraid of the old lady, “You don’t have to go with Jem, you know” (Lee 143). Scout understands why Jem was angered by Mrs. Dubose after she insulted their father since she was upset as well and decided to join her brother through his retribution. During the trial, Scout comes to realize how lonely and sad Mayella must be since she has no friends and has not future because of her father’s ways, “...it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world.” (256).

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In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, cruelty comes up again and again as a central theme and driving force in the plot. The novel takes place during the Great Depression, a time period where segregation is the norm, and cruelty is commonplace. The main character, Scout, grows up seeing all of this, and questions it. She watched racism take place around her, and grew up throughout the course of the novel, and found that even though the events that transpired were unpleasant, they made her a better person. “To Kill a Mockingbird” was set in the Great Depression.

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