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Influence Of Aunt Alexandra In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In the beginning of the novel, scout was stubborn. She wanted to wear breeches her whole life. However, later on, when aunt alexandra becomes part of her everyday life, scout begins to accept that lady’s wear dresses. Astonishing is the influence that a woman can have on another human being, that even a child has no choice but to change its ways.“After all, if aunty could be a lady at times, so could I” (Lee, 318). Scout was a tomboy because there was mostly boy in her life there was no girls in her life to show her what being a girl is like. Once aunt alexandra cAME her daily life she was showing scout what is what like to be a girl she needed aunt alexandra to show her what it would be like to wear a dress. though mostly having males influenced in her daily life, scout only needs one permanent role model to show her what becoming a lady signifies. …show more content…

In chapter 24, Aunt Alexandra and her missionary circle gathered and aunty invited scout; “[scout] was wearing her pink sunday dress, shoes and petticoat…”(306). when scout was influence to see what it would be like to wear a dress for the first time in her life she liked it. She wanted to be one of them girls to be a tomboy. Aunt alexandra changed her personality because she liked what aunt alexandra would wear. As stubborn as a child can be, it would see impossible to change their mind; however, when an adult in their life continues to insist for a change, the child personality

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602 Words | 3 Pages

Scout’s Aunt Alexandra want her to be more like a girl and start dressing like one. " Women were treated as delicate, fragile creatures, and they were expected to act with that treatment. Scout was anything but delicate and fragile, and a good deal of the story focuses on her attempts to fit into a world that expects tomboys to wear frilly dresses and maintain a dainty disposition. Scout always like hanging with the boys and she really didn’t like wearing girl clothes.

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1074 Words | 5 Pages

Aunt Alexandra, teaches Scout, what a lady is and when it is the appropriate time to be strong and have an opinion and what the family roots are. Aunt alexandra, found out Tom, died while she was attending the missionary circle. “If aunty could be a lady at a time like this,so could I.”(Lee,237)Scout, now understands that sometimes being a lady and understanding the proper etiquette of one at times like that is extremely useful. Alexandra, acting strong proved to Scout, that being a lady is

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479 Words | 2 Pages

Alexandra would then make her wear and do things that she didn't want to do and this greatly upset Scout. But it wasn't to long before Alexandra realized that everyone is different and Scout didn't want to live like a lady. Alexandra accepted that idea and backed off of Scout. She would even bring her a pair of overalls to mark her forgiveness.

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1446 Words | 6 Pages

“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 so, and if I started behaving like one I could just go off and find some to play with” (119). Being a girl had a negative connotation to it. Scout believes that girl activities are bad and boy activities are good. She convinced herself that she can avoid being a girl by averting feminine characteristics. Being a girl for Scout is less a matter of what she's born with and more a matter of what she does.

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1176 Words | 5 Pages

Teens reflect the thought of how our younger self did not care about clothes and how we dressed then, but Scout isn’t there yet to realize that. Scout is still young and doesn’t care about other people's opinion. Aunt Alexandra changes and the truth comes to her later on in the book that nothing she says can change the kids. She adapts to the new space she has created, “Aunty brought me my overalls, ‘Put these on, darling,’ she said, handing me the garments she most despised”(303). Aunt Alexandra seems to change and understand no matter what change she wants, there is nothing that matters in times of danger that will tear her niece and nephew apart.

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894 Words | 4 Pages

People take their social standing very seriously, and if the stereotypical line is crossed, judgment will be spewed everywhere. Girls are expected to be proper, and be complete southern belles. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches;” (108) Aunt Alexandra wants Scout to act more lady-like, and also does not want her to be doing anything that is physically demanding. She thinks that ladies have to stay inside, play with their teapots, and dress up in pearls.

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999 Words | 4 Pages

Lee put in the character of Aunt Alexandra to bring some “feminine influence” to Scout but also to show how women are expected to act as if they are smaller, in power and action, then men and that in order to do that they have to dress neatly; should not “be doing things

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1177 Words | 5 Pages

She must to be charming, submissive to the men around her, and always in need of a man’s protection. Scout’s Aunt Alexandra is unable to separate herself from society’s traditions, leaving her dependent on

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788 Words | 4 Pages

You should be in a dress and camisole young lady! You’ll grow up waiting tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways…”(135). This shows that Mrs.Dubose also stereotypes that Scout isn’t ladylike and

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1302 Words | 6 Pages

This quote shows how Aunt Alexandra tries to make Scout feel bad about herself and how she believes Scout should behave more “lady-like” as some would put it. Similar to the first subject, sexism was a big issue and led to the rize of the women’s civil rights act in the 60's, the time period of the book's publishing and while this movement was going there were women who opposed the ideas of the movement, similar to how Aunt alexandra criticizes and is against Scout

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737 Words | 3 Pages

“I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, [Alexandra] said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants” (Lee 67). Aunt Alexandra expects Scout to fit into the role of a woman, even at such a young age. Another example of the harsh standards placed on Scout is shown when Alexandra is having tea with her friends in chapter 24. Miss Stephanie says, “well, you won’t get very far until you start wearing dresses more often”

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1099 Words | 5 Pages

Scout said, “"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 said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra’s vision 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. I suggested that one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that one had to behave like a sunbeam, that I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year...." (108). This quote illustrates how Scout pushes against gender stereotypes, and this is the root of conflicts between her and Aunt Alexandra.

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531 Words | 3 Pages

Scout was more of a tomboy than a girly girl. Aunt Alexandra didn’t like how she didn’t act like a proper lady, and would ask Scout to act more ladylike. As she grew up, she was able to understand things a lot better. She began acting more grown up in situations like Aunt Alexandra’s dinner party.

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1108 Words | 5 Pages

Instead, she is a tomboy and enjoys playing outside, getting dirty and sports. But according to her aunt she “wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants” The pants represent her independent thinking and ability to express herself, something many girls were not doing at the time. Additionally, it is this way of thinking that allows Scout to see beyond the color of someone’s skin and accept the social outcasts.

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106 Words | 1 Pages

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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