Scout Finch Aging Quotes

People often consider the ideas asserted by classic novels as outdated. However, the ideas presented in these classic novels are easily connected to current events. To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless text by Harper Lee in which a family living in the 1930s must undergo a dangerous test of morals in a case for rape. In the novel, Scout Finch, a young girl who is just starting school, begins to learn the delays of aging as a young woman when more and more treacherous scenarios arise as she grows older. She and her older brother, Jem, look out for each other even though their differences build a barrier between them, especially when their father goes through the hot pressure of the racial hatred in the town. Although most carefully study the

These things are seen as Scout ages in the form of her dirty overalls, her way of behavior and attitude towards others, and her maturity level. Girls are often expected to act more “ladylike” which forces them to mature much more quickly than others could. It is this exact idea that causes Scout to lash out and be more aggressive than a “lady” would be. “Jem was scowling triumphantly. “Nothin’ to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl its mortifyin’.” (38) When rolling around in a tire, Scout found herself petrified, after she landed in the neighborhood legend’s yard. She was too scared of the supposed murderer within the house to move, so Jem then found it necessary to ridicule Scout for her fear and girl-like behavior. Despite Jem and Dill being Scout’s only friends, they still turn her away or shame her from and during their daily games solely for being too much of a girl. Scout thinks being called a girl is a terrible insult because she doesn’t want to identify with the weak image most women supposedly have. They don’t explain why it’s bad to be a girl, or why this inhibits their game; their actions are based on their sexist notions. This negative connotation surrounding the feminine aura is still topical

Phrases like “you throw like a girl” and “you play like a girl” are some of the leading factors to drive sexism. The feminist writings “Throw Like a Girl” (1980) by Iris Marion Young, a political philosopher, explains just how sexist the phrase is and how it affects women every day. She explains that girls being bad at sports are a direct result of the sexist way that girls are brought up. Girls are instructed to not be aggressive, but rather to act passive, mature, and restricted in the sense of physical activity. The stigma surrounding girls playing sports forces them to be bad do poorly. So, when one uses the phrase “you throw like a girl” they are describing how men dictated the way girls play. Scout’s experience is similar to many girls around the globe, who have talents beyond what many others can do, but are still torn down because of their gender. Always, a feminine hygiene company published a video on YouTube titled, “Always #LikeAGirl” where they asked kids of all ages what it meant to be a girl. The younger girls, who have yet to be exposed to sexist sentiments surrounding their genders ran as fast as they could when asked what it meant to run like a girl. Despite the heart-warming effort shown by the young girls, the teenagers, who did grow up knowing that they would always be considered less than men, showed the exact opposite amount of effort. When asked