In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” gender roles play a big part in the development of a lot of the characters. The Biggest example of this is Scout Finch, who is a young girl who must deal with the gender norms and expectations of 1930s Alabama. Throughout the book, Scout gets to see how the social norms are, based on how she’s treated by her brother, her friends, and her father. This essay will show us how Scout navigates through the gender norms of her time.
Throughout "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout experiences various forms of gender expectations, including societal expectations for femininity, masculine expectations for behavior, and the way gender shapes her relationships with others.
One of the most significant ways that Scout encounters gender in the book is through societal expectations for femininity. As a young girl growing up in the South, Scout is expected to behave in a certain way, including dressing in feminine clothing and participating in domestic activities. For example, when Aunt Alexandra comes to stay with the Finch family, she insists that Scout wear dresses and behave in a more ladylike manner. Scout resists these expectations, stating that "I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me" (Lee, 82). Scout's resistance to these expectations demonstrates her desire to break free from societal norms
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As a tomboy, Scout enjoys roughhousing with her brother and their friend Dill. However, as she grows older, she begins to realize that her behavior is not considered appropriate for a young lady. For example, when she starts to play football with the boys at school, her teacher scolds her, saying "Now you girls do what you're supposed to do. You win the game for us" (Lee, 181). This statement reinforces the idea that girls should not engage in rough play and that they should focus on more feminine