Theme Of Labelling In To Kill A Mockingbird

Sometimes even the smartest person makes relationship mistakes. This is similar to Aunt Alexandra in the riveting novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Although Aunt Alexandra initially displays a fixed mindset by labelling others and therefore inhibits her growth and happiness, influences from people such as Scout and Atticus with growth mindsets allow her to acquire one as well by putting herself in other people’s situations.
Because Aunt Alexandra initially displays a fixed mindset through labelling others, she limits her perspective and inhibits her growth, When Aunt Alexandra comes to live with Atticus and his children, she relays that “Everybody in Maycomb... had a streak: Drinking Streak, a Gambling Streak, a Mean Streak, a Funny

However, these centers can never be satisfied because while everyone is looking for a way to become free, labeling only imprisons them further. Similarly, Aunt Alexandra constantly labels others to gain social stature which she thinks will set her free, but does not realize that labelling not only increasingly imprisons others, but also herself. This is because a label limits one’s perspective on that person, and therefore the ‘labeller’ cannot see the person labelled beyond the labels they hold. In that manner, Aunt Alexandra also cannot look beyond the labels she places upon herself, no matter how ‘good’ they may be, and imprisons herself and inhibits her growth. One characteristic of a fixed mindset is not being able to see beyond stereotypes or labels, and Aunt Alexandra displays this mindset by her frequent labelling of others that she feels will give her satisfaction and freedom, but is only left increasingly imprisoned and wanting for more. A while after Aunt Alexandra comes to Maycomb to live with Atticus and his family, Scout finds that Aunt Alexandra [fits] into

For example, when Scout is half-clothed after her ham costume is attacked by Boo Radley,”Aunty [brings Scout her] overalls ... the garments she most despised” (ch.28; 264). After being surrounded for some time by people with growth mindsets such as Scout, Jem, and Atticus, Aunt Alexandra develops a growth mindset because she finds that she cannot label people with growth mindsets. This is because people with growth mindsets do not give in nor accept the labels they are given, leaving Aunt Alexandra unable to satisfy her lower mindset. Power over someone in a lower mindset only works if the other person accepts those labels of inferiority. Since people with growth mindsets such as Atticus and Scout are already free, they refuse to be bound by labels and therefore power cannot be exerted over them. Unable to satisfy this center in her lower mindset, Aunt Alexandra accepts Scout for who she is and achieves a higher or growth mindset. By giving Scout the same overalls that Aunt Alexandra has once hated, Aunt Alexandra displays that she is satisfied with Scout and is not constantly trying to change her into a person who she is not. After Atticus tells the family about Tom Robinson’s death, “Aunt Alexandra [sits] down in Calpurnia’s chair and [puts] her hands to her face” (ch.24; 236). Instead of creating a separation between