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Theme Of Sexism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee touches on some significant subjects, which still arise evidently in today’s problems. Furthermore, a gender-biased world includes one of the prominent themes running throughout the book and Harper Lee brilliantly explores this controversial topic without a noticeably heavy tone. Lee introduces the main narrator and character, Scout Finch, as a young girl in a tight-knit family living in the sleepy town of Maycomb where her family begins to struggle with injustice looming above, ready to dampen their spirits. Though their father Atticus keeps their family strong, it does not stop inequity to rear its ugly face to show no mercy at all. As Scout matures, she often gets berated about her tomboyish attitude and her liking to the company of men instead of women, as well as her brother making conflicting comments by using her gender against her. Through her brother Jem’s constant …show more content…

Harper Lee masterfully wove strong traits into these women, making the book so much more meaningful. A real and serious theme lies behind the lighthearted tone and jokes of women, sexism persists to linger even in Scout’s world and today’s. Starting out with feeling uncomfortable in her own skin because of her gender, Scout went to acknowledging and valuing the strengths of women by the end of the book. She witnessed men and boys alike talking inconsiderately and being sexist in general, yet she stayed true to herself in the end. Albeit hard times troubled her family and threatened her life and those of her loved ones, Scout herself acts like a determined, strong-willed girl in similarity to the women around her. Whether Scout continues to like or dislike her gender, she has undeniably gained respect and love for her excellent female company despite

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789 Words | 4 Pages

(Lee 21). Also, the fact that Scout describes herself as a “tomboy” and refuses to be more feminine and polite at the beginning of the story, shows her disinterest for other people's opinions. I can relate this personality trait to myself because I also will stand up for myself and be myself without worry about other’s

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Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird was set in the southern states of America during the interwar period, a place and period of time where racism and sexism were predominant. This story highlights the plight of those that acted out against the dominant ideology. Some brave people began to speak and act upon what they believed in no matter what society said. A few women began to speak up which was very uncommon. Miss Maudie Atkinson, Calpurnia, and Scout Finch showed very strong characteristics.

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800 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents a life of Jean Louis Finch, also known as Scout, growing up in a small town. The setting of the story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1960’s. Life for Scout growing up appears difficult because of the Great Depression, racial inequality, white supremacy, and peoples’ prejudiced mindset. In the beginning of the book, Scout’s character shows her innocence, her tomboyish side, her adventurous personality, and her ability to question and observe the goodness and evilness of society. By the end of the novel, Scout learns fighting does not fix everything, possessing lady-like characteristics obtain value and holding prejudiced thoughts reflects in every person’s life.

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777 Words | 4 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird is a literary fascination about two siblings named Scout and Jem accompanied by their friend Dill, who are in bewilderment as to who and what Boo Radley appears to be. As Scout and Jem grow and mature throughout the story, they start to realize how the world contains people who discriminate and insult others for petty reasons. The story portrays the view of Scout and the reader soon sees how she develops from childish kid to mature teenager. This story is a coming of age novel for many readers, for one of the characters, whose name is Scout, grows up and is shown the world’s true colors. The reader can notice Scout’s mindset alters in Chapters seventeen to twenty-two when stricken with the realization of how unfair it

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159 Words | 1 Pages

Scout proves that adversity strengthens an individual by taking difficult events and giving them a positive outcome, resulting in her becoming a mature adolescent. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Scout blossoms from an innocent young child to a sophisticated young lady. She undergoes situations that she would not have known how to handle when she was younger. Learning to walk away from minor as well as major things has helped Scout take on the adversities she faced in a positive way. Scout demonstrates that when an individual endures hardship, it’s possible to have a constructive outcome and transition into a stronger and maturer being.

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1064 Words | 5 Pages

Scout demonstrates the idea that adversity does strengthen an individual by learning how to take her life situations, furthermore turn them into positive outcomes, resulting in her building an emotional wall in order to prevent her past from breaking her down, leading her to show the world that she is transitioning into a mature, young woman. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise Finch (Scout Finch) becomes exhibited to adversity in her early childhood. Scout begins by having an arduous time trying to be herself without facing the wrath of people narking on her about the way she dresses as well as the way she acts. Without a mother figure present in her life, the only way she feels like herself is by doing what she knows best, acting as well as dressing like a boy.

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1005 Words | 5 Pages

Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird is about a young girl’s awareness of the adult world. The novel revolves around a girl named Jean Louise Finch who usually goes by the name of “Scout”. Scout experiences many different events in her life that have made it change dramatically. Scout spent her childhood living in the of Maycomb, Alabama. There were many role-model figures that brought upon new and different experiences that affected the girl she was, and the woman she grows to be.

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To Kill A Mockingbird Essay Introduction To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) written by Harper Lee is a novel that reflects the notions of conscience, courage, and conviction through the eyes of Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. The novel takes you on an investigation with this little girl, Scout as she matures and grows by lessons taught to her by her wise father, Atticus Finch. Scout is living throughout the Great Depression in her small town Maycomb Country and experiences prejudice and racism through the events which span across the novel. Scout matures into a genuine and respectful girl and learns many important lessons from her father which teach her how to see the good in people and to never judge a person based on the colour of their skin or their

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712 Words | 3 Pages

Pg.69). This quote represents the fear that scout shows while trying to hide her femininity. It shows that scout believes that women have a minuscule amount of power, and that she needs to act like a boy for her to even be recognized by Jem as a member of the group. Gender equality is not fully intact, as shown explicitly throughout the novel. Scout is not the only woman who feels the impact of sexism in the novel.

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Harper Lee, a skillful and well-known novelist in the 1960s, utilizes various life lessons in her writings. In her acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the prominent theme revolves around the loss of innocence and the journey of maturation. Scout, the main character and narrator of the story, discovers how cruel and unfair the world can be as a young child. She develops an awareness of the social inequality in her community by witnessing Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout and Jem faces the bitter reality of racism through the living conditions in Maycomb, Alabama.

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1099 Words | 5 Pages

In the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, the author writes about what happens in the small southern town of Maycomb, in Alabama. Lee uses the influence of belief in traditions such as roles and family bonds to show that they are causes of conflict. Throughout the book, roles such as gender, age, race, and family confines characters to act, look, and even speak certain ways, causing internal, external, and family conflicts. This theme that different types of roles and family bonds are the root of conflict is developed through the use of physical setting, anti stereotype, and historical setting The author shows that Scout faces external conflicts caused by the pressure to fit into the stereotypical gender roles accustomed to girls at this time in history.

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803 Words | 4 Pages

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” This is a quote from Atticus Finch, a courageous and wise character from Harper Lee 's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. The story is told through the perspective of a young girl, Jean Louise ¨Scout¨ Finch. She lives with her older brother, Jeremy, and widowed father and prominent lawyer, Atticus, in Maycomb, Alabama during the time of the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, the children experience the injustice and prejudice of society through a tough case that their father was appointed to and are taught to respect and tolerate all people, despite their differences.

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766 Words | 4 Pages

Breaking Social Norms In To Kill A Mockingbird In To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, Lee depicts the main character Scout Finch as the primary feminist who defies social norms despite several influences in Maycomb County. Scout displays her feminist qualities throughout several occurrences in the novel. She continues to stay true to herself and fights for how she desires to act, while occasionally experimenting with her femininity.

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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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In Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”, the issue of Southern Womanhood is brought up many times throughout the novel. Lee uses many different characters to help show how she viewed Southern Womanhood. Specifically she uses, Scout, Mayella Ewell, and Scout’s Aunt Alexandra. In "To Kill A Mockingbird", Harper Lee uses specific characters to show how negative of an impact Southern Womanhood used to have. Harper Lee uses Scout in many cases to show how she thought Southern Womanhood used to have a negative impact.

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