Firstly, one of the main differences that define us is our personality traits. People are told, especially in this society, that we are defined by who we are inside and our actions, which are based on our traits. In To Kill a Mockingbird, some people are honest, like Atticus, and some lie, like Bob Ewell. Polar opposites, they cannot be the same. It’s in their nature that they are who they are, and it is very hard for people to change how they are. They are known for these things, as Bob Ewell is known for being a drunk and disgrace to the town, and Atticus as the honest lawyer who defends every one of his clients to the best of his ability. To say these two are one and the same is completely inaccurate. Also, it seems stereotypes help to shape people and their personalities, making people think they …show more content…
This is one of the most intensely emphasized themes in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. Obviously, people are judged by their skin color in this book. People who have darker skin colors are, even today, treated worse than those with white skin, due to the history of inferiority. This can be seen by how Tom Robinson is treated differently in the trial, being called ‘boy’ multiple times by Mr. Gilmer, such as ‘“Then you say she’s lying, boy?”’ (264) Yet, there are also many other parts of peoples’ appearances that are judged. One of these is the gender stereotypes of boys and girls should dress, however, not everyone abides by these ‘rules.’ This can be shown by how Scout dresses in common ‘boys’ clothes, instead of dresses, which was what a girl was ‘supposed’ to wear. Many times Scout is criticized for this by many of the ladies of Maycomb, especially Aunt Alexandra, of which it is said this: “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire.” (108) Scout was being judged by how ‘unladylike’ she is by what she wears, and although it is not fair for her to be defined by this, she