To Kill A Mockingbird Gender Roles

Women wearing dresses, men with huge muscles. These gender roles have been around since what seems like the dawn of time. To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee explores the reality of gender roles in the 1930’s. Atticus Finch lives in Maycomb, Alabama with his two children Jean Louise nicknamed “Scout” and Jem. Atticus is a lawyer who is defending a black man, named Tom Robinson, in a rape case. The children’s Aunt Alexandra comes to town with her many racial and gender stereotyping opinions. Their town has many racist people who believe that Atticus is doing the wrong thing. Meanwhile his children spend their days either in school or trying to draw out their neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo Radley had not left his home in years and was considered

When they are at recess she beats up a kid named Walter Cunningham. Scout recalls, “but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop” (Lee 30). Scout has been going against gender roles since a very young age. According to gender roles women are delicate and shouldn’t fight. However when Walter Cunningham didn’t have any lunch and Scout had to explain why she considered it to be starting off on the wrong foot. This was not considered lady like at all and according to society Scout never should’ve touched Walter Cunningham. Beating someone up is never the solution but Lee shows how Scout does not conform to the gender role of being polite and delicate. Scout also goes against gender roles when she continues to play with Jem and Dill even though they say she shouldn’t. Jem yells, “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home-I declare to the lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl everyday.’ With that, I had no option but to join them “(Lee 69). Jem and Scout both discourage gender roles because Jem does not want Scout whining ‘like a girl’ and Scout wants to be treated as an equal not as a girl. Scout proves herself to them by continuing on to the Radley house despite her own morals. There is a gender role that girls whine more and are more scared and even though Scout was showing this at first, she decided to go with them

Scout was wearing a dress and it didn’t suit her. Scout complains, “I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me, and for the second time in my life I thought of running away. Immediately.” (Lee 182). When Aunt Alexandra comes to town Scout gets dressed up ladylike because that is what Alexandra would want. However when Atticus and Aunt Alexandra begin to talk about her behind her back she realizes that this dress is suffocating her and she feels held back. Scout does not enjoy dresses, she feels like they restrict her. This disproves the stereotype that women are meant to be looked at because Scout doesn’t care if the dress looks good she just wants to be comfortable. While Aunt Alexandra is having a tea party Scout has a moment of realization. Scout thinks to herself, “I was more at home in my father’s world. People like Mr.Heck Tate did not trap you with innocent questions to make fun of you; even Jem was not highly critical unless you said something stupid.” (Lee 313). Scout knows how she is “supposed” to act but she also know that acting as a proper lady does not make her happy. Scout continues to work to deconstruct these gender roles by enjoying being around men more than women. Aunt Alexandra refuses to think that Scout wants to be anything other than a lady when she grows up. This shows Scout deconstructs the gender role that women are meant to be looked at because