The Aspects of Identity To Kill a Mockingbird has been named the “Best Novel of the 20th Century” by readers of the Library Journal, has been translated into more than 40 languages, and has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The power of the book is created by its realistic picture of how our identity is shaped by society and the immense impact that identity has on everyone’s lives. These identity-shaping social factors include gender, social class and race. One of the most intriguing social factors is gender, which manipulates the characters' identities in the book. Scout Finch is one great example of this factor. Her appearance is unconventional and does not follow typical expectations of the female gender. Being a tomboy, …show more content…
Throughout the plot, the Finches are some of the wealthiest people in Maycomb. This is demonstrated by the facts that Scout and Jem are able to read and write, the Finches are able to afford to have a cook, Calpurnia, the family owns Finch’s Landing, and Atticus is a lawyer. Due to their family name, people such as Aunt Alexandra and Mrs. Dubose expect Scout and Jem to “behave properly.” This desire increases when Atticus’ alternative parenting skills because more obvious to others. Atticus wants people like Aunt Alexandra to stop telling him how to parent his children, so he follows her commands with his children knowing, it is against his parenting beliefs. He instructs them, “I don’t know exactly how to say this. I just want to explain to you that your Aunt Alexandra asked me… son, you know that you’re a Finch, don’t you?... Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding...and that you should try to live up to your name… she asked me to tell you-you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are” (Lee 135). Following this statement, he becomes curt and Scout starts to cry. Scout lets Atticus know that his behavior is not normal and that it alarms her and Jem. Atticus responds by assuring them that he has not
Jem and Scouts’ father, Atticus, is very misjudged by their children. They believe that Atticus is a very semantic man that goes to work, comes back, and has no skill whatsoever in sports. Scout criticizes Atticus by saying “Atticus did not… or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone”(118). This demonstrates that Jem and Scout are not satisfied with Atticus’s physical and amusing skills. They thought of him as an old man in his fifties that had no energy left, and had a routine of going to bed and reading in the living room instead of running around. Later, they visit there across the street neighbor, Mrs. Maudie to talk about how boring their Dad is, when Mrs. Maudie says” ‘Well, he can make everybody’s will so airtight can’t anybody meddle with him’… ‘Well, did you know he is the best checker-player in this town? Why down at the Landing when we were coming up, Atticus Finch could beat everybody on both sides of the river”(120). This establishes that they find out that their Dad isn’t so useless anymore. Even though the children find out all these activities he is excellent at, sometimes even the best, they are still not overly impressed. After Calpurnia calls the cops on the dog, Tim Johnson, The sheriff and Atticus arrive at the scene “ ‘Take him, Mr. Finch’. Mr. Tate handed the rifle to Attics; Jem and I nearly fainted…’’d you see him, Scout? ’d you see him just standing there?...’n’ all of a sudden he just relaxed all over, an’ it looked like that gun was a part of him’”(126-129).
...reinforcing the idea that the roles are now switched. Atticus keeps calm during most of the situations, but lets others boss him around and take control while he mainly sits and waits nearby. Scout and Jem begin to stand up for their father when he will not stand up for himself and act caring as if they were in charge of Atticus’ actions, protecting him from the evils of others. Scout supports this idea when she begins to talk very adult-like with Mr. Cunningham, especially showing her thoughtful wisdom when speaking of “entailments”. Atticus later shows that he is proud of his children for sticking up for him when he did not himself by massaging Jem’s hair in his “one gesture of affection.” So while Atticus often is being the best father figure he can to Scout and Jem, they are also very helpful to him by taking control of situations that he would not be able to.
A person’s identity is created by his family, friends, and neighbors. These influences can be people that choose to interact or have to interact with each other. The decisions made based on these interactions define a person. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, the narrator, is affected by numerous sources. Scout’s identity is shaped in part by Atticus, Miss Maudie, and her experience with the court case.
To conclude, it is proven during numerous instances found in Harper Lee’s award-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, that societal pressures and the rigid rules and boundaries that society sets can overwhelm anyone of any class, race or background. It is unjust to assume anyone’s character by their set status but unfortunately, negative after-effects immediately take place as soon as one tries to step out of their preordained place. As Mayella Ewell, Scout and Jem Finch and Atticus Finch were the examples of this bitter truth, there are many other characters affected by the societal impacts on everyday life in the novel.
Scout and Jem still are unable to accept her and are detached from her strong traditional southern views. As a result Atticus receives many criticism the way he brought up his children and is forced to act. 'Our Father was actually fidgeting. "No, I just want to explain to you that--your Aunt Alexandra asked me...son you know you 're a Finch, don 't you?" (177) However Jem and Scout notices this and become resentful towards the changed Atticus. As Atticus struggles with the Tom Robinson case, Aunt Alexandra plays the role of their mother since they only have Atticus “I know what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work." (170) however she also knows that instilling manners and acting as the motherly figure was the role of a woman, during that time period. Throughout the book, Atticus has struggled with the job of filling both the father and the mother. No matter how hard he tries, the roll of the mother can never be filled by Atticus. His character does not have the same personality traits that a mother would. All Scout needs is a loving mother, but when Aunt Alexandra comes, she does not nearly fill that role. She is even harsher and the spot still remains vacant. "...you 've got to do something about her," Aunty was saying. "You 've let things go on too long Atticus, too long” (36).This quote shows how Aunt Alexandra is demanding and looks as if she is trying to be the stricter side, which I dont think Scout needs "Atticus, it 's all right to be soft-hearted, you 're an easy man, but you have a daughter to think of." (136-137)I think Alexandra is totally wrong here. Scout does not like to listen to a demanding person telling her what to do. Instead of listening, she will simply do the opposite. A less harsh and caring mother would give Scout something more to mature. Alexandra is really into
Atticus Finch as a parent teaches Scout and Jem moral values and tries his hardest to pass on to his children his way of thinking. Atticus worries that his children sees to much racism and injustice, and tries to show his children that all people are equal no matter the color of their skin. He teaches them to go against the norm in Maycomb which is prejudice and unjust in their actions.
In conclusion, To Kill a Mockingbird displays how stereotypes are not only superfluous but impractical as well. They cause pain to their victims while continuing to breed a community of close-minded individuals. Also, if this tradition remains unchanged, stereotypes will continue to govern how humans live, whether it be by restricting or compelling individuals to act a certain way. Certainly, a world which is exempted from stereotypes would be ideal, but is unrealistic as tradition is not easily abolished. Thus, the only true solution is to learn to step into someone else’s skin and realize that there is always more than what meets the eye.
When an old tired town does not have any good economic sources you might think that a parent won’t care about his or her children. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout. Atticus is like middle class in his society and is as one parent he is a good father unlike the Ewells father. The Finches are a loving family and sharing because the father teaches them different things about life he tells them how a gentleman and a lady would act and should say. Also theirs other people in the novel that also help Jem and Scout understand about life and what it leads to. One thing about learning conscience is that everything in life is not a joke.
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves of classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for its execution of style and the importance of its content.
Harper Lee uses the outsiders motif to illustrate how societies are immobilized when people are constantly judging others based on appearances. Because of differences in wealth, race, education, and health, many long-lasting untrue stereotypes are created about outsiders. To Kill a Mockingbird still holds contemporary value to readers and to all of humanity because it is a powerful novel that teaches the ugly truth of prejudice and discrimination that still exists today. This is important because it can cause others to realize the problems in everyday society, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia, and encourage people to change their hearts then change the
A person’s identity is not something that can be removed, It can only change over time. Some people may feel as if they have lost their identity, but they have not lost it. It is only hidden. Many people have different definitions of identity, but there should only be one, universal definition. The definition of identity is the values someone has, and how said person treats others.
In 1960, a novel was written to outline injustices and racism against those who were innocent, though unfairly judged because of social expectations and prejudiced beliefs. This novel not only presented these issues, but is also considered a revolutionary piece of literature, still being read by many people today, more than 50 years later. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has caused some controversy about the intents of the book and the way certain people or groups are presented. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird as a narrative outshines the issue it presents is a debatable argument. However, I believe that the narrative of the novel supports the concerns exhibited for numerous reasons. In what follows, some of these are presented: the historical
37% of teenagers claim they do not completely know who they are yet. Stageoflife.com conducted a survey on a group of 400 students, asking them questions about their individuality. 66% of this group say that they are not seen as who they truly are by others. The Oxford English dictionary defines identity as “The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.” This denotation only points out the surface of an individual, such as physical traits rather than their personality. This meaning should be changed because as it is crucial for humans to recognize our depth. Identity is how you are influenced by the experiences in your life.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird expresses the ideology that the social standard of a particular individual, classifies their status in the world. Individuals placed in social classes are labeled to create a sense of social identity. The socio-economic class an individual is born into should not be the determining factor of how the individual is regarded and treated, however, their character and personality should be a primary factor in determining how they are thought of in society.
Minor characters are often more important than they initially seem, and can be just as engaging and complicated as major characters. Furthermore, protagonists are isolated without the people that surround and influence them subliminally. This applies to the intriguing minor characters one has the privilege of discovering in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Specifically, Lee uses minor characters to effectively disprove stereotypes and establishing setting. Not only do they influence the direction of the plot, but also Scout and her development as a character. Lee carefully selects minor characters to send important messages and reinforce themes by using characters as symbols. Fundamentally, the minor characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” are crucial in making Harper Lee’s novel beautiful, moving, and believable enough to touch every reader.