A fine Canadian novelist named Lynn Coady once said “Something I've always written about is social expectations: that the eyes of the community are on you all the time, expecting you to line up with certain social norms, certain behaviours. Whenever you forgot about them, they'd be strongly reiterated to you, in no uncertain terms”. Lynn Coady’s quote connects with one of the main themes of To Kill a Mockingbird because it implies that there were eyes on the characters, watching the way they acted all the time. If they didn't act or dress the way that their social classes permitted then they would be looked down upon. This novel follows the life of Jean Louise Finch, a young girl that lives within a racist town in Alabama in the 1950’s. Her …show more content…
Calpurnia is in charge of taking care of the kids for a while until Atticus gets back from his business trip. On Sunday, Calpurnia takes them to the black church. The kids notice that she is talking and acting differently then she normally does. "It's right hard to say," she said. "Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses." (Lee 138) Calpurnia doesn't have the privilege of acting the same way wherever she is so Calpurnia changes her voice and actions because it would not be accepted by the black people in the church. The way that white people talk and display themselves is very much different from the way that African-American people act and display themselves. So Calpurnia’s white mannerisms would not have made her words carry as much weight with the black people in turn conforming to social norms would make much more sense. The kids pepper Calpurnia with questions regarding the reason for why she changed her appearance when they went to the all black church. "It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna …show more content…
I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants.” (Lee 74)Scout loves to get dirty, play games, and swear in order for her to be most comfortable doing this she must wear breeches (a.k.a) overalls, however Aunt Alexandra thinks that all ladies must wear dresses. Social normalities say that girls should not have to do men’s work that overalls would usually be used for. Women are always in the house doing chores and cooking meals, while men are out doing dirty work and providing money for the family. Scout would like to play with a boy named Walter Cunningham. The Cunningham family is an extremely poor white family at the bottom of the white caste system. Aunt Alexandra did not allow Scout to play with him. “She had said Indeed Not, but this time she would give her reasons: "But I want to play with Walter, Aunty, why can't I?" She took off her glasses and stared at me. "I'll tell you why," she said. "Because—he—is—trash, that's why you can't play with him. I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what." (Lee 301) Alexandra believes that playing with a poor boy may make Scout replicate his behavior or habits. Alexandra’s whole plan of Finch dominance could go right out the window if Scout is to not grow up into a nice lady. If Scout were to be seen with the likes of
Similar to Atticus, Calpurnia takes a stand against racism and believes everyone is equal. Due to Atticus’ and Calpurnia’s morals toward racism, Jem and Scout are heavily influenced by their views, and will most likely take after them. Calpurnia seeks every opportunity possible to educate Jem and Scout that racism is unacceptable. For example, Calpurnia takes the children with her to her black church called First Purchase, and because of this, the children are able to better understand the vast separation of race. Scout learns that not only are white people prejudice, but black people are also prejudice. Most of the negroes at First Purchase were very welcoming as the three entered except for Lula who made them feel unwelcome. "You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n” (136). Clearly, Lula is prejudice towards white people, similar to how white people are prejudice towards black people. In addition to these prejudice ways, Scout realizes how differently Calpurnia acts around her folks. Calpurnia stated that talking white folks in her church would be “out of place”, and how “folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do” (143). As a result, Calpurnia talks colored-folks’ at her church so she fits in with everyone else, rather than speaking more advanced, which ultimately shows
It is acknowledged by many readers that there are many different social classes in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee and published in 1960. One of the most obvious social class distinctions is between skin colors, which can be seen through this novel. Since most readers’ focal point of this novel is on the distinctions between skin colors, they are unlikely to pay attention to the difference in social class within the white community. Lee wants to illustrate a contrast in white society and how characters behave differently through the uses of character foil, characterization, and the theme of society inequality in order to emphasize the differences in social classes.
What does it mean to be a good parent? The most common definition of a good parent is one who makes their children feel valued and loved, by teaching them the difference between right and wrong. At the end of the day, the most essential thing is to create a nurturing environment where your children feel like they can mature into confident, independent, and caring adults. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird defines what a true parent really is thought hardships and struggles throughout the book. The story is set in the Depression era of a little town in southern Alabama that is struggling with thick prejudice on a colored rape case. The story is told through a character
a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but
Scout Finch, the youngest child of Atticus Finch, narrates the story. It is summer and her cousin Dill and brother Jem are her companions and playmates. They play all summer long until Dill has to go back home to Maridian and Scout and her brother start school. The Atticus’ maid, a black woman by the name of Calpurnia, is like a mother to the children. While playing, Scout and Jem discover small trinkets in a knothole in an old oak tree on the Radley property. Summer rolls around again and Dill comes back to visit. A sence of discrimination develops towards the Radley’s because of their race. Scout forms a friendship with her neighbor Miss Maudie, whose house is later burnt down. She tells Scout to respect Boo Radley and treat him like a person. Treasures keep appearing in the knothole until it is filled with cement to prevent decay. As winter comes it snows for the first time in a century. Boo gives scout a blanket and she finally understands her father’s and Miss Maudie’s point of view and treats him respectfully. Scout and Jem receive air guns for Christmas, and promise Atticus never to shoot a mockingbird, for they are peaceful and don’t deserve to die in that manner. Atticus then takes a case defending a black man accused of rape. He knows that such a case will bring trouble for his family but he takes it anyways. This is the sense of courage he tries to instill in his son Jem.
Growing up in a prejudiced environment can cause individuals to develop biased views in regard to both gender and class. This is true in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, where such prejudices are prevalent in the way of life of 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. The novel is centered around the trial of a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. The narrator, a young girl named Scout, is able to get a close up view of the trial because her father is defending Tom Robinson, the defendant. The aura of the town divided by the trial reveals certain people’s prejudices to Scout, giving her a better perspective of her world.
To begin with, Scout Finch is a Tomboy. Scout enjoys climbing tree’s, getting down and dirty on the ground, or running around with friends. There were many issues with this, as prejudice dominated the minds of people in the south in this century, most expected femininity of a woman. For example, Aunt Alexandra constantly pesters Scout about wearing dresses, as illustrated by the following quote: “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I couldn't do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants” (Lee 85-86). Aunt Alexandra believed Scout could never be a lady if she didn’t dress like one, but Scout refused to because she could not continue her daily activities in a dress. Another example is when Jack Finch (Scouts Uncle) says: “You’re also growing out of your pants a little” (Lee 105). This is meant to say that Scout should now stop wearing her pants and begin dressing like a woman, and wearing dresses and skirts. Many of Scout’s relatives and close friends expected more femininity out of her, but she was not fully up to the task, being a Tomboy.
As the American people’s standards and principles has evolved over time, it’s easy to forget the pain we’ve caused. However, this growth doesn’t excuse the racism and violence that thrived within our young country not even a century previous. This discrimination, based solely on an ideology that one’s race is superior to another, is what put many people of color in miserable places and situations we couldn’t even imagine today. It allowed many Caucasian individuals to inflict pain, through both physical and verbal attacks, and even take away African Americans ' God given rights. In an effort to expose upcoming generations to these mass amounts of prejudice and wrongdoing, Harper Lee 's classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, tells the story of
Harper Lee established the theme in the beginning of the novel to connect the lesson to more complicated events. Atticus Finch told Scout, his daughter, the theme as a simple lesson resulting from experiencing the new and different views of people attending her school. In school, Scout was dissuaded in advancing her reading skills by her teacher. As Scout discovered the struggle of having different perspectives imposed on her, Atticus lectured her on how to overcome the teacher’s prejudice, and how to counteract its effects;
Calpurnia tries so hard to be approved by society the way the Finches have accepted her. She treats the Finches like her family. She shows off Jem and Scout because she’s proud of them, no matter what color their skin is. Calpurnia is not allowed at a white church, and when Atticus leaves, she decides to take the children to her church. “’I want to know why you bringin’ white chillun to nigger church’” is what Lula, an African American woman at Calpurnia’s church, said when she saw Jem and Scout at First Purchase African M.E. Church (Lee 158).
In her first school year, Scout has no respect for anyone different from her. An example of this is her treatment of Walter Cunningham, which is heedless at best and merciless at worst: after an explanation of Walter’s habits lands her in trouble with Miss Caroline, she finds him in the schoolyard later and attacks him. After Jem invites Walter to dinner, Scout shows scorn for Walter’s revived dignity, commenting, “By the time we reached our front steps Walter had forgotten he was a Cunningham.” (Lee, 23) She shows marked disapproval for the way he eats, and she decides to eat in the kitchen rather than join Walter and the others at the dinner table. However, as Scout gains experience and maturity, she begins to put aside her differences from others. She becomes friends with Walter, and she asks Aunt Alexandra if she can play with him. Aunt Alexandra appalls Scout with the same prejudice towards the Cunninghams that Scout held two years before: “Jean Louise will not invite Walter Cunningham to this house…Because--he--is--trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits an...
Little by little Jem, Scout, and Dill get exposed to the real world; changing their perspective and their attitude towards people and subjects. This event focuses on Scout and Jem, Atticus is away and Calpurnia decides to take them to her church. While they are at the church Jem and Scout notice, Calpurnia talks a different way to negros than to whites. “‘Cal,’ I asked, “why do you talk niggertalk to the—to your folks when you know it’s not right?” ‘Well, in the first place I’m black—’ ‘That doesn’t mean you hafta talk that way when you know better,’ said Jem. Calpurnia tilted her hat and scratched her head, then pressed her hat down carefully over her ears. ‘It’s right hard to say,’ she said. ‘Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks’ talk at home it’d be out of place, wouldn’t it? Now what if I talked white-folks’ talk at church, and with my neighbors? They’d think I was puttin‘ on airs to beat Moses.’ ‘But Cal, you know better,’ I said. ‘It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike—in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin‘ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin‘ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.’” (167) Calpurnia
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 94). This quote, delivered in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, introduces the mockingbird which is incorporated symbolically throughout the novel. The mockingbird, in presenting its gifts of music and beauty, is the symbol of Atticus’s practice of altruism because he believes in society’s responsibility to protect those who are vulnerable and innocent.
“Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra's vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life” (Harper Lee 108). Scout’s Aunt Alexandra comes to live with her the summer Scout is eight, in order to provide a female influence for her. Scout is opposed to many of Aunt Alexandra’s views on how she should behave, and doesn’t want to become a lady. As Scout learns about her expected role in society, she also learns about other woman’s roles, and how women aren’t allowed to do many of the things that men do. Miss Maudie, one of Scout’s role models, isn’t allowed to be on the jury because of her sex. Scout is appaled when she learns this, just as she is when she discovers the many other injustices of the world she lives in. Maycomb is a small, sleepy town in the 1930’s, with very traditional ideas and values. Sexism effects Scout’s future, the women of Maycomb, and how the town is run.
Growing up in Maycomb, Southern Alabama in the 1930s was not an easy thing. Amid a town of prejudice and racism, stood a lone house where equality and respect for all gleamed like a shining star amid an empty space. The house of Atticus Finch was that shining star. Jean Louise Finch, also known as “Scout”, is given the opportunity of being raised in this house by her father, Atticus. I stole this essay from the net. As she grows, Atticus passes down his values of equality and righteousness to Scout and her brother Jeremy Atticus Finch, also known as “Jem”. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, we see Scout learns many lessons about dealing with prejudice by observing the behavior of other characters in the story.