Aunt Alexandra's Role In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee presents the reader with many issues that take place in the 1930’s, but with a twist. The story is told through the young protagonist, Scout, who is a 9 year old girl who has a hard time understanding the Role of Women in the 1930’s. Scout is more comfortable in boy’s overalls than a tight dress. She often picks fights with other boys and gets herself in trouble. Her best friends are all boys. Scout is more comfortable living life as a tomboy, but Aunt Alexandra has a personal quest to make Scout “Behave like a sunbeam,” while Miss Maudie accepts Scout as she is. Scout finds being feminine hard and uncomfortable. She is ashamed of herself when Aunt Alexandra puts her in a dress. She tends to feel more fondly of Miss Maudie, who also wears men’s clothes and works in her garden. Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra are two of Scout’s role-models, and they couldn’t be more different than each other. Aunt Alexandra strives to be feminine, while Miss Maudie does not seem to care about those things. A woman’s workplace was her home. She was expected to take care of the home and raise the children. The women would cook, clean,

Harper Lee uses the characters Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra to influence Scouts own opinions. Aunt Alexandra thinks that Scout needs a more feminine role model in her life. She moves in with Atticus during the time of the Trial of Tom Robinson. She tries to teach Scout the not ways of a woman. Scout wants to be herself and wear what she feels comfortable in. Scout finds in Miss Maudie a kinder spirit than Aunt Alexandra and it helps her make sense of being a female and helps her develop tolerance. Miss Maudie treats Scout in an adult manner unlike Aunt Alexandra, who treats Scout as if she doesn’t know anything about being a woman. It is almost certain that we are supposed to have tolerance towards other people’s values, even if we don’t