Stereotyped Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents a life of Jean Louis Finch, also known as Scout, growing up in a small town. The setting of the story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1960’s. Life for Scout growing up appears difficult because of the Great Depression, racial inequality, white supremacy, and peoples’ prejudiced mindset. In the beginning of the book, Scout’s character shows her innocence, her tomboyish side, her adventurous personality, and her ability to question and observe the goodness and evilness of society. By the end of the novel, Scout learns fighting does not fix everything, possessing lady-like characteristics obtain value and holding prejudiced thoughts reflects in every person’s life. Atticus Finch and Calpurnia instill fundamental advice into Scout that she needs for development and success in life.

Jean Louise Finch ‘Scout’ is a headstrong young girl who narrates the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, set in the fictitious County Maycomb over the span of three years. She is often found sporting dirty overalls or breeches and possesses a rather tomboyish personality, much to her aunt’s dismay. It says, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire... When I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants.”(Page 90)

Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, illustrates how women are restricted by societal expectations. Women and girls are expected to act a certain way, to be feminine and docile. After an argument between Jem and Scout, Jem goes as far to shout, “‘It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right!’” (Lee, 153). Jem believes that Scout should be cooperative and malleable to be a typical girl. He wants Scout to change who she is to fit his idea of what being a woman is about. In Jem’s mind, women and girls should not be opinionated and “rough”, they must be feminine and frail.

Scout’s peers had a very powerful emotional effect on her. "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 every day!" With that, I had no option but to join them. - Scout in Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird. This quote is a great explanation of the judged stereotypes during this time period. Scout wanted to act like a girl, but her friends wanted her to act like the old Scout. This instance is where Scout had to make the decision that acting like a girl was not worth loosing her friends. Scout Finch made her own choices, she made them the way that she wanted them, n\ ot caring about what time it was, who she was with, and what people thought of her. She did things for her. This statement relates to my thesis because my thesis states, When life gives you a time to shine, don’t give it away, you may need it someday. Scout never gave up a chance that was offered to

Novelist Harper Lee, in her book To Kill a Mockingbird, depicts the racism and inequalities in the town of Maycomb by having a white man, Atticus Finch, defend Tom Robinson who was black. Lee’s purpose is to show the world is unfair between races and we need to have compassion for others. She adopts a serious tone to appeal to people’s morals to do the right the thing by those seeking changes for equality.

How is the racial problem of the southern states of USA in the 1930s portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird?

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a small town named Maycomb Located in Alabama, highlighting the adventures of the finch children and many other people in the small town. The people in this town are very judgemental and of each other and it often leads to people being labeled with stereotypes and people think they know everything about that person however that is not reality. It is not possible to know the reality of a person 's life by placing a stereotype without seeing it through their own eyes and experiencing the things they experience. This happens often throughout the story with many people in the town. People are labeled as many things such a “monster” a “nigger” and many other things that seem to put them in their

Mrs.Dubose told Jem, “‘ Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for.’” (Lee 117). In every small town the people there are stereotyped into different groups. Maycomb county is no different. They are set apart based on skin color, gender, and how poor or rich they are. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches her audience about stereotypes using three groups of people: the Finches, Negroes, and white trash.

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird famously said in his closing arguments: "You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and no particular race of men." (pg 232) What Atticus is trying to convey is a foreign concept to most people in Maycomb county. Atticus is trying to convey a point of equality and no prejudice in a world of social inequality which, as one can imagine, didn 't go over so well. To kill a mockingbird tells a story of a county whose morals are masked by the great depression, a county whose judgment is masked by racism and social stigma. In to kill a mockingbird,

The author shows that Scout faces external conflicts caused by the pressure to fit into the stereotypical gender roles accustomed to girls at this time in history. Lee uses anti stereotype to emphasize this. An example of this is when Scout feels left out from Jem and Dill because she is a girl. Scout said, ““I beat him up twice but it did no

From the beginning until the end of the novel Jem learns and beings to understand many different things about his community. In Jem’s life there are two main people who he learns prejudice from: Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley. From the beginning until the end of the novel Jem learns and begins to understand many different things about his community. In Jem’s life there are two main people who he learns prejudice from: Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley. Jem believes every rumor about Boo Radley. He thinks Boo is just a crazy person, who only comes out at night, hunts animals and peeks through people window. Jem has certain stigmas surrounding two of the fearful figures in his life, Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley. Jem is very naive in his young age and easily becomes swayed by rumors around Boo Radley. The rumors outline Boo Radley to be a “malevolent phantom” who hides in the shadows of their town. He is thought to stalk people through windows and cut them up with scissors. He is believed to commit heinous crimes. Through these rumors, Jem and friends try to interact with Boo. By dropping notes, sneaking around his property and

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee in 1961 which depicts social problems such as prejudice and racism against African Americans in south of the United States in 1930’s. The protagonist in this story is Atticus Finch, a father of two children, a lawyer in Mayacomb city and a hero in defending an African American accused man against the wave of oppression and racism of the time. Atticus Finch characterization by Harper lee lets the reader fully immerse in the story which is told by his daughter, Scout, as the first person narrator.

Harper Lee touches upon many social issues in To Kill a Mockingbird. Among these issues is the matter of racism in America during the 1930s. This novel focused on the issue of racism through the case of Tom Robinson which conveyed the strong hostility towards African-Americans in Maycomb, Alabama. Other various occasions in the novel exhibit racism’s potential and influence in this country including Aunt Alexandra's disapproval of Calpurnia, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s hidden life. Through the results of these instances, Harper Lee shed a new light on racism and how it will always persist in America.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an important text worthy of all the recognition it received in the time following its original publication.

There many things in life shape identity but some of the biggests factors that shape identity are race, wealth, gender and the experiences you go through. How is an individual sense of identity formed? Through race, wealth gender and experiences their are countless ways identity is formed.