Scout Finch Repression

Living in the pages of a classic novel, there is a girl named Jean Louise Finch, or rather, Scout. She is young and untainted by the world's prejudices, and she possesses a mind full of curiosity. Scout wondered about many things. She wondered why Mrs. Dubose is such a mean old hag, about why Arthur, Boo, Radley never leaves his house, and why must a girl become a lady? The question that Scout pondered most about, however, was what it means to kill a mockingbird. The character Scout and the book To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is greatly influenced by a history of repression and injustice and by a set of ideals that had once dominated most, if not all, of the country at one point or another. Three of the many events and ideas
In the 1930s, it was considered to be taboo for a woman to have a boyish personality. Michelle Ann Abate, the author of Tomboys: A literary and Cultural History, wrote “upon reaching puberty, girls were expected to submit to stereotypical femininity and confine themselves to the domestic sphere” (355). In both Maycomb county and reality, gender roles played an important part in society. They dictated what was considered to be attractive in both males and females and they limited the freedom of expression given to young men and women. Aside from keeping up appearances and taking part in strictly ladylike activities; a woman must also be able to cook, and cook well. The task of providing food and drink for the family is given solely to the female. In fact, it is so uncommon for a man to prepare a meal that when the subject of a boy baking is brought up Scout laughs and says, “boys… [do not] cook” (Lee 82). This mindset, in which a woman should take responsibility for all housework, including cooking, is mirrored in the real world as shown in a film about women’s roles in the 1930s; A woman must know how to cook, set the table, and make the home welcoming and comfortable (“Woman's”). Overall, when it comes to women in the 1930s, they are encouraged to be obedient and delicate and never
In the 1930s, the value of a man was measured by his strength, courage, and intelligence. These were traits that a woman was not expected to have or desire. As a test of courage, many young boys enjoyed setting off on adventures. They fought fearsome pirates on jeweled islands and made daring escapes from spooky ghosts. Unlike boys, girls were gentle and preferred to take quiet strolls in the garden or learn to do housework. They certainly were not expected to tussle with any pirates or make any daring escapes, nor were they expected to particularly care about their studies. A renowned author wrote “…[a woman must] abandon the desire for physical and intellectual activity” (Abate 355). In this sentence the author, Michelle Abate, is describing the requirements for becoming a woman in the early 1900s. These requirements are reflected in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird when Jem tells Scout to shut her mouth or go home and claims that the more Scout rejects the pursuit of adventure the more she is becoming like a girl (Lee 52). As much as behaving cautiously is a part of being a girl, so is being innocent and compassionate. Of course, many men, as well as women, are compassionate, but not so much that it causes worry in a matter that may produce great consequences. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird it is explained that women are not allowed to stand on jury through the