To Kill a Mockingbird

The roles of women in society during the depression era were quite clearly defined, yet To Kill a Mockingbird presents female characters that break these stereotypes such as: Scout, Calpurnia,and Miss Maudie. A southern lady was a precious flower. She was to be at all times feminine, polite, soft-spoken and gentle. She was to defer to men in all cases. A man was obligated to protect a lady’s virtue even to the point of never using crass language in front of a lady (recall Arthur Radely and his friends were charged with using profane language in the presence and hearing of a lady –a crime in that setting.) Aunt Alexandria is a stereotypical woman. She is tremendously feminine and is obsessed with the family background. She disapproves of Atticus’ parenting as if her way is the only way. Scout describes her as an incurable gossip. Miss Stephanie would also qualify as a stereotypical character. She buys into the local legends about 'Boo” Radely and about the black ways. However, Scout is anything but feminine and gentle. She hates dresses, speaks her mind and gets into fistfights. She disagrees with boys and does it loudly. She questions everything. Calpurnia also shows how Harper Lee lets the book show that there is way more to southern women-hood then the “average” stereotypes. Calpurnia is not your typical colored woman. She can read, write, and she is not the indulgent nanny that many colored nannies are. She teaches Scout manners when Scout shamed Walter Cunningham at the dinner table. She goes against custom and “decency” when she knocks on the Radely's door to warn them about the mad dog. Miss Maudie is a widow who stays single. She answers the Footwashers' accusations with a Bible quotation--and we say, good for her! She is one of the few people in town who openly supports Atticus' "nigger-loving" ways of defending Tom Robinson. Scout tells us that Maudie never played cat and mouse with the kids and treated them with respect. She