Diversity In To Kill A Mockingbird
Black and white, male and female, rich and poor: common divisions throughout the world. Aesop once said, “United we stand, divided we fall”. While this is a renowned phrase, people have failed to grasp the concept. Across the globe, the human race has struggled with accepting diversity; the unfamiliar are regarded with hesitancy, fear, and hatred. Humans’ primal instincts kick in, and the urge to dominate one another in order to survive takes root. In order to combat these violent and barbaric feelings, one must constantly keep his morals strongly present in the front of his mind. Today, the world still consistently fights the impulse to be above one another, pitting races, genders, and social classes against one another. Prejudice has ravaged
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As a young girl, specifically a young southern girl, Scout is expected to act is a certain way; she must behave, dress, and talk like a lady. Growing up without a mother, Scout easily became a tomboy without a desire to be a southern belle. However, her aunt had other plans in mind: “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possible 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” (Lee 93). There were certain procedures and rules women were expected to follow to be considered a lady. If a woman did not fit these social guidelines, then they were thought to be unlady-like and looked at with disdain. One such woman in To Kill a Mockingbird is Scout’s unconventional neighbor Miss Maudie. A role model to Scout, Miss Maudie was not married, wore men’s overalls, and spent the majority of her time in her beloved garden. A stark contrast from the typical woman of the time, Harper Lee’s inclusion of Miss Maudie took a stand against the sexist beliefs of the time. Even today, women continue to struggle for equal rights; albeit, they are much
As a young girl, specifically a young southern girl, Scout is expected to act is a certain way; she must behave, dress, and talk like a lady. Growing up without a mother, Scout easily became a tomboy without a desire to be a southern belle. However, her aunt had other plans in mind: “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possible 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” (Lee 93). There were certain procedures and rules women were expected to follow to be considered a lady. If a woman did not fit these social guidelines, then they were thought to be unlady-like and looked at with disdain. One such woman in To Kill a Mockingbird is Scout’s unconventional neighbor Miss Maudie. A role model to Scout, Miss Maudie was not married, wore men’s overalls, and spent the majority of her time in her beloved garden. A stark contrast from the typical woman of the time, Harper Lee’s inclusion of Miss Maudie took a stand against the sexist beliefs of the time. Even today, women continue to struggle for equal rights; albeit, they are much