Feminity in To Kill a Mockingbird
Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s views and understanding of femininity changes. Although Scout is not the stereotypical female of her age, she receives different views of that matter through three different influential ladies in her life. Through them she realizes that being more feminine is not a negative changer in her life. Scout at first is tomboyish and does not do or like things a girl of her age is expected to. After Francis annoys Scout by called Atticus a “nigger-lover”, she “split [her] knuckle to the bone on his front teeth,” (112). A girl her age acting that violently is not what is expected. When Jem and Dill decide to go to the Radleys’ house at night but Scout has mixed feelings about it, Jem tells her, “Scout…you’re getting more like a girl every day” (69). She afterwards thinks, “I had no option but to join them”(69). She thinks this because she does not want to be thought of as a girl. Scout acting like a boy has received comments from others: “The only time I heard Atticus speak sharply to anyone…it had something to do with my overalls,”(108). The way she acts had gotten to the point when Atticus was questioned about it. Three female influences are often present in Scout life giving her different views of femininity. The first one, Calpurnia, shows her a lady can be sweet and caring while being harsh and strict. Scout says, “Her hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard”(6). Calpurina’s hand represents that she can be harsh at times. While Calpurnia can be strict, she also can be caring: “Baby…He’s gonna want to be off to himself a lot now, doin’ whatever boys do, so you just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome”(page number). When Scout was feeling flustered, she wanted to help her out. Aunt Alexandra, another female influence to Scout, presents to Scout that her not being very feminine is a bad thing. Scout says, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possible hope to be a