To Kill a Mockingbird was written in 1960 but takes place in the early 1930s. Harper Lee would’ve been in her early teens in this time period, as the 30s was a particularly racist time in the southern states towards black people who were considered second-class citizens. In fact, segregation was still a big thing and you see this when the black people have a separate church from the white people. The black inhabitants of Maycomb live in their own ‘quarter’, an area of housing put aside for black people. Segregation did not mean equality. The housing used by black people was generally rundown, and the schools for black children were not well equipped with mainly second-hand and out-of-date books. In To Kill a Mockingbird the black people of Maycomb live in wooden cabins, rather like large sheds which were often rundown. The area in which they live is also near the town dump and therefore far from the middle-class area of town.
Summary
The novel takes place in a fictional town called Maycomb, Alabama. The story follows the protagonist Jean ‘Scout’ Finch who is six years and her older brother Jeremy ‘Jem’ Finch who is three years her senior. They are well educated by their father, Atticus, who is a prominent lawyer.
When 7-year-old Dill, who is the nephew of the Finch's neighbor Rachel Haverford comes to visit he gets very inquisitive about Boo Radley. This inquisitive nature has an effect on all three children and they start to get very curious.
When Dill is gone and a rare cold front hits Maycomb and Miss Maurie’s house burns down. This is when Boo Radley makes his first appearance, without them even knowing. He snuck behind Scout and put a blanket on her before sneaking back into his house
The story picks up when Tom Robinson, an african american resident of the town, is falsely accused of raping Maya Ewell and Atticus has decided to be his defense. This causes Scout and Jem to receive a lot of teasing and bullying about their father defending a black person.
A big trial takes place in which Atticus clearly proves that Maya Ewell was not raped but bashed by her father. However, because of his race, the jury still decides that Tom Robinson is guilty.
A few months later news comes that Tom Robinson is dead after he tried to escape from prison and was shot in the process.
The story finishes with a rush of blood when Scout and Jem are attacked by Mr. Ewell. However, Boo Radley comes to the rescue saving both kids. In the end, Mr Ewell died after he was stabbed and Jem was knocked unconscious with a broken elbow.
Themes
There are many different themes in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird but we have decided to speak about one that really stands out that of gender. Scout Finch's protagonist is a major part of how gender is portrayed in the novel this becomes the way to the reader almost immediately with her nickname Scout. all of her friends and family use her nickname Scout rather than her full name Jean Louise. In the 1930's when this book was set this would have been very very uncommon and unheard of. especially having a very feminine name to use a nickname that has very masculine traits certainly challenges the gender roles during this time period. Scout is completely the opposite of what you would expect from a young girl in the 30's in fact everything about Scout would have been considered masculine not only does she use a masculine name but she also that a male of her age would have done and if a girl was to do it would have been looked down upon. For example, Scout is what is considered a tomboy she wears overalls not dresses and she's always out running and playing with the boys everything about her appearance the way she speaks and her actions challenges gender roles in the 1930s and although this is not so unusual in our modern Society this was very unusual in the 30s when this novel was set. Harper Lee uses the whole book to put a huge emphasis on how Scout's gender is constructed. At the beginning of the novel she possesses all of these so-called masculine traits but by the end of the novel she possesses a lot more feminine traits this contrast puts a big emphasis on how she has changed gender roles, as at the beginning of the novel, she hated doing things such as having conversations with the woman and wearing dresses which she considered to be boring and stupid but at the end of the novel she starts to find fun and pleasure in these sort of activities another technique used by Harper Lee to emphasize gender roles in To Kill a Mockingbird is what people say about and to Scout, in the middle period of the novel we see that characters such as her brother Jem start to say things to Scout which notifies the readers of her gender, for example, gem says things such as Scout go away you are a girl or Scout go away only boys can do this.
Another interesting about Scout Finch is her actions towards other boys she's very aggressive and often gets into many fights which is unheard of for a woman in the 1930's and even now in modern Society, this would have been very unusual.
Historical context plays a big part in how gender roles are portrayed as the southern states were still trying to hang on to their traditional values. This meant that men had a lot of pressure to be gentlemanly in the way that they acted and women were expected to be polite and wear dresses.
Scout is used by Harper Lee to demonstrate how societal expectations of feminine behavior are pushed upon girls right from a young age
Miss Maudie is Finch’s neighbor and becomes Scout’s friend when she is left out of games by Jem and Dill. Miss Maudie is continuously optimistic and sees the bright side of every situation. When her house is half burnt down in a fire, she comments, “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch. Gives me more yard. Just think, I’ll have more room for my azaleas now!” She faces every situation with practicality and unwavering positivity.
When she is insulted by foot-washing Baptists for gardening, she quotes the Bible right back at them and wears a “grin of the uttermost wickedness”. She is a strong female figure Scout respects and trusts for advice, unlike other ladies in the town, who spend their time discussing others’ lives and problems.
Lee does not give her a husband and children, which adds to her independence and confidence as an individual, instead of as a character in a familial setting. Throughout the novel, she helps Scout understand their world better and does not treat her as a naïve child. When discussing religion and Christianity with Scout, she tells her, “Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of – oh, of your father”. - Miss Maudie also represents a mother figure to Scout whose mother died when she was two.
In contrast to Miss Maudie, Scout’s Aunt Alexandra represents the ideal Southern family-oriented woman. She is at the other end of the spectrum, with her conventional beliefs and constant disapproval of Scout’s tomboyish behavior. She complains about Scout wearing overalls to Atticus who is frustrated by her frequent criticism, and Scout describes the exchange as “The only time I ever heard Atticus speak sharply to anyone”.
Scout does not understand her Aunt’s obsession with her clothing. Aunt Alexandra repeatedly tells her that she cannot be a lady if she does not dress like one and that she should engage in more ‘girly’ activities. Aunt Alexandra also says that as a girl, Scout should “be a ray of sunshine” in Atticus’s life, reinforcing the patriarchal expectation that all girls must be positive and happy continuously and brighten up the lives of their husbands or fathers.
Aunt Alexandra takes it upon herself to exert a ‘feminine influence’ on Scout’s life as she grows, and Scout resents her interference. She does not support or guide Scout as Miss Maudie does and tries to make her change.
Aunt Alexandra repeatedly tells her that she cannot be a lady if she does not dress like one
Quotes
“Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt gem came by and told me to stop.”
Jem has to pull her away which is normally the opposite of women pulling men out of fights
Girls shouldn’t find pleasure in fighting but in playing with dolls and taking ballet lessons
I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it's mortifying.
Dill said, gem, you and me can play and Scout can watch if she's scared.
Jen parcelled out our roles: I was Mrs. Radley, and all I had to do was come out and sweet the porch.
Jem told me I was being a girl, that girl always imagines things, and that's why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I would just go off and find someone to play with.
He had asked me earlier in the summer to marry him, then he probably forgot about it. He stayed me out, marked me as his property, said I was the only girl who level of, then he neglected me.
I beat him up twice but it did no good, the only group closer to Jem spent days together in the tree house building and planning, calling me only when they needed a third party. But I kept aloof from the more full Hardy schemes for a while, and on pain of being called a girl.
He said he was trying to get Miss Maudie's goat, that he had been trying unsuccessfully for 40 years
If you stay you've got to do what we tell you, Dill warned
When I protested, he said sweetly, you don't have to come along, angel May.
The term 'Angel May' is another way of saying 'Miss Priss.' Jem feels that Scout is behaving like a 'girl' by complaining and protesting about traveling in the direction of the Radley place. Scout, who is a tomboy, takes offense to the nickname 'Angel May' because she absolutely despises anything feminine and wants to be viewed as one of the guys. https://help-notes-31.appspot.com/2016/03/why-does-jem-call-scout-angel-may-in-chapter-6-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird
Scout Koma I'm telling you for the last time, shut your trap or go home – I declare to the lord you're getting more like a girl every day!
He retaliates with comments such as the one above, fueled by gender prejudices insinuating that girls are weak and easily scared.
When we went into the house I saw he had been crying; his face was 30 in the right places, but I thought it odd that I’d not heard him.
BOY TRYING TO BE MASCULINE - ‘Boys don’t cry
Boys don't cook. I giggled at the thought of Jem an apron.
He cleaned and bandaged my knuckles