Conformity In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, one of the many trials that Scout faces are fitting the conformity of how a little girl was supposed to act. She continuously breaks the boundaries of the social code of women that is known in the south. Because of this, her aunt Alexandra is brought to be a feminine influence and provide an example of what was thought of as a proper woman. A proper woman had many confinements and restrictions she must follow. They must be gentle, religious, well mannered, and charming. She cannot dominate any relationship because she was supposed to rely on a man to provide for her. Even Atticus sometimes gives in to this stereotype. This can be seen when he is talking to Jem about why women cannot serve on juries and says “ I guess it’s to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases … and the ladies’d be interrupting to ask questions” (Lee, 296). Another trait of southern women was they were very passive in public. As they were growing up, they were taught to not cause a commotion and any scene they caused would affect their reputation. A woman’s reputation was everything considering any damage to it would potentially affect her chance of being married, which was the main goal. Things like their appearance and how they carried themselves could do damage if it was not correct. A proper woman …show more content…
Miss Maudie was an example of someone who was not as strict about following the code and in some areas considered improper. However, it is for this reason that she accepts Scout and does not try to change her into something that she is not like Aunt Alexandra. Eleanor Roosevelt was more similar to Miss Maudie in the ways that she drove her own car, lived apart from her husband, and spoke her mind about topics like welfare, minorities, and women’s rights. All of that was considered extremely inappropriate along with her earning her own
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