Examples Of Provincialism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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One of the most basic examples of human behavior is the instinctual need to put objects and creatures into different classes in order to have a perceived sense of structure and avoid chaos. It is a prime example of provincialism, which is defined as a narrowness of mind resulting from lack of exposure to cultural or intellectual activity. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee elaborates on the effects of provincialism and classism on Maycomb’s society by using diction, and artfully uses her characters to be the embodiment of these ideals. Whether it be through promoting racism, or grossly exaggerating individual traits based on family heritage, provincialism drives the actions of nearly every citizen in Maycomb, and the select few who defy …show more content…
After Aunt Alexandra moves in to be a feminine influence for Scout and to help Atticus by being a motherly figure, Scout reflects on the behavior of her aunt, and her desire to classify people based on their family heritage. Aunt Alexandra justifies behavior as if it can be inherited, believing that LI mostly good but where are we in text? “everybody in Maycomb had a Streak: a Drinking Streak, a Gambling Streak, a Mean Streak, a Funny Streak” (Lee 172). Aunt Alexandra is the main distributor of these streaks; she identifies individuals who have done undesirable things and amounts their behavior to traits she identifies as being part of the family, for example, the Penfield women being flighty because a sixteen-year old girl laughed at a choir concert. She wants, even needs, to classify people in order to justify behavior she sees as wrong. After the trial, Scout wants to play with Walter Cunningham, a boy with a poor family. Aunt Alexandra refuses, stating that the reason she won’t let Scout play with Walter is “because--he--is --trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what” (Lee 301). Her word choice in the quote is mostly negative in its connotation, calling Walter trash and believing that he will be a bad influence on Scout. The …show more content…
Whether it be through promoting racism, or grossly exaggerating individual traits based on family heritage, provincialism and its effects are present in the town society. Classism is not a thing of the past; it is as prevalent as ever, demonstrated by the actions of the U.S. government in 2017. Where these fears come from is a matter of generalization and stereotyping negative traits onto a group of people simply because a few members of said group have been seen with this trait. The saying may be “a few bad apples spoil the barrel,” but that doesn’t mean the entire barrel needs to burn, just that the bad apples be removed. Even though efforts are made to remove negative stereotyping, the human desire to classify others is a behavior we have had throughout our history, and it seems we will never escape
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