What It Means To Be a Lady
Everyone grows up, but those who one grows up with can make or break their character. The main protagonist of the story, Scout Finch, matures greatly throughout the novel, influenced by her pretentious aunt, her understanding neighbor, and her tough, but loving maid. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, gender roles were clearly defined and the women of the novel influence Scout by both breaking and adhering to these stereotypes.
Scout's aunt, Alexandra, forces her ladylike influence on Scout, without letting Scout stay true to herself. She won't even let Scout play with someone of a lesser social class, " Because-he-is-trash, that's why you can't play with him"(173). Aunt Alexandra has a strict hold on how she wants Scout to grow up. Inviting over a nice boy in Scout's class, Walter Cunningham, isn't even allowed because his family is not known for being wealthy. With prejudice included, she is trying to teach Scout to be a replica of herself. The torn up trousers, worn by Scout day to day express her tomboy nature, but Alexandra wants to make a gentle young woman out of Scout starting by forcing her out of her favorite overalls,"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches"(65). Alexandra follows the gender stereotypes and doesn't want to be associated with someone who doesn't, someone different.The Finch name to be damaged in any way, so she wants to make Scout a perfect lady, but Alexandra's vision of perfect is far from perfection. Aunt Alexandra's forceful impact will go as far as making Atticus tell the kids ideas that he completely disagrees with, another effort to keep the Finch name respected,"'Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding'"(102). Alexandra tries hard to make Scout understand a theory too ridiculous for Scout to need to understand. She even forces her own brother, Atticus, to preach her ideas to the kids in effort to make Scout conform to her twisted idea of a lady. Scout doesn't look up to her Aunt because Alexandra is forcing her to be something she is not, unlike anything Scout's highly respected neighbor would do.
Scout's neighbor, Miss Maudie Atkinson, treats Scout as a friend and doesn't speak down to her, she wants Scout to embrace who the little girl she truly is. Unlike the other ladies, Miss Maudie didn't talk down to Scout, she treated her as an equal,"she never laughed at me unless I meant to be funny"(172). By giving Scout this respect she is teaching her how to act by doing instead of saying. The behavior Miss Maudie demonstrates teaches Scout that she doesn't have to conform to what the everyone else is doing if you don't agree with it. Miss Maudie will stand up to prejudice people and not agree to fit in,"Stephanie Crawford even told me once she woke up in the middle of the night and found him looking in the window at her. I said what did you do, Stephanie, move over in the bed and make room for him? That shut her up a while" (52). Scout's admiration is earned by Miss Maudie as she demonstrates her courage and bravery around Scout. The people who Scout admires are giving her the traits she will grow up having, and Miss Maudie is a perfect example for Scout as she matures. "She was... a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds in an old straw hat and men's coveralls, but after her five o'clock bath she would appear on the porch and reign over the street in magisterial beauty" (69). Miss Maudie defies all stereotypes as she goes out to garden in men's overalls. These actions teach Scout that it doesn't matter what all of the other ladies are doing because they don't effect her. Miss Maudie doesn't need to yell at Scout to influence her because Scout looks up to her.
Calpurnia has always been there for Scout and helped raise her, she may be a bit tough as she tries to teach Scout to act, it's all out of love. When Scout invites a friend home for lunch who doesn't have the opportunity enjoy as many of life's luxuries as Scout, she insults his way of eating, and Calpurnia won't stand for it,"Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!"(21). Unlike Alexandra, Calpurnia teaches Scout something everyone should have, manners. Scout and Calpurnia have a huge misunderstanding in the beginning of the novel, Scout believes that Calpurnia is just being mean to her, while Capurnia just wants the best for her. When Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her church, Scout finally realizes that she has a life outside of their home. Scout hears Calpurnia talking with incorrect grammar and immediately questions why she would talk so incorrectly, "Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses...It's not ladylike"(102). Calpurnia teaches Scout that what's right in one place may be wrong in another place. Another part of her manners lesson. This rule doesn't exactly apply to people like Atticus, rich white males, but to an African American female it should be followed. Taking the motherly role, as Scout's mother died when she was just a baby, Calpurnia begins teaching Scout how to cook, clean, and do chores, "By watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl"(89). Scout begins to admire Calpurnia and even tries to imitate her at some points, at the missionary party Scout wanted to help serve. Calpurnia tries to make a lady out of Scout, without interfering with who she really is.
By both breaking and adhering to stereotypes of gender roles, the women of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, influence Scout on her journey through adolescence. Scout's aunt, Alexandra, neighbor, Miss Maudie, and cook, Calpernia, all influence Scout throughout the novel. Alexandra tries to force her influence on Scout, while Miss Maudie leads by example. Calpurnia is harsh, but only out of love. Gender stereotypes are a huge theme of this novel as Scout has to grow up with them. Scout is quite the little tomboy as she has grown up with the influence of her brother and Atticus, her father, but Atticus lets her express herself as the tomboy she is. This topic was chosen because everyone has to grow up and watching Scout change as she did, you learn how much you yourself has changed. Scout was a tomboy, like myself, and is learning to grow up just as I did and I am still doing, throughout the novel she has become more of a lady and I can truly relate to this journey. Scout has tremendously grown, but just without loosing who she truly is. Every girl must grow up to be a lady, but the type of lady one grows up to be, is only a question of who was there for them as they grew.
Scout's aunt, Alexandra, forces her ladylike influence on Scout, without letting Scout stay true to herself. She won't even let Scout play with someone of a lesser social class, " Because-he-is-trash, that's why you can't play with him"(173). Aunt Alexandra has a strict hold on how she wants Scout to grow up. Inviting over a nice boy in Scout's class, Walter Cunningham, isn't even allowed because his family is not known for being wealthy. With prejudice included, she is trying to teach Scout to be a replica of herself. The torn up trousers, worn by Scout day to day express her tomboy nature, but Alexandra wants to make a gentle young woman out of Scout starting by forcing her out of her favorite overalls,"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches"(65). Alexandra follows the gender stereotypes and doesn't want to be associated with someone who doesn't, someone different.The Finch name to be damaged in any way, so she wants to make Scout a perfect lady, but Alexandra's vision of perfect is far from perfection. Aunt Alexandra's forceful impact will go as far as making Atticus tell the kids ideas that he completely disagrees with, another effort to keep the Finch name respected,"'Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding'"(102). Alexandra tries hard to make Scout understand a theory too ridiculous for Scout to need to understand. She even forces her own brother, Atticus, to preach her ideas to the kids in effort to make Scout conform to her twisted idea of a lady. Scout doesn't look up to her Aunt because Alexandra is forcing her to be something she is not, unlike anything Scout's highly respected neighbor would do.
Scout's neighbor, Miss Maudie Atkinson, treats Scout as a friend and doesn't speak down to her, she wants Scout to embrace who the little girl she truly is. Unlike the other ladies, Miss Maudie didn't talk down to Scout, she treated her as an equal,"she never laughed at me unless I meant to be funny"(172). By giving Scout this respect she is teaching her how to act by doing instead of saying. The behavior Miss Maudie demonstrates teaches Scout that she doesn't have to conform to what the everyone else is doing if you don't agree with it. Miss Maudie will stand up to prejudice people and not agree to fit in,"Stephanie Crawford even told me once she woke up in the middle of the night and found him looking in the window at her. I said what did you do, Stephanie, move over in the bed and make room for him? That shut her up a while" (52). Scout's admiration is earned by Miss Maudie as she demonstrates her courage and bravery around Scout. The people who Scout admires are giving her the traits she will grow up having, and Miss Maudie is a perfect example for Scout as she matures. "She was... a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds in an old straw hat and men's coveralls, but after her five o'clock bath she would appear on the porch and reign over the street in magisterial beauty" (69). Miss Maudie defies all stereotypes as she goes out to garden in men's overalls. These actions teach Scout that it doesn't matter what all of the other ladies are doing because they don't effect her. Miss Maudie doesn't need to yell at Scout to influence her because Scout looks up to her.
Calpurnia has always been there for Scout and helped raise her, she may be a bit tough as she tries to teach Scout to act, it's all out of love. When Scout invites a friend home for lunch who doesn't have the opportunity enjoy as many of life's luxuries as Scout, she insults his way of eating, and Calpurnia won't stand for it,"Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!"(21). Unlike Alexandra, Calpurnia teaches Scout something everyone should have, manners. Scout and Calpurnia have a huge misunderstanding in the beginning of the novel, Scout believes that Calpurnia is just being mean to her, while Capurnia just wants the best for her. When Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her church, Scout finally realizes that she has a life outside of their home. Scout hears Calpurnia talking with incorrect grammar and immediately questions why she would talk so incorrectly, "Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses...It's not ladylike"(102). Calpurnia teaches Scout that what's right in one place may be wrong in another place. Another part of her manners lesson. This rule doesn't exactly apply to people like Atticus, rich white males, but to an African American female it should be followed. Taking the motherly role, as Scout's mother died when she was just a baby, Calpurnia begins teaching Scout how to cook, clean, and do chores, "By watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl"(89). Scout begins to admire Calpurnia and even tries to imitate her at some points, at the missionary party Scout wanted to help serve. Calpurnia tries to make a lady out of Scout, without interfering with who she really is.
By both breaking and adhering to stereotypes of gender roles, the women of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, influence Scout on her journey through adolescence. Scout's aunt, Alexandra, neighbor, Miss Maudie, and cook, Calpernia, all influence Scout throughout the novel. Alexandra tries to force her influence on Scout, while Miss Maudie leads by example. Calpurnia is harsh, but only out of love. Gender stereotypes are a huge theme of this novel as Scout has to grow up with them. Scout is quite the little tomboy as she has grown up with the influence of her brother and Atticus, her father, but Atticus lets her express herself as the tomboy she is. This topic was chosen because everyone has to grow up and watching Scout change as she did, you learn how much you yourself has changed. Scout was a tomboy, like myself, and is learning to grow up just as I did and I am still doing, throughout the novel she has become more of a lady and I can truly relate to this journey. Scout has tremendously grown, but just without loosing who she truly is. Every girl must grow up to be a lady, but the type of lady one grows up to be, is only a question of who was there for them as they grew.
Splash
"Splash" I dive into the water, practicing the intricate twists, rolls, and flips that create a perfect dive. This is the biggest contest of the summer and I need all my dives to be on pointe. In the previous year, I did not place as high as I would have liked, so this year I need to shine. As we practice I glance over at my biggest competitor, Lee, she had won the year before, and I can't let that happen again. Her routine is similar to mine, and the competition is going to be rough, but may the best diver win.
As I hear the speaker announce that the contest has begun, my nerves go into overdrive as I prepare for my turn. I start off with my easiest dive of the night. I approach the board and my nerves fly away, I have cleared my mind. I walk to the end of the board and execute my dive. As I hit the water I realize that that was the best I have ever done on that dive. I reach the surface of the water and see one of the judges holding up a 7. In my league of diving getting a seven is like getting a 10, no one gets higher. But as I watch my biggest competitor do her dive, I see one of the judges with a 7 in hand.
Lee wasn’t my only teammate at this competition though, my good friend Maddie competed against me as well. Maddie was newer to the sport, but had learned quickly, so she competed as well. I see her walk up the steps and approach the end of the board with the look of nervousness in her face. She bends her legs and springs off the board; I see the effect of her nerves as she plunges into the water executing a perfect bellyflop. Her turn made me realize that I can’t let my nerves affect me or it’s all over.
As the competition closes I receive another seven on my final dive, this has been an amazing day and a 1st place finish would be the icing on the cake. After the final dives are made and the other age groups conclude the contests, the awards begin. The announcer starts to list the names, and I feel just awful when my friend Maddie receives one of the lowest places in the competition. I feel my spine tingling as the announcer calls out the 3rd place winner. The only people left are Lee and I, and I am more nervous than ever. “Lee it’s you,” “Lee it’s you,” Everyone begins to tell Lee. My confidence took a major drop and my nerves we killing me from the inside out. As people to continue to tell Lee she has this one in the bag, I just feel awful, as if I already lost. As the announcer calls second place, I prepare to walk to the stand when I hear him say, “In second place is Lee.” The biggest smile in the world appears on my face, as I realize I have won 1st place and beaten out my biggest competitor.
This day wasn’t all about me winning first or even beating my biggest competitor, more importantly, I learned that you can’t let people get to you, and if you don’t let it, thing other people say can’t affect you. Their word means nothing if you know the truth and you need to realize that you do know the truth. I also learned that you can’t let your nerves control your actions, like Maddie, whose nerves cost her the whole competition. You need to learn to control yourself, and that other people’s words mean nothing.