To Kill A Mockingbird Courage Femininity and Masculinity
Uploaded by blind_ninga on Mar 18, 2008
Courage, femininity and masculinity, are just a small list of the representations portrayed through all of the characters in the stunning novel, “To kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee. Not all characters represent the values, attitudes and beliefs of that time but in fact, they represent the values, attitudes and beliefs that challenged them. All characters contribute to a variety of discourses, which means that there is not one character, in the novel, that does not contribute to the overall message of the novel. This is why in this short-spoken presentation; courage, femininity and masculinity will be discussed in comparison to the main characters that represent these themes.
Harper Lee used many characters to show different types of femininity. The most deceiving character that represents femininity is Jean Louise Finch or otherwise known as Scout. She is a pre- pubescence girl, and is still a little emotional. Scout may not be feminie in someone else’s eyes, but in her one sense she is seen as a feminine character. Characteristically, in the 1930’s little girls were seen to have a place in the house learning to cook and clean; and stereotypically were expected to wear dresses. This however, did not fit Scouts’ image of being a feminie character as she was seen as a tom boy by some members of the Maycomb society.
Another character who showed femininity is Scouts Aunt Alexandra. Alexandra associates with the correct people, uses her manners and sometimes wears dresses which allows her to believe that she is still feminine, even though she is a well built woman who is highly dominating and behaves in a masculine way. Harper Lee used the discourse of femininity among all of these characters to show that they are all feminine. The characters just depict this theme in their own way.
Harper Lee constructed many characters who challenged the mental characteristic of masculinity. Aunt Alexandra was one of these characters, who was created to show the mental side of masculinity. She is a dominating and masculine character who has control of her husband which means that she is the dominating figure of her household. Alexandra always organises everything, like Christmas dinners, which means that everyone has to go to her. This creates an image that she is the matriarch of the family. The reason Harper Lee used Aunt Alexandra as a discourse of mental masculinity, is because she wanted to...