Women Dress In The 1930s

Many women during the Great Depression had to work twice as hard than men to be accepted in society. Women in the 1930’s were not perceived as strong because of their gender, and females were supposed to be weak. Eleanor Roosevelt said,“A woman is like a teabag; you never know how strong it is until it 's in hot water.” Women like Eleanor Roosevelt worked towards women being equal in society. Harper Lee, the author of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird shared the same views as Eleanor Roosevelt, that women and young girls should be themselves and not feel as if they have to act a certain way in order to fit into society.

The 1930’s were a very hard time for many Americans, but it was an especially difficult time for women. As men lost their jobs, …show more content…
In the 1930s women were expected to wear dresses during every occasion. It was common for women to wear dresses in the home and the work place. If a woman wore anything other than a dress they were considered to be acting unladylike. Young girls often wore short-sleeved dresses during the summer and long-sleeved dresses during the winter (Bryan). On the other hand young boys wore button shirts, blue jeans and overalls. The author of To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, was described as a “tomboy” growing up, she did not like to wear dresses and caused a lot of trouble (Harper Lee Biography). She did not represent the common southern white girl who wore dresses and behaved like a young lady …show more content…
She grew up surrounded by males, her father Atticus, her brother Jem and her summer friend Dill. One of the closest female influences Scout had growing up was Calpurnia the housemaid. Calpurnia taught Scout many valuable lessons such as to not judge other people and to not think of herself as better than anyone else. Although Calpurnia never scolds Scout for the way she dresses, she makes sure to dress her in her finest dress when she takes her and Jem to the church she attends. The second female influence Scout had was her neighbor Miss Maudie Atikson. Miss Maudie is described as having a sharp tongue and not being prejudice. Scout admired her because she treated all children with the same respect she treated adults with. Scout’s way of dressing was also influenced by Miss Maudie, who dressed like a man. Scout described Miss Maudie as,”a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds in an old straw hat and men’s coveralls” (Lee 140). Scout, like Miss Maudie, rarely dressed in dresses, and dressed in overalls more often. Another female influence Scout had was her Aunt Alexandra. Unlike Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, Aunt Alexandra refers to Scout by her real name Jean Louise. When Scout’s aunt Alexandra comes and stays with them she disapproves of Scout’s choice in clothing and in her actions. Scout is asked by her aunt Alexandra why she doesn’t wear dresses and responds by saying that she,”could do nothing in a dress”(Lee