Social Norms, Rules, and Expectations in To Kill a Mockingbird Although social norms, rules and expectations form the structure of a community, when the norms are to discriminate, the community fails individuals and groups, and everybody suffers. The racist and sexist social norms, rules and expectations in the South in the 1930's in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, create the difficulties that the main protagonists face. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the narrator of the story, is a young girl who lives with her father, Atticus, and brother, Jem, in Maycomb County, Alabama. During the course of the story, Atticus, who is a lawyer, takes the job of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella
…show more content…
For example, Mrs. Dubose yells at Scout and says, “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and a camisole, young lady!” (p. 117) In the 1930s, it was unacceptable for a girl to wear anything other than a dress. Women back then couldn’t dare to act like a man in the sense of working, wearing pants, and acting “unladylike.” Scout liked to get dirty and she wasn’t afraid to play in the mud or to throw a punch, but to everyone else that was unthinkable. Another example of this is when Aunt Alexandra pressures Scout to begin acting more like a lady and Scout recalls, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra’s vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father’s lonely life. I suggested that one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that one had to behave like a sunbeam, that I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year…” (p. 92) Women in the 1930s were housewives. They weren’t supposed to go to work like the men did. They were supposed to stay home, take care of the children, and …show more content…
Atticus does not judge Tom by his race. In fact, Atticus says, “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience – Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.” (p. 139) He refuses to accept Mayella Ewell's word over Tom's without finding out the facts. He also goes against all norms and expectations by teaching his children that racism and discrimination were wrong. When Scout asks why Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, Atticus responds with, "...if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something.” (p. 100) Atticus is explaining to Scout that if he didn’t defend Tom Robinson, he would be just like everyone else in Maycomb, and he would have lost the right to be the parent Jem and Scout see him as. Through his daily interactions with his children and in court, Atticus sets the example that will stay with Scout forever. The law entitled a black defendant to a trial, but the social norm that Atticus went against was the assumption that the black man had no rights. Atticus showed his children and the community that he took his responsibility seriously, believing against the prevailing view, that Tom deserved a fair trial and was
For example, Mrs. Dubose yells at Scout and says, “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and a camisole, young lady!” (p. 117) In the 1930s, it was unacceptable for a girl to wear anything other than a dress. Women back then couldn’t dare to act like a man in the sense of working, wearing pants, and acting “unladylike.” Scout liked to get dirty and she wasn’t afraid to play in the mud or to throw a punch, but to everyone else that was unthinkable. Another example of this is when Aunt Alexandra pressures Scout to begin acting more like a lady and Scout recalls, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra’s vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father’s lonely life. I suggested that one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that one had to behave like a sunbeam, that I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year…” (p. 92) Women in the 1930s were housewives. They weren’t supposed to go to work like the men did. They were supposed to stay home, take care of the children, and …show more content…
Atticus does not judge Tom by his race. In fact, Atticus says, “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience – Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.” (p. 139) He refuses to accept Mayella Ewell's word over Tom's without finding out the facts. He also goes against all norms and expectations by teaching his children that racism and discrimination were wrong. When Scout asks why Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, Atticus responds with, "...if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something.” (p. 100) Atticus is explaining to Scout that if he didn’t defend Tom Robinson, he would be just like everyone else in Maycomb, and he would have lost the right to be the parent Jem and Scout see him as. Through his daily interactions with his children and in court, Atticus sets the example that will stay with Scout forever. The law entitled a black defendant to a trial, but the social norm that Atticus went against was the assumption that the black man had no rights. Atticus showed his children and the community that he took his responsibility seriously, believing against the prevailing view, that Tom deserved a fair trial and was