Breaking Conformity in To Kill A Mockingbird Contrary to the common perception of Maycomb, the town where Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird takes place, not all of the citizens who live there conform to the typical norms that are expected of them. Calpurnia is the housekeeper of the Finch household where the protagonist, a young girl named Scout, lives. Dolphus Raymond, a white man who is portrayed as an alcoholic, lives with the colored people in town. The depiction of both Calpurnia and Dolphus Raymond demonstrates that even in an average town like Maycomb, there are people who continue to defy the boundaries of common stereotypes. Calpurnia easily disproves that idea that black people, or black women specifically, are both uneducated
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Dolphus Raymond is a man who breaks common stereotypes by assuming the pretense and character of one in order to slip under the radar of the other townspeople. While most of Maycomb views him as the drunk that lives with the black people, in reality, Dolphus drinks not alcohol, but merely coca-cola. He confesses this to Scout: “Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 200-201). This shows that what is most outwardly transparent and unlikable in a character may truly be interesting and good-natured. In Maycomb’s society, white men do not usually associate with colored people, let alone live with them. The fact that Dolphus is willing to go to such lengths to ensure that people do not question the way he lives serves to show how much he wants to keep his way of life. He is defying the structures of society and common stereotypes in his own way so he can be an individual. Dolphus Raymond is also an individual due to his unique way of living. When Jem is explaining who Dolphus is for Scout and Dill, he claims, “He likes [the colored folks] better’n he likes us, I reckon. Lives by himself way down near the county line … he owns all one side of the riverbank down there, and he’s from a real old family to boot” (Lee 161). According to Jem, Dolphus is from a particularly old and rich family. However, he still chooses to live with the colored folks over building upon his inherited status. This shows that contrary to what typical men would do when given wealth and power, Dolphus still lives his life by staying true to his own beliefs. By choosing this way of life, he is challenging the social norms of
Dolphus Raymond is a man who breaks common stereotypes by assuming the pretense and character of one in order to slip under the radar of the other townspeople. While most of Maycomb views him as the drunk that lives with the black people, in reality, Dolphus drinks not alcohol, but merely coca-cola. He confesses this to Scout: “Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 200-201). This shows that what is most outwardly transparent and unlikable in a character may truly be interesting and good-natured. In Maycomb’s society, white men do not usually associate with colored people, let alone live with them. The fact that Dolphus is willing to go to such lengths to ensure that people do not question the way he lives serves to show how much he wants to keep his way of life. He is defying the structures of society and common stereotypes in his own way so he can be an individual. Dolphus Raymond is also an individual due to his unique way of living. When Jem is explaining who Dolphus is for Scout and Dill, he claims, “He likes [the colored folks] better’n he likes us, I reckon. Lives by himself way down near the county line … he owns all one side of the riverbank down there, and he’s from a real old family to boot” (Lee 161). According to Jem, Dolphus is from a particularly old and rich family. However, he still chooses to live with the colored folks over building upon his inherited status. This shows that contrary to what typical men would do when given wealth and power, Dolphus still lives his life by staying true to his own beliefs. By choosing this way of life, he is challenging the social norms of