GENDER
1. “I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that's why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could just go off and find some to play with.”-->Scout Ch. 4
Here Scout believes that being a girl is bad, and being a boy is good. At a very young age she realizes “people hated them”, and might as well act like a boy so that she can be a good person.
2. "See there?" Jem was scowling triumphantly. "Nothin' to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it's mortifyin'." --> Jem Ch. 4
This is a way Jem can get his way to insult Scout about her acting like a girl, whenever she does something he doesn’t like he gets away with bringing up the whole girl stereotype argument.
3. "Scout, I'm tellin' you for the last time, shut your trap or go home—I declare to the Lord you're gettin' more like a girl every day!" With that, I had no option but to join them.”-->Jem Ch. 6
This is another example of Jem’s way of insulting Scout, and again he gets the full power to tell Scout what to do because he is a boy. Later, she goes to Miss Maudie’s house because she feels lonely and rejected by Dill and Jem. She then afterwards tries her hardest to act more like a boy so she can play with her brother or other boys.
4. “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 department 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, I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year.” -->Scout Ch. 9
Aunt Alexandra obviously has a vision for Scout, she sees her doing lady like things. Hoping that she could resemble her mother being that “ray of sunshine”, but Scout thinks that she still can be that ray also in pants. She will still be Atticus’s daughter the way she is, not a daughter dressed to be proper.
5. “”what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways-a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café—hah”” -->Miss Maudie Ch. 11
Miss Maudie tells Scout to be more lady-like, that she must wear a dress and camisole instead of overalls. Miss Maudie tries to teach Scout a lesson to start acting like a girl, if someone doesn’t change her, her future will be disappointing. She also brings up how great her descendants were, and very unexpecting for a Finch to become a waiter. If she becomes a lady she’ll have a better future and be accepted by society.
6. “” Don’t pay any attention to her, just hold your head high and be a gentlemen”” àAtticus Ch. 11
The fact that Atticus is Scout’s father, he is the one who is supposed to guide her in being an independent and powerful girl but instead he tells her to be a gentlemen. This piece of advice of being a gentlemen made her feel more confident and made her be herself.
Here Scout believes that being a girl is bad, and being a boy is good. At a very young age she realizes “people hated them”, and might as well act like a boy so that she can be a good person.
2. "See there?" Jem was scowling triumphantly. "Nothin' to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it's mortifyin'." --> Jem Ch. 4
This is a way Jem can get his way to insult Scout about her acting like a girl, whenever she does something he doesn’t like he gets away with bringing up the whole girl stereotype argument.
3. "Scout, I'm tellin' you for the last time, shut your trap or go home—I declare to the Lord you're gettin' more like a girl every day!" With that, I had no option but to join them.”-->Jem Ch. 6
This is another example of Jem’s way of insulting Scout, and again he gets the full power to tell Scout what to do because he is a boy. Later, she goes to Miss Maudie’s house because she feels lonely and rejected by Dill and Jem. She then afterwards tries her hardest to act more like a boy so she can play with her brother or other boys.
4. “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 department 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, I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year.” -->Scout Ch. 9
Aunt Alexandra obviously has a vision for Scout, she sees her doing lady like things. Hoping that she could resemble her mother being that “ray of sunshine”, but Scout thinks that she still can be that ray also in pants. She will still be Atticus’s daughter the way she is, not a daughter dressed to be proper.
5. “”what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways-a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café—hah”” -->Miss Maudie Ch. 11
Miss Maudie tells Scout to be more lady-like, that she must wear a dress and camisole instead of overalls. Miss Maudie tries to teach Scout a lesson to start acting like a girl, if someone doesn’t change her, her future will be disappointing. She also brings up how great her descendants were, and very unexpecting for a Finch to become a waiter. If she becomes a lady she’ll have a better future and be accepted by society.
6. “” Don’t pay any attention to her, just hold your head high and be a gentlemen”” àAtticus Ch. 11
The fact that Atticus is Scout’s father, he is the one who is supposed to guide her in being an independent and powerful girl but instead he tells her to be a gentlemen. This piece of advice of being a gentlemen made her feel more confident and made her be herself.
7. “”You know, she was a great lady.” [Atticus]
“A lady?” Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. “After all those things she said about you, a lady?”-->Jem Ch. 11
After Mrs. Dubose died, Jem found out he was reading to her because it would get her mind off from the pain. After she died, Jem realized she wasn’t as much of a lady when she said mean stuff about Atticus defending Tom Robinson.
“A lady?” Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. “After all those things she said about you, a lady?”-->Jem Ch. 11
After Mrs. Dubose died, Jem found out he was reading to her because it would get her mind off from the pain. After she died, Jem realized she wasn’t as much of a lady when she said mean stuff about Atticus defending Tom Robinson.
Gender Quotes
"For one thing, Miss Maudie can't serve on a jury because she's a woman-"
Explanation: This quote shows the discrimination women had in those times, they could't even serve on a jury because of their gender. This quotes shows how not only the black people are discriminated, but the women are also discriminated.
"I do. I guess it's to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom's. Besides," Atticus grinned, "I doubt if we'd ever get a complete case tried—the ladies'd be interrupting to ask questions."
Explanation: This quote shows how men think that all women are frail, and weak when really women can do everything a man can do and even better, and the same around. This quote shows how men think that they can't have a reasonable case without women interrupting to ask questions and bothering everyone, which is a huge insult to women because men are picturing them like if they wouldn't understand anything.
Jem and I laughed. Miss Maudie on a jury would be impressive. I thought of old Mrs. Dubose in her wheelchair—"Stop that rapping, John Taylor, I want to ask this man something." Perhaps our forefathers were wise.
Explanation: This quote shows how Jem and Scout picture Ms. Maudie Atkinson in jury. Then they remember Mrs. Dubose and say "Perhaps our forefathers were wise." This quote shows how they really not picture themselves smart, so they start thinking about their forefathers.
The "polite fiction" of the South is that women are delicate and need to be protected. Maybe the men are really just afraid that women would use power in a way that men wouldn't like.
Explanation: This quote shows how at first men only picture women as delicate and to be protected by them, but really men are afraid of what women are capable of doing and their potential, and that they are the same as men. Also, that the reason why men treat women this way is because the are afraid of their true power.
Ladies in bunches always filled me with vague apprehension and a firm desire to be elsewhere, but this feeling was what Aunt Alexandra called being "spoiled."
Explanation: Scout tells us how she always didn't like when ladies got together, and talks about them in a negative way but of course Aunt Alexandra tells her that she is being spoiled just because she doesn't like some ways that women act.
"Hm, maybe being a lady isn't so bad after all. On the one hand, acting like everything is fine while Tom has just died may seem hypocritical. On the other, mad props to Aunt Alexandra for keeping private family business private."
Explanation: Scout shows the audience that after all she was heard and seen about women, she says its not that bad and starts liking it. Then she criticizes how Aunt alexandra for acting as if nothing had happen, and all happy right after tom died.
"For one thing, Miss Maudie can't serve on a jury because she's a woman-"
Explanation: This quote shows the discrimination women had in those times, they could't even serve on a jury because of their gender. This quotes shows how not only the black people are discriminated, but the women are also discriminated.
"I do. I guess it's to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom's. Besides," Atticus grinned, "I doubt if we'd ever get a complete case tried—the ladies'd be interrupting to ask questions."
Explanation: This quote shows how men think that all women are frail, and weak when really women can do everything a man can do and even better, and the same around. This quote shows how men think that they can't have a reasonable case without women interrupting to ask questions and bothering everyone, which is a huge insult to women because men are picturing them like if they wouldn't understand anything.
Jem and I laughed. Miss Maudie on a jury would be impressive. I thought of old Mrs. Dubose in her wheelchair—"Stop that rapping, John Taylor, I want to ask this man something." Perhaps our forefathers were wise.
Explanation: This quote shows how Jem and Scout picture Ms. Maudie Atkinson in jury. Then they remember Mrs. Dubose and say "Perhaps our forefathers were wise." This quote shows how they really not picture themselves smart, so they start thinking about their forefathers.
The "polite fiction" of the South is that women are delicate and need to be protected. Maybe the men are really just afraid that women would use power in a way that men wouldn't like.
Explanation: This quote shows how at first men only picture women as delicate and to be protected by them, but really men are afraid of what women are capable of doing and their potential, and that they are the same as men. Also, that the reason why men treat women this way is because the are afraid of their true power.
Ladies in bunches always filled me with vague apprehension and a firm desire to be elsewhere, but this feeling was what Aunt Alexandra called being "spoiled."
Explanation: Scout tells us how she always didn't like when ladies got together, and talks about them in a negative way but of course Aunt Alexandra tells her that she is being spoiled just because she doesn't like some ways that women act.
"Hm, maybe being a lady isn't so bad after all. On the one hand, acting like everything is fine while Tom has just died may seem hypocritical. On the other, mad props to Aunt Alexandra for keeping private family business private."
Explanation: Scout shows the audience that after all she was heard and seen about women, she says its not that bad and starts liking it. Then she criticizes how Aunt alexandra for acting as if nothing had happen, and all happy right after tom died.