Emily Murman Merris/Written and Oral Communications 3-18-13 Period 7 The Power of Identity in To Kill a Mockingbird A. To Kill a Mockingbird has been named the "Best Novel of the 20th Century" by readers of the Library Journal, been translated into over forty languages, and sold more than thirty million copies worldwide. C. Because of the immense power To Kill a Mockingbird has over society, we have to ask ourselves what makes it so intriguing. As I have learned throughout reading To Kill a Mockingbird, this classic novel paints a very realistic picture of how our identity is shaped by the forces around us, and the intense impact identity has on our lives. Atticus, Scout, Jem, and a vast amount of other characters are all affected by social forces. T. What has become lucid in this influential text is that every person is affected by social factors; whether they decide to reject or accept them is a personal choice. S. Some social factors that shape identities in To Kill a Mockingbird are gender, social class, and race. One of the most intriguing social factors is gender, which strongly manipulates the characters’ identities in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. An interesting piece of evidence that points to this is in the novel, the narrator, Scout Finch, is strongly affected by the social force of gender. This is because her appearance is very unconventional and does not follow typical expectations of her gender. Scout looks very atypical for a girl in the 1930s. Being a tomboy, she has short hair with bangs and chooses to dress in overalls. Her open-minded and unorthodox father, Atticus, does not care, but other individuals in the book do, such as Scout’s Aunt Alexandra and neighbor, Mrs. Dubose. In chapter eleven, Mrs. Dubose yells, “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 someone doesn’t change your ways…” (Lee 101). This actually scares Scout, for she is just a young girl of eight. Jem and Atticus reassure Scout that everything will be fine and she should continue to be herself. In fact, after Mrs. Dubose scares Scout, Jem says, “Come on, Scout. Don’t pay any attention to her, just hold your head high and be a gentleman” (Lee 101). Also, Scout is expected to follow certain expectations of “proper ladies,” like refraining from swearing. In chapter nine of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout gets scolded by her Uncle Jack for using coarse language, even though Atticus is not concerned. Atticus explains that she is just testing him, but Uncle Jack isn’t pleased. He tells Scout that in order to be a proper lady she needs to stop. He says, “I’ll be here a week, and I don’t want to hear any words like that when I’m here. Scout, you’ll get in trouble if you go around saying things like that. You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t you?” (Lee 79). This quote shows how Scout is expected to do certain things due to her gender. Another piece of evidence that shows how gender affects characters in To Kill a Mockingbird is how Jem tries to overpower Scout. Because of society’s views on males and their perceived superiority, Jem tries to control Scout because she is female. Initially, the reason for Scout’s tomboyish nature was because Jem would not let her play with him unless she acted more masculine. This helps shape Scout’s identity during her early childhood. Another, later, example is when Jem grows older and more affected by society, he thinks that he is superior to Scout. On one occasion, in chapter fourteen, he says,
“Now I mean it, Scout, you antagonize Aunty and I’ll-I’ll spank you” (Lee 138). This causes Scout to become furious with Jem. She responds by saying, “You damn morphodite, I’ll kill you!” (Lee 138) and commences with a brawl. (This is just one of many examples of Scout acting out against gender stereotypes.) Throughout this chapter
of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is becoming aware of Jem’s changing behaviors and feels irritated and offended at them. This situation was all of her thoughts coming to the surface, which is shown when she screams, “Ain’t so high and mighty now, are you!” (Lee 138) while kicking and punching Jem furiously. Eventually, Atticus puts a stop to the fighting. When Scout explains the situation to him, he is somewhat relaxed. This is because of Atticus’ views as an individual. He sympathizes with her because he knows that Jem is going through a phase in his life and that he will be more affected by Atticus’ unconventional views than society. The correlation between society and gender can be seen in the third piece of evidence, how Dill is treated. In chapter fourteen of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem discover Dill under Scout’s bed. He had run away from home to be with the Finch children instead, and explains this to the shocked Jem and Scout. He begs Atticus not to make him go back to Meridian, and later explains why to Scout when they go to bed. Dill says that his family was not interested with him anymore and that he was causing worry in the household. He says, “[They say] you’re not a boy. Boys go out and play baseball with other boys, they don’t hang around the house worryin’ their folks” (Lee 143). This quote shows that Dill was actually silently rejected by his own family because he did not follow the expectations of gender. As shown through the examples of Scout Finch, the way Jem overpowers Scout, and the treatment of Dill, gender is a strong social factor that greatly influences characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. Besides the highly affecting social force of gender, social class can be a very strong factor as well. A piece of evidence from To Kill a Mockingbird that points to this is the expectations of the Finch children. Throughout the story, it becomes
palpable that the Finches are some of the wealthiest people in Maycomb. This is demonstrated in Scout and Jem being able to read and write, the Finches being able to afford having a cook, Calpurnia, their ownership of Finch’s Landing, and Atticus being a lawyer. Because of their family name, people such as Aunt Alexandra and Mrs. Dubose expect Scout and Jem to “behave properly.” This desire increases when Atticus’ alternative parenting skills become more evident to others. Atticus wants people such as Aunt Alexandra to stop telling him how to raise his children, so he just goes along with her requests and makes sure his children know these are not his beliefs. He says, “I don’t exactly know how to say this…I just want to explain to you that-your Aunt Alexandra asked me…son, you know that you’re a Finch, don’t you?...Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding…and that you should try to live up to your name…she asked me to tell you you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are” (Lee 135). After Atticus tells this to Jem and Scout, he becomes curt, and Scout starts to cry. She lets him know that his behavior is not normal and it alarms her and Jem, but he assures them that he has not changed. Another piece of evidence from the book that shows how social class affects people is Scout’s treatment of Walter Cunningham. The Cunninghams are farmers in Maycomb, and because of the Great Depression, they were affected deeply and became poor. On Scout’s first day of school, in first grade, her teacher, Miss Caroline, offers money to Walter Cunningham. This is because he did not have a lunch. Scout explains to Miss Caroline that the Cunninghams never take anything that they cannot pay back, but she eventually gets in trouble from Miss Caroline. After school, Scout gets into a fight with Walter, but
Jem invites him over for dinner. At the table, Walter pours molasses over all of his food, including his meat and vegetables. When Scout questions what the “Sam hill” he is doing, Atticus shakes his head at her and Calpurnia angrily calls her to the kitchen. She yells, “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us, but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (Lee 24). When Scout protests because Walter is a Cunningham, Calpurnia says, “Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cumminghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em…” (Lee 24-25). After getting yelled at by Calpurnia and made aware of her judgment, Scout never treats anybody unfairly due to their social class again. The last piece of evidence that shows how social class affects characters in To Kill a Mockingbird is how the Ewells are exempt from the law. They do not have to go to school, and they are allowed to hunt out of season. When Burris Ewell enters the classroom, Miss Caroline becomes very frightened because a “cootie” crawls out of his hair (part of this is caused by a stigma towards the Ewells). When she tries to send Burris home, he tells Miss Caroline that he would only be there that day anyway. The children explain that the Ewells always attend school on the first day but are truant for the rest of the year. As he leaves, Burris brings Miss Caroline to tears. After school, Scout questions Atticus about the Ewells. He explains that they were the disgrace of Maycomb County, and in their situation it was better to bend the law. Atticus says, “They can go to school any time they want to, when they show the faintest symptom of wanting an education…there are ways of keeping them in school by force,
but it’s silly to force people like the Ewells into a new environment…” (Lee 30). This quote shows that because the Ewells were some of the lowest-class residents of Maycomb, they did not have to go to school. The expectations of the Finch children, Scout’s treatment of Walter Cunningham, and the bending of the law for the Ewells are all examples of how social class affects characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. The last social force discussed can unfortunately determine one’s social class, as gender can: race. In To Kill a Mockingbird, which focuses on prejudice and racism, characters are strongly judged by their race. Throughout the novel, the true reality of racism becomes clear to Scout as the situations involving it become stronger and more affecting to the people in Maycomb, leading up to the death of Tom Robinson. A piece of evidence that shows how race affects characters in To Kill a Mockingbird is the treatment of Jem and Scout at First Purchase African M.E. Church. In chapter twelve of the novel, the state legislature is called into emergency session and Atticus leaves the children with Calpurnia for two weeks. On Saturday, she tells Jem and Scout that she will take them to church with her the next day. The children wonder why Calpurnia bathes them roughly and makes them dress very formal. Jem says, “It’s like we were goin’ to Mardi Gras…What’s all this for, Cal?” (Lee 118). She responds by saying “I don’t want anybody sayin’ I don’t look after my children.” (Lee 118). This quote shows that Calpurnia is expected to be a responsible caregiver for “her” white children; they are a reflection of her. When Cal, Scout, and Jem arrive at the church, they are confronted by Lula, another parishioner. She asks Calpurnia why she would bring white children to an African-American church. Calpurnia tells Jem and Scout not to fret and explains to Lula that they are her company. Lula becomes irritated and says, “You ain’t
got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n” (Lee 119). This quote shows that blacks were feeling oppressed by whites and that hostility was present, which makes perfect sense when we look at the cruelty and hatred that occurred towards them. Eventually, everyone else in the church welcomes Jem and Scout, and they are relieved. A second piece of evidence that shows how race is an affecting social force is Atticus’ defending of Tom Robinson from getting lynched. Much controversy swirls around Atticus throughout Maycomb when he decides to defend Tom Robinson in court. He knows that this decision could put his credibility in danger, along with himself and his children, but Atticus’ strong fairness and courage makes him feel that it was the right choice. Atticus also realizes that keeping Tom Robinson safe until the trial would be extremely difficult. Lynching happened often in places like Maycomb due to racial injustice and hatred. One night, a group of men come to the Finch’s house and talk to Atticus. Scout and Jem are not sure of the events, but they notice certain peculiarities. They try to overhear what the men are telling Atticus, and Jem guesses that the group is a gang, which Atticus denies. The next evening, he tells the children that he needs to go out for a while and will not get back until they are asleep. Jem notices that he is taking the car, which is peculiar because he always would walk to places in Maycomb. It occurs to Scout and Jem that something is wrong, and in the middle of the night they sneak out of the house with Dill and follow Atticus to his office. In the darkness of the jail, Scout and Jem realize that Atticus is sitting reading the newspaper in front of Tom Robinson’s cell, protecting it from the angry mob. When Atticus sees Scout, Jem and Dill, he firmly tells them to go home, but they refuse. Atticus’ fear is visible to the children, because he wants to protect them from the mob,
which ultimately wants to lynch Tom Robinson before the trial. The situation also includes the possibility of the mob hurting Atticus, but he is putting himself and his children in danger purely because of his beliefs in equality and justice. This shows that even though others in Maycomb are affected by race, Atticus does not think he is any better than blacks just because he is white. Also, because of the social force of race, it was known that a man in Tom’s position would be in danger. A third piece of evidence that shows how race affects characters in To Kill a Mockingbird is the trial of Tom Robinson, and the guilty verdict. There is much foreshadowing in the novel that warns the reader about the ugly racism simmering under the surface of Maycomb. One can see that Scout, Jem, and Dill are becoming more aware of it as To Kill a Mockingbird progresses. The ultimate realization of the hatred that occurs in Maycomb is the trial. Clearly, as one can see from Heck Tate and Mayella and Bob Ewell’s testimonies, there is no evidence that Tom raped Mayella. When he gives his testimony, Tom makes it clear that he would never hurt Mayella. He also says that she would call him in to do jobs for her, like chopping wood or carrying water. Instead of Tom beating and raping Mayella, she invited him into the house and kissed him. When Bob Ewell saw this, Tom ran away and Bob started to beat Mayella viciously. This is true, and there is proof that Tom never raped her, yet because of racism, Mr. Gilmer refuses to believe Tom, and he starts raining degrading questions on him, trying to make Tom look as if he were lying. In chapter nineteen, Mr. Gilmer questions Tom: “Robinson, you’re pretty good at busting up chiffarobes and kindling with one hand, aren’t you? [Mr. Gilmer] Yes suh, I reckon so. [Tom] Strong enough to choke the breath out of a woman and sling her to the floor? [Mr. Gilmer] I never done that, suh. [Tom] But are you strong enough to? [Mr. Gilmer] I
reckon so, suh. [Tom] Had your eye on her a long time, hadn’t you, boy? [Mr. Gilmer] No suh, I never looked at her. [Tom] Then you were mighty polite to do all that chopping and hauling for her, weren’t you, boy…why were you so anxious to do that woman’s chores? [Mr. Gilmer] Looked like she didn’t have nobody to help her, like I says- [Tom] With Mr. Ewell and seven children on the place, boy?...You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her? [Mr. Gilmer]” (Lee 196-197). Mr. Gilmer continues to ask many questions like these to Tom Robinson throughout the rest of his cross-examination. Eventually, Dill starts sobbing, and many people in the court can hear him. Scout has to take him outside, and Dill says he is crying because Mr. Gilmer was being so cruel to Tom. He says, “…the way that man called him ‘boy’ all the time an’ sneered at him, an’ looked around at the jury every time he answered…It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got business talkin’ like that-it just makes me sick” (Lee 199). This quote shows that Dill, along with Jem and Scout, is realizing the cruelty and injustice of racism. Eventually, Atticus gives his closing statement, telling everyone in court that the case was purely “black and white,” giving his views on equality, and ultimately, becoming the true symbol of equality, compassion, and justice. Atticus also has made it clear to the jury that they will declare Tom guilty purely because he is black. As Atticus gives his speech, he speaks out against racism; he says, “The evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I have to point out to you…the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women-black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men” (Lee 204). Atticus
now becomes the true voice of fairness for all, no matter what color their skin is. He has rejected the social force of race, and has realized the true horridness of racism. As one can see in the treatment of the Finch children at First Purchase African M.E. Church, Atticus’ defense of Tom Robinson, and the trial of Tom Robinson, race is a factor that can deeply affect people and lead mankind to do terrible things to one another, which is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird. S. Overall, in To Kill a Mockingbird, characters are very deeply affected by social forces, including gender, social class, and race. C. After reading this timeless novel, we learn how everybody is affected by social factors. We can identify the forces around us that help shape who we are as people, and ask ourselves if we accept or reject them. I think that this is what makes To Kill a Mockingbird so widely regarded. A. Its status as the “Best Novel of the 20th Century,” it’s translation into over forty different languages, and its selling of over thirty million copies are all so worthy because it makes us realize that we are all connected through identity. C. Everyone who reads To Kill a Mockingbird can look at the story of a young girl growing up in a sleepy southern town, whose father speaks out against racism, and apply it to their lives-all they have to do is try.
WORKS CITED: Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Pennsylvania: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1960. Print. “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Wikipedia. 2008. Web. 18 Mar 2013. “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Powell’s Books. 1994-2013. Web. 18 Mar 2013.