Essay On Sexism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 480
Pages: 2
Open Document
Even before we're born, we're placed in one of two categories. Is it a boy, or is it a girl? It would have made my life a lot easier if I could have answered that question myself.

Throughout "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout struggles with what is expected of her gender. Her favorite outfit is her overalls, not any of her dresses. When playing with Jem and Dill, she is both Mr. Crabtree and Mrs. Radley. While Atticus doesn't seem to mind her boyish behavior, the rest of the community does - Aunt Alexandra is constantly telling her to act like a lady, and the women at the missionary society giggle when she tells them how she's wearing britches under her dress. Other people try to dictate who she is and how she expresses herself.

Despite what …show more content…
I'm glad to say I eventually came to terms with my identity and grew out of it, but it was a terrifying process; it's dangerous to be gender nonconforming. At its best, people make assumptions about your sexuality, constantly give you the wrong "sir" or "ma'am", or ridicule you for standing out in a world of pinks and blues. At its worst, you end up the next victim in a string of hate-motivated murders, where the news will ensure with sensationalism that you never rest in peace. Time and time again, we are defined by the communities we live in and not by ourselves. Even growing up in the most liberal of places couldn't have shielded me from this brand of bigotry.

This is where "To Kill a Mockingbird" hit me the hardest, because being trans is like being at once Tom Robinson and Scout. I watch as my community fights for its rights, and know in my heart it's a losing battle, but hope for societal acquittal anyways. Day in and day out I battle with discrimination, but only understand the gravity of it when I look at it from an outside angle. We are making steps, but just baby-steps--it's time that we, too took control of our own
Show More

Related Documents: Essay On Sexism In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Lens Essay

Holdem Wright Ms. Peirson English 10c 15 May, 2024 To Kill A Mockingbird literary lense essay In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the book explores through a marxist lens, using Scout, the main character who is a young girl in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama who is torn between curtain issues. She is surrounded by sexism, racism and inequality. In TKAM Scout is raised in a white family with very morally accepting views on racism and everything that was just written down, she grew up to think…

Words 772 - Pages 4

English Essay Question 1

bEnglish Essay Question 1 “Prejudice, racism and stereotyping…forces us to examine the responsibilities of citizenship and confront the powerful ramifications of indifference and inaction”- Tim Holden Introduction: Using the themes of racism, prejudice and stereotypes forces us to examine the responsibilities of citizenship and confront the powerful ramification of the indifference and inaction which are depicted throughout Mississippi Burning and “To Kill a Mocking Bird”. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”…

Words 699 - Pages 3

english essay on scouts influence of th

EMMA-ROSE NIXON- SET 2- 11D/21 Question: In what ways is scout a significant character in the novel? *you must consider the context of the novel *use evidence to support your answer In the story "to kill a mockingbird,' the narrator is named Scout, originally she was named Jean Louise Finch. In the book, is looking back as an adult to the two years of her life when she learned about courage and kindness and the importance of doing what is right. She learned from her father and her neighbours that…

Words 1221 - Pages 5

Comparative Essay; to Kill a Mockingbird and the Colour Purple

One Will Take What He Is Given The purpose of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is to demonstrate the hardships that are met when ignorance and tradition bring about the influence of sexism, racism and genuine prejudice to the general public. Ignorance is the root cause of prejudice as it prevents one to see beauty, so when it comes to dealing with the discriminating behavior held in this social order, the vast majority of people are judged by the label…

Words 3835 - Pages 16