To Kill A Mockingbird Society Analysis

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When society places expectations upon individuals, they may feel the need to follow or exceed those expectations, which may result in their struggle to accept themselves personally. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Scout Finch to express the idea that it is extremely difficult to balance social acceptance and personal acceptance. Scout faces challenges while maturing and struggles respecting society’s principles, as well as her own.
Initially, Scout was opposed to social expectations and pressure, which disturbs her personal acceptance. Scout is a stubborn tomboy, and members of the community explain to her that she should “grow up to be a lady” (105). Society and her family persists that she should be more feminine and she is expected to follow the standards, but because this is not how she views …show more content…
Scout began recognizing the social standards and “walked away from a fight” (102) for her first time. Balancing and respecting society’s standards has been a learning curve for her, but she has begun to acknowledge that not everything is how she imagines in her head. She had become “almost accustomed to hearing insults aimed at Atticus. But this was the first one coming from an adult” (136). This causes her to struggle because she is hearing her father being verbally attacked, not understanding how the majority of society doesn’t respect her father because he is defending Tom Robinson. Atticus stated that you can “choose your friends but you [sure] can’t choose your family, an’ they’re still [related] to you no matter whether you acknowledge [them] or not” (300), and although Scout struggles with her aunt, she accepts her presence because you can’t change your family, they are always there for you, but you just have to accept them for who they are. She begins to accept that not only her opinions exist and begins to recognize society’s as

To Kill A Mockingbird Society Analysis

consequences of their actions.” Society shapes people through constant reassurance that you will not be accepted if you do not adapt to the morals and ideas of the people you are surrounded with. People also allow themselves to be shaped by giving in to the desire of wanting to fit in along with other people. Mayella Ewell of To Kill a Mockingbird, Victoria Price, and Ruby Gates were influenced by their society and gave into other people’s ideologies, making them victims of their society. The three girls, fictional…

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