To Kill A Mockingbird Feminist Analysis

1297 Words6 Pages

In a struggle to find balance in a world where women are forced to appear feminine, obedient, but also dutiful, the female characters of To Kill a Mockingbird, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Streetcar Named Desire break the mold of their societal limits, discovering the true power that all women hold. Scout, Beatrice, and Blanche are trapped in a patriarchal world where they are expected to appear as silent, beautiful objects that do work for the men, but instead of accepting this role, they make their own reality where they can be in charge. Scout does this by rebelling against the “girls wear dresses” stigma of the early 20th century, running around with boys instead of playing with other girls, and asking questions that aren’t supposed…show more content…
In these books, “society” was shaped through the contrasting personalities of the other characters. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s brother Jem was the contradicting character. Jem shouted with annoyance; “’Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home- I declare you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day!’ With that, I had no option but to join them” (Lee 51). Jem accused Scout acting like a girl because girls are supposed to appear scared and helpless. It is Jem that is unknowingly furthering gender inequality. In Much Ado About Nothing, Hero is the opposing character of Beatrice. While Beatrice can fend for herself, Hero is in desperate need to be married. She is the kind of character who can thrive in the submissive wife role that suitors of the time were looking for. Leonato says to Hero; “Daughter, remember what I told you. If the Prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer” (2.1.65). Hero displays how girls are supposed to act according to marriage and we get to see how vast Beatrice contrasts in comparison. Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire is a complete contrast to Blanche. Stanley is the epitome of male superiority. Throwing meat to Stella, wrinkling Blanche's dresses, throwing the radio out the window, and breaking plates are all done to show that he is in charge. Stanley resembles an animal more than a man. He is simple, straightforward, and honest. He tolerates nothing but the bare truth and lives in a plain world. Stanley's view of women is that they are lower than men are. In a statement to Stella, Blanche points out Stanley’s flaws: “He acts like an animal… something-ape-like about him… Bearing raw meat home from the jungle” (Williams 83). Blanche recognizes their differences and

To Kill A Mockingbird Feminist Analysis
790 Words | 4 Pages
Gender/Feminist Criteria • The representation of men and women in the text • The relationships between men and women during the time of the text • The facts of the author’s life relate to the presentation of men and women Example Scout nearly starts a fight at school with another classmate named Cecil Jacobs after Cecil insults her father. Scout's father Atticus is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, therefore his receiving criticism from everyone in the town. (In the school playground
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To Kill A Mockingbird Feminist Analysis