Theme Of Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Calpurnia further develops the theme of inequality. Being lower class, black, and female, Calpurnia is often faced with racism, sexism, and classism. Throughout the novel, it becomes evident that inequality is not always deserved. Calpurnia helps to develop themes of inequality in several ways; one of these ways is the disrespect she receives from others as a result of her social class. One of these characters is Scout’s Aunt Alexandra. At many points throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Aunt Alexandra treats Calpurnia with condescension. This is evident in one of Aunt Alexandra’s orders to Calpurnia, “Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia,” (Lee 169). Aunt Alexandra is constantly promoting
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Calpurnia, a female, is employed by Atticus to care for his children. At the time, caring for children was a common job reserved for women. Sexism is ever-present in To Kill a Mockingbird; it’s evident in the speech of several characters. After mentioning to Scout and Jem that women cannot serve on juries in the state of Alabama, Atticus says, “I guess it’s to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom’s. Besides, I doubt if we’d ever get a complete case tried—the ladies’d be interrupting to ask questions,” (Lee 296). Along with this, Jem constantly teases Scout about being female. Scout voices her disdain about this, “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,” (Lee 54). This is yet another example of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird; undeserved discrimination against something that one can not control. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Calpurnia is included in order to further develop themes of inequality. As a black, lower-class, female Calpurnia is constantly faced with racism, sexism, and classism. She is discriminated against by members of other genders, races, and classes, the very definition of
Calpurnia, a female, is employed by Atticus to care for his children. At the time, caring for children was a common job reserved for women. Sexism is ever-present in To Kill a Mockingbird; it’s evident in the speech of several characters. After mentioning to Scout and Jem that women cannot serve on juries in the state of Alabama, Atticus says, “I guess it’s to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom’s. Besides, I doubt if we’d ever get a complete case tried—the ladies’d be interrupting to ask questions,” (Lee 296). Along with this, Jem constantly teases Scout about being female. Scout voices her disdain about this, “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,” (Lee 54). This is yet another example of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird; undeserved discrimination against something that one can not control. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Calpurnia is included in order to further develop themes of inequality. As a black, lower-class, female Calpurnia is constantly faced with racism, sexism, and classism. She is discriminated against by members of other genders, races, and classes, the very definition of