Analysis Of Kill A Mockingbird Essay -- To Kill a Mockingbird, Famil

Southern Belles embody the eccentric ideals of the South, yet represent the epitome of respectable manners and morals for women nationwide, including most of the women characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. The cornerstone of the idea of a Southern Belle is based on stringent gender, class, and race guidelines, but underneath those divisions are the common attributes of charm, respectability, and intense passion for the well being of others (Oklopcic). True Southern Belles abide by the unwritten rules specific to their population, which include proper etiquette, manners, volunteerism, and grace. Characters such as Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie demonstrate these principles and attempt to instill their good graces and feminine qualities in Scout, who is the opposite of a Southern Belle. Similar to Scout, Mayella is contrary to the Southern Belle persona, but she does not choose to be the reverse of a Southern Belle. Instead, she is forced to by the challenging economic times and her fam ily’s low status on the social hierarchy. The Southern Belle is a woman of impeccable manners and morals, much of which can be contradicted by Scout and Mayella’s mannerisms, but emphasized by the beliefs of Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie (Lynch). The history of Southern Belles rests upon â€Å"a description, a code, a stereotype - which legitimizes and authorizes the interpretation of culture and nature, masculinity and femininity, superiority and inferiority, power and subordination† (Oklopcic). The whole idea revolves around a fear that women might rebel against the traditional system of government, in which the man holds the highest authority. If the dividing lines between superior and inferior people were to be reject... ... middle of paper ... ...y, Miss Maudie Atkinson resembles a Southern Belle with her hospitality and commitment to Jem, Scout, and Dill. In addition, she is optimistic, which is a positive feeling she inflicts on others, and is sensitive to everyone’s feeling, no matter their race. Works Cited Hakala, Laura. "Scouting for a Tomboy: Gender-Bending Behaviors in Harper Lee 's To Kill A Mockingbird." 2010. Electronic Theses Dissertations. Paper 176. 17 Dec. 2015. . Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central, 1960. Print. Lynch, Sally. "Any True Southern Belle Knows the Unwritten Rules of the South." Elon Pendulum. 11 Apr. 2002. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. . Oklopcic, Biljana. "Southern Bellehood (De)Constructed: A Case Study of Blanche Dubois." Americana. 2008. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. . Spears, Kate. "Anatomy of a Southern Belle." Deep South Magazine. 2 June 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. .