The Role of Women in to Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example

The role of women has changed over the years and we come to find that out in the book “to Kill a Mockingbird”. This book was written around 1933-1935 by Harper Lee and takes place in a small town named Maycomb, Alabama. Now, in modern day we can see huge differences in the role of women. Those differences are dress code, things that would be normal to wear now would be unrightful and disgraceful back then. Another difference would be the jobs and everyday tasks that women do. Today we see women taking on singing careers, running their own businesses, and even running for president of their country. Another big topic is the overall respect of women and the common courtesy of women have come a long way since the book was written in the time period of 1933-1935. 

In modern time women have a huge variety on what they want to wear out in public or to school, for example todays schools are not as strict as it was when Scout had to go to her first day of school. “On her first day of school she is forced to wear a dress, much to her displeasure. She feels uncomfortable in it, and unlike herself. However, she has no choice as it was deemed the appropriate clothing for girls.” (Anandnn) The book also talks about how Miss Maudie complains about Scout wearing overalls which in modern day women have freedom to wear any clothing they would like (Lee 92). 

Next topic that is huge in today's society and that is job life and what specific roles women can play in a business. In the book it talks about how many of the women didn't have jobs and their was a limited amount of jobs out there. This is due to the fact of low wages and how they were still held responsible for housework and taking care of the kids (GENDER). Now as we see in morden day time women have gained respect and now working many of the same jobs that men do. Looking back at this time period people would never have thought of a women running for something like the president or running their own business. “In the book it shows us that Atticus tells the children that Miss Maudie can't serve on the jury because she is a women and that she needs to be protected” (Lee). 

We see women geting treated very differently from the book and to mordern day. Examples are that “women were supposed to act a certain way to fit in with the status quo. Women, both white and black, were supposed to be the middle of the family and the center of society. They are expected to keep the family together and not hold a job once they are married.” (Thetico).  Now with modern society we see that most women have jobs even after they are married and doesn't always matter if they fit into than normal because we dont judge as strictly as they did in the 1900’s. 

These reasons help explain how the time in the 1900’s relating to women rights have changed and came a long way to modern day. This has overall expanded the role of women all over the world. We see that women have a opportunity to dress up however they would like. We also see women created new job opportunities and taking huge steps into the business career. Lasty the overall respect for women and natural lifestyle came from having to fit into the normal for all women and not having much of a choice to modern day and being more than ever open to own ideas and respect for women themselves and their everyday lifestyles.

Works Cited

Anandnn, Tara. “Gender Roles And Sterotyping In ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’” FEMINISM IN INDIA, Feminism In India, 30 Oct. 2017, 2 May 2022. feminisminindia.com/2017/10/30/to-Kill-A-mockingbird-review/

“GENDER ROLES IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.” Gender Roles and Sterotypes, 2 May 2022. tkamgenderroles.weebly.com/in-tkam.html

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982.

Orin, Dr. Warren P. Genesis: The Beginning of All Life. Buda, Illinois: Western Publishers, 2006.

Thetico. “Women’s Role in the 1930s – To Kill a Mockingbird” Tico’s School, Ticosschool Wordpress, 9 Jan. 2018, 2 May 2020. ticosschool.wordpress.com/2018/01/09/womens-role-in-the-1930s-to-kill-a-mockingbird/#:~:text=During%20the%20Great20Depression%2C%20the%20setting%20of%20TKAM%2C,not%20hold%20a%20job20once%20they%20are%20married.