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Analysis Of ' Kill A Mockingbird ' By Harper Lee

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Gender as Prison in To Kill A Mockingbird Historically, women have spent time living in the shadows of men, purely because of their gender. Women are oppressed and expected to conform to certain gender roles/expectations because of their sex, just like men. Caitlyn Jenner is a transgender female. Her name was Bruce Jenner however she felt trapped in a male’s body when deep in side she knew that she was a female. Caitlyn Jenner did not fit well into the stereotypical description of a male. Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird around the 1950s. Men and women had their separate unique roles where they were expected to look and act according to their gender. Caitlyn Jenner is one of the few individuals who are not afraid to express themselves. However if Caitlyn Jenner tried to do that during the 1950s, she would have certainly been eliminated from the world. In To Kill A Mocking- bird, Harper Lee expresses the issue of strict rules by using the symbol of the prison. To start off, Scout is a young girl who feels like an individual trapped in a female’s body, where she is limited to express her characteristics. Mrs. Dubose is a neighbor of Scout. One day when Scout passes by wearing overalls, she scolds her with “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!”(135). A dress is simply a symbol for the gender; female, it enhances the idea of the female role. Mrs. Dubose clearly stated that in order to be a female you have to dress right

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