When is aunt alexandra racist

She finds an ally in Miss Maudie, though, who Scout says "never laughed at me unless I meant to be funny. Fitting for Lee's goals in telling this story, Scout better identifies with a black woman than with her biological family.

These ladies are wonderful role models for Scout, yet Aunt Alexandra doesn't recognize the positive effect that they have on her niece. Ironically, Scout learns the important things about being a lady from these unlikely sources; for all her efforts to the contrary, Aunt Alexandra only supplies Scout with negative images of womanhood, images Scout flatly rejects. Still, Scout is intrigued by this world of women. While socializing with the ladies, Scout realizes that the ideal of Womanhood is much different from the reality.

When she sees Aunt Alexandra thank Miss Maudie with only body language and no words, Scout realizes the complexity of this social order: "There was no doubt about it, I must soon enter this world, where on its surface fragrant ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water. All three of them are jarred and shaken, yet they carry on with the meeting as though nothing has happened. Scout understands the importance of doing so, even though she can't explain it. But in her first true attempt to purposely evolve into a young lady, she follows Aunt Alexandra's lead and continues serving refreshments, saying "If Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.

For the first time in the story, Christianity is used as a validation of prejudice. Both Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow use this defense. Merriweather criticizes her maid, Sophy, for complaining, but then passes off her own judgement as a form of Christian witness.

She never inquires about why Sophy is complaining, yet she feels justified in telling her not to. Harper Lee created the tribe in order to use it as an example of how hypocritical women like Mrs Merriweather can be. She is capable of showing sympathy towards the Mruna people for what she believes to be their squalid lifestyle but is unable to feel any sympathy for the black people living in Maycomb.

Mrs Merriweather is more interested in the Mruna tribe as they are not Christians and believes white missionaries can save their souls by turning them into Christians and introducing them to the Bible. Dolphus Raymond pretends to be continually drunk in order to avoid questions about the choices he has made in life.

He is in a relationship with a black woman and has several children with her but he knows this would be severely frowned upon by others. He and his family are treated as outcasts.

It helps folks if they can latch on to a reason. If the people of Maycomb think he is drunk, Dolphus believes they will leave him alone to lead his own life, however awful they feel it to be.

However, racial intolerance is not the only prejudice to be included in the novel. Many residents of Maycomb are presented as being narrow-minded and intolerant of anyone who does not conform to their expectations. Boo Radley is persecuted and gossiped about because he has not been seen outside his house since he was a teenager. When Scout asks to visit Calpurnia at her house, Calpurnia doesn't go into a dissertation about how white children generally don't spend time in black people's homes, she just smiles and says, "'We'd be glad to have you.

Ironically, Aunt Alexandra holds many of Maycomb's prejudices against blacks. She has an African-American chauffeur, and says "'Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia'" before she even says hello. The fact that Jem insists on taking the bag shows both maturity and lack of prejudice on his part. Still, Aunt Alexandra's various prejudices cause Scout to comment "There was indeed a caste system in Maycomb, but to my mind it worked this way: the older citizens, the present generation of people who had lived side by side for years and years, were utterly predictable to one another.

Aunt Alexandra claims that the main reason she's come to live with them is to provide "some feminine influence" for Scout. Of course, Scout considers Calpurnia to be a sufficient feminine influence. Aunt Alexandra would be quick to say that the finest black woman can't ever be a proper role model for a white child.

In these chapters, Scout confronts the issue of femininity through others in her household, as well:. Jem and Atticus: In a major and unexpected shift, Jem stops chastising Scout for acting like a girl, and instead says, "'It's time you started bein' a girl and acting right! Later, Atticus further confuses the children by deeming that they need to start "'behaving like the little lady and gentleman that you are.

He then tries to make light of the whole situation to cheer the children up. Curiously, Scout recognizes that "Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work. Calpurnia: With much more gentle tactics than Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia shows Scout a great deal about femininity. Scout absorbs Calpurnia's lessons willingly because Calpurnia doesn't try to force any standards on her.

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