Gender is an important issue in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this essay, J. Kersh uses specific examples from the text to explore Harper Lee's examination of gender issues and roles, especially in the main character, Scout.
It's no coincidence that young Jean Louise Finch is nicknamed "Scout"; in addition to the obvious symbolism of the term, "Scout" is almost gender-neutral. Harper Lee's examination of racial and class-based issues in To Kill a Mockingbird extend to gender roles as well. Scout symbolically moves from boy to girl and back, giving us a glimpse of the woman she will become, much like Harper Lee herself, who questions southern gender stereotypes as a part of the problem of growing up southern.
Early on in the novel Jem...
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