Sunday, January 12, 2014

How do the children in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird show sexism towards their teacher Miss Caroline Fisher?

In Chapter 2 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout describes her first-grade teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, as being a very attractive young woman. She has "bright auburn hair," is wearing "high-heeled pumps and a red-and-white-striped dress," and Scout describes her as "look[ing] and smell[ing] like a peppermint drop" (Ch. 2).  This attractiveness solicits what we can consider some sexist responses from the boys in the class later in Chapter 3.

In Chapter 3, Miss Caroline screams because she sees a bug in Burris Ewell's hair. Her scream incites every boy in the classroom to "[rush] as one to her assistance." Little Chuck Little especially rushes to her side to find the mouse he thinks frightened her then to explain about cooties once he learns what really scared her. We can consider Little Chuck Little's devoted attention to Miss Caroline as sexist because he is not treating her as an equal; he is instead treating her as a delicate lady.

The most significant sexist treatment comes from Burris Ewell. When Miss Caroline sends Burris home to get cleaned up, he treats her very rudely. Burris's rudest, most sexist comment is given at his departure and makes her cry:



Ain't no snot-nosed slut of a schoolteacher ever born c'n make me do nothin'! You ain't makin' me go nowhere, missus. You just remember that, you ain't makin' me go nowhere! (Ch. 3)



Burris's remarks can be considered sexist because they are again belittling Miss Caroline, treating her as one who is unequal. In addition, his comment refers to her sexuality in a very derogatory way, which also belittles her.

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