Jem and Gender, Calpurnia and Race: Challenging and Defying Stereotypes in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 10th Grade

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, multiple characters defy stereotypes made about them and are even able to change opinions and lifestyles of people around them. The book takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama during the 1930s. The book centers around one family: two children -- Jem, the older brother, and Scout, the younger sister -- Atticus the father, and their housekeeper, Calpurnia, . Because of the time and place in which the book takes place, many white supremacists hold stereotypes relating to race, gender, socioeconomic status, and religion. But, regardless of the setting, there are still some characters who are able to challenge these stereotypes. For example, Scout defies gender stereotypes by playing with boys and wearing overalls, rather than spending time doing stereotypical girl activities and wearing dresses. She creates change in the community by changing her aunt’s outlook on gender stereotypes. Likewise, Calpurnia challenges racial stereotypes by being educated and able to educate others, as well as by being seen and treated as an equal in the Finch household. Calpurnia creates change in the community by making it easier to pray in church without being able to read and changing the way one white family...