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Scout is the Generic Tomboy Essay Example

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To Kill A Mockingbird

Pages: 4 (860 words)
Published: August 28, 2021

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What is a tomboy? A tomboy is defined as a, “Girl who acts or dresses in a boyish way, liking rough outside activities” (Dictionary). The definition of a tomboy is the exact nature of Scout. This is made clear in Harper lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, on page 51-52 Jem tells Scout, “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home-I declare to the lord you’re getting’ more like a girl every day” (Lee 51-52)!

This explains that even Jem thinks that Scout is a tomboy and that she gets more like a girl over time. He implies that acting like a girl is out of the ordinary and unusual for

match check-text__match--highlight" data-match-index-1="0">Scout. Jem is used to Scout acting like a tomboy. When I finished To Kill a Mockingbird it became obvious that Scout is a true tomboy. Even though Aunt Alexandra tries to change her into a true lady she still stays true to her tomboy nature because Scout is a generic tomboy as proven by the ways she acts in the book.

To begin, Scout is very easy to see as a tomboy. She is constantly asking Jem to go outside or ask him to do a play (Lee 37). Where Scout suggests that they roll the tire down the

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street. This is an outside activity that no lady would ever think about doing. However, scout being a tomboy simply suggests this activity. She is never afraid to get her hands dirty and get dusty. Most women of that time period would never think about playing in mud or even getting dirt on their hands.

She also wears jean overalls and the same clothes that Jem wears. I am like Scout because when I was little I always wanted to go outside, hunt, fish, and ride my four-wheeler. Scout always wants to go outside and do whatever Jem is doing. Scouts development in To Kill a Mockingbird makes it is easy to see that Scout is a tomboy. Scout being a generic tomboy is very important to the story line.

While it is obvious that Scout is a tomboy, it is less obvious why this is important to the story line. It is obvious in the story line because Scout wants to be a boy. I believe that Atticus wants a boy instead of a girl. This makes Scout feel a little unwanted by Atticus. This is shown when Scout cusses to be more like a boy for her dad (Lee75).

She also does this to get out of school. On this page

check-text__match--highlight" data-match-index-1="0">Scout says the words nigger, damn, and hell. When I was young I always wanted to do anything my dad did. When he would go outside I would go outside or if he went to shoot a gun I would shoot a gun. Uncle Jack is a very nice man for talking to Scout about her bad language and how to be a nice young lady.

Lastly, it is easy to tell that Scout is a tomboy by the way she cusses and does not want to act like Aunt Alexandra. When Uncle Jack yells at Scout about her cussing (Lee 79). On this page uncle Jack calls Scout over to the chair he is sitting in, tells her to sit on his lap and tells her that a nice young lady should not say these mean words. When I was young I would hear my dad say a cuss word then immediately I would want to say it.

If I did I would get a mouth full of vinegar. The reason Uncle Jack yells at her is because a southern lady should not say hateful words such as nigger. Scout also asks Atticus, “Do you defend niggers Atticus” (Lee 75). A lady should not have those words in her vocabulary. Scout hates acting like Aunt Alexandra because she is snooty and gossips about other ladies. The reason Scout doesn’t want to act the

way Aunt Alexandra wants her to be because Scout would rather be a tomboy. Therefore Scout acts as a tomboy and thinks she is allowed to say bad words and she doesn’t want to be a snooty lady.

After reading To Kill a Mockingbird it is very easy to tell that Scout is a generic tomboy. After all Scout is a girl who acts and dresses in a boyish way. She also likes ruff outdoor activities. Some days Scout acts more like a girl than a boy. This is very unusual for Jem who is used to having Scout act as a girl. Also after reading to kill a mockingbird it is very easy to see that Scout is a generic tomboy in her own nature. Scout is a generic tomboy and it is easy to see in the story line of To Kill a Mockingbird. Uncle Jack also talks to Scout about being a tomboy by cussing. Scout is a Generic tomboy based on her actions in the book.

Work Cited

“Tomboy.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 2018, www.dictionary.com/browse/tomboy 10/22/17 .
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York NY, Warner Books, 1960. Print.

Scout is the Generic Tomboy Essay Example

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