Name ______________________________________________
Date ________________________ Period _________________
Comparing the Characters of Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Grace
Merriweather
To Kill a Mockingbird
Background: A southern belle was a girl who was expected to grow up into a lady. She was supposed to
be fragile and flirtatious while also sexually innocent. She was beautiful but risky to touch, like porcelain.
Every southern belle was expected to be up-to-date on the latest fashions, which often proved tricky and
expensive because fashion was constantly changing throughout the nineteenth century. A true lady
embodied the ideals of the South, and was thus hospitable and graceful. Newspapers often took it upon
themselves to update their lady readers on the newest fashion trends. The Natchez Weekly Democrat
reported on November 22, 1873, that lady readers will be interested to know that spotted short veils are no
longer fashionable. Bracelets are now made to twine around the arm and require no clasp. In the new style
of hairdressing, called the Josephine, chignons are entirely abolished. The hair is drawn up from the back
of the head and piled on the top in thick coils or braids, and loosely frizzled in front.
By following the newspapers' reports, women had easy access to the information about the changing
fashions, but only the wealthiest of them could actually afford to keep up with them. In some families,
being overly concerned with the latest fashion was looked down upon because a southern lady was
supposed to solely exist to support her husband, raise their children, and submit to God. The Natchez
Weekly Democrat also reported on October 25, 1871, that an unnamed woman declared to her husband
that she loved another more than she loved him, and was leaving him for the other man. She intended on
taking their five children with them and the next day she took up house with her new lover. This woman's
acts were disgraceful to the people who upheld the southern ideal that a woman existed to benefit her
husband, because she was clearly not faithful to the man she had married and had five children with.
Southern women possessed the characteristics of much of what the South is known for. They were
supposed to be southern belles, who were pure and untouchable until they were married. They were
honorable (or supposed to be) in the sense that they were faithful to their husbands, who in return would
defend their honor if it was ever challenged. Their loyalty lay with God and their families, but it was also
tacitly expected that they were to keep up with the latest fashions of the time to the best of their ability.
The presence of southern women and the graceful air that supposedly surrounded them was not only felt
in Mississippi, but throughout the entire South and became one of its defining characteristics. (Source:
https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/2259)
Step 1: After reading the background, discuss the characteristics and stereotype of the Southern Belle.
Include the following in your discussion: physical appearance, family relationships, public versus private
persona, social status, and important issues in her life.
Step 2: Reread/review chapter 24. Provide text-based responses to each of the following questions.
Provide specific evidence to support each response.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What actions support the fact that Aunt Alexandra is a stereotype of the Southern Belle?
What statements made by the characters show positive characteristics of the Southern Belle?
What statements made by the characters show negative characteristics of the Southern Belle?
What role does Miss Maudie play in this scene? Explain.
Does Atticus interact with the women of the missionary circle differently than he does with Aunt
Alexandra and Miss Maudie in privacy? Explain how and why.
–continued---
6. Does this scene present women in a positive or negative light? Explain.
7. What is Scout’s impression of each character—Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Grace
Merriweather? What actions help her to develop her impressions?
8. How does Aunt Alexandra’s public persona differ from her private persona in this scene? Does
this support or refute her role as the stereotypical Southern Belle?
9. For each character—Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Grace Merriweather--, what do her
actions and comments say about the role and nature of women in the South in the early twentieth
century?
10. Based on these characters—Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Grace Merriweather-- what
conclusions can be drawn about harper Lee’s attitude toward women and their relationship with
others?