Sadly, many of the supposed "ladies" of Maycomb didn't
exactly behave as a true lady should. Some of the women of the Missionary Circle
gossiped and berated the African-Americans of Maycomb; Mrs. Merriweather went so far as
to criticize Atticus, who paid for the refreshments. According to
Scout,
Ladies
in bunches always filled me with vague apprehension and a firm desire to be
elsewhere.
Scout was dressed
in her Sunday best, and Aunt Alexandra made her follow her around, "part of her campaign
to teach me to be a lady." Scout tried her best. When she was asked if she wanted to be
a lawyer when she grew up, Scout responded, "Nome, just a lady." The "ladies" laughed at
that, and Miss Stephanie even cautioned her that
"... you won't get very far until you start
wearing dresses more
often."
Aunt Alexandra and
Miss Maudie displayed ladylike tendencies during the circle meeting that Scout admired,
however. After receiving the news about Tom Robinson's death, the two women put on their
best faces and returned to serving refreshments, without a word to the other women, as
if nothing had happened.
After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time
like this, so could I.
In an
earlier chapter, Scout's Uncle Jack cautioned her about her foul language, and he asked
her
"You
want to grow up to be a lady, don't you?"
I said not
particularly.
Aunt Alexandra
was
...
fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to become a lady if I
wore breeches.
When Calpurnia
took the children to her church, she made sure that both of them were well scrubbed and
that Scout was wearing her petticoat.
Perhaps the most
ladylike act in the novel comes at the very end, when none other than Scout takes Boo
Radley's hand and leads him back to his house.
... if Miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from
her upstairs window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any
gentleman would.
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