Social Inequality Throughout

A Streetcar Named Desire,

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
and
To Kill a Mockingbird

By Makayla Millette
 Have you ever seen the existence of social inequality? Im sure you have, may have even

experienced it first hand, considering the society that we live in is full of unequal opportunities,

punishments, and forced roles through different groups and classes. This social inequality that we

are undeniably surrounded around also lives and breathes in the three books we previously read.

One of the books we read was A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams. This showed

social inequality through gender roles by having the woman have certain roles that is expected of

them, also through race by judging people and thinking lower or higher of them because of their

social background, and through class by having some people treated better, or worse, because of

their social background. Another book we read was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by

Mark Twain. This showed social inequality through gender by expecting the women to know and

do certain things just because they are females, also through race by people owning slaves and

treating them lesser than people, and also through class by letting people who are of a higher

class getting treated better than people of low class. The last book we read was To Kill a

Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This showed social inequality through gender by making it seem

like being a female was a bad thing, also through race by making it so if you are African

American you get treated unfairly and less than white Americans, and also through class by

showing if you are of a poor class, you get treated lower than everyone else. The theme of social

inequality is portrayed throughout all three books by characters who encountered mistreatment,

which is justified because they are apart of a different social group than others.

In A Streetcar Named Desire, social inequality through gender is portrayed by having the

women depend on men and by having certain things, like chores and housework, expected of

them. In that time era, women were treated less than men and were expected to stay home and

take care of the house and mens needs, whilst the men went off to work, essentially supporting
the women. Stanley, Stella, and Blanche are arguing at dinner because Stella gave Stanley orders,

so Stanley starts telling Stella what he thinks the rules are. ...I am the king around here, so dont

forget it! (Williams, pg. 131). This clearly shows that Stanley thinks and believes that he is

more important than Stella, simply because he is the man of the house. He is showing dominance

and enforcing it by retaliating Stellas orders. Stella and Blanche are getting ready to go out to

supper, when Stanley starts questioning Stella. How about my supper, huh? (Williams, pg. 29).

This is portraying how Stanley expects these tasks out of Stella, like making him dinner, when he

is more than capable of doing it himself, showing the gender roles throughout the household.

Social inequality pulses throughout gender, showing how each gender gets treated differently,

while also showing the implied roles they are forced into.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, social inequality through gender is depicted by

people expecting women of certain things and presume that women can do these things well and

having women depend on men. All throughout history, women and men each have had roles

that they are supposed to or expected to play in daily life, especially throughout this book, and

things like that include knowing how to do certain things and letting the men take care of them.

Huckleberry was pretending to be a girl to get information out of the lady he was talking to,

when she had realized he was actually a boy, and explained to him how she knew he was a boy

and not a girl. ...hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; thats the way a woman most

always does (Twain, pg. 72). This is implying that all women do this one thing alike and is

generalizing them. It is making it seem that women typically do this thing, and possibly others,

the same way, not really giving them differences and just grouping them. The King and the Duke

had just told everyone that they were related to the deceased Peter Wilks and had started talking

about their nieces. He has done generous by these yer poor little lambs that he loved and
sheltered...What kind o uncles would it be thatd rob...sech poor sweet lambs (Twain, pg.

178). This is showing how these girls had depended on their father, as a lot of girls do anyways,

but it is also showing how, even though they are fatherless now, they still need a male figure to

take care of them, even though they are capable of taking care of each other. Women have been

generalized that they do some things the same, and that is made prominent in this book a few

times, and women have also been made out that they need to depend on a male figure in order to

survive.

Social inequality through gender is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird by making it seem

like being a girl is a bad thing and an insult and also by having girls dress more feminine than

having them wear whatever they would like. Throughout this book, guys have made implied

statements that being a girl was quite bad and not something you want to be like. Women have

also pushed on other girls that they should dress a more ladylike way and not in guy clothes.

Jem and Dill wanted to try and go get a look at Boo Radley when Scout tried to persuade them

that it was a bad idea, so Jem got angry at Scout. Scout, Im tellin you for the last time, shut

your trap or go home - I declare to the Lord youre gettin more like a girl everyday! (Lee, pg

52). This is undoubtedly implying that girls, according from a guys perspective, cannot keep

quiet and like to argue with a guys word. This is also being said as an insult and is making it

seem like you should not become like a girl. Scout was describing Aunt Alexandra and her aunts

opinions on Scouts behavior and how Scout dresses. Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the

subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches...She said I wasnt

supposed to be doing things that required pants. (Lee, pg. 81). This is showing how Aunt

Alexandra is stating that Scout will never achieve at being a lady if she kept dressing in boy

clothes. This is making it generalized that girls have to stick to girl clothes if they ever wanted
to be considered ladylike. This is also stating that, since Scout is a girl, she wouldnt be doing

anything that would make her have to wear pants, showing that girls dont do much if all they

wear is a dress. Throughout this book, women had been made out to dress as ladylike as possible,

giving them no freedom or voice on what they can or cannot wear, while also implying that

being a girl is quite bad and unwanted, according to the guys.

In A Streetcar Named Desire, social inequality is shown through race by throwing racist

comments and judging people because of their heritage. Throughout this book, many racial slurs

were directed towards people, simply because of their heritage, making social inequality quite

prominent. Stella had just got done telling Stanley what to do, so Stanley got mad and started

yelling at Stella. Pig - Polack - disgusting - vulgar - greasy! them kind of words have been on

your tongue and your sisters too much around here. (Williams, pg. 131). This is showing how

Blanche and Stella, mostly Blanche, have been throwing rude comments out to Stanley on his

heritage, which is Polish, and it shows how he gets treated poorly because of where he is from.

Social inequality was easily shown in this book by race by categorizing and judging people

based upon their race, having people getting treated unfairly.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, social inequality is shown through race by

having people own slaves and also by people treating other people based upon their race, badly.

During this books time era, owning slaves seemed to be acceptable, but it shows the social

inequality because it is not right nor constitutional for people to treated as chattel. Huckleberry

was describing Jim, who was a slave owned by Miss Watson. Miss Watsons big nigger, named

Jim (Twain, pg. 15). This is showing how owning an African American back then was

perfectly okay, which separated them from white Americans, causing unfairness and inequality.

Huckleberry had just played a mean trick on Jim and was thinking about apologizing to him. It
was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger

(Twain, pg. 97). This is clearly showing that Huckleberry thinks he is better than Jim, just

because Huckleberry is white and Jim is not. It is also showing that, because Huckleberry is

white, he doesnt necessarily have to apologize to Jim, and it definitely shows that Huckleberry

is not used to apologizing to an African American. Most throughout history, races have been one

of the biggest social inequality, creating unfairness throughout cultures, and this is most

definitely shown in this book.

Social inequality in To Kill a Mockingbird is shown through race by people treating other

people of different races poorly and unfairly. A lot of people in this book discriminated against

other people that was of a different race, even if they didnt actually know the person. People

throughout the town of Maycomb had generally the same opinion of Toms death, which they

started to talk about as soon as they found out how he had died. Typical of a niggers mentality

to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw. (Lee, pg. 240). This

clearly shows that most of the people of Maycomb generally thought very low of African

Americans and took an assumption upon them that they just ran whenever they could get a

chance to get out of whatever hole they were stuck in. Mrs Dubose had started yelling at Jem and

was about to start telling him her opinion of what she thinks of Atticus. Your fathers no better

than the niggers and trash he works for! (Lee, pg. 102). This shows that Mrs Dubose, and you

can assume the rest of the townspeople, judge and think little of Atticus just because he is a white

man who defends African American men. This is showing that, even because Atticus is white, he

is still being judged because of who he associates himself with. Social inequality is always

highly prominent in race and can be found quite easily in this book and shows how far people

will judge upon a person just because of the color of their skin.
Social inequality in A Streetcar Named Desire is shown through class by