How does Harper Lee show judgmental nature based on narrative conventions in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

The term narrative conventions refers to all elements that are absolutely essential for developing a narrative or telling a story. Such elements include setting, plot, conflict, characterization, and point of view. In To Kill a Mockingbird, one element through which author Harper Lee develops her theme of judgmental natures is characterization. We can find judgmental characters all throughout To Kill a Mockingbird; one good example is Aunt Alexandra. Alexandra grew up believing in a certain set of values. She believes in class distinctions, race distinctions, and even gender distinctions, and her belief in all of these distinctions makes her very judgmental.

Her views of class distinction can be seen in the fact that she sees the Finches as a "good" family because their ancestor, Simon Finch, made a fortune homesteading the Finch family farm, Finch's Landing. Anyone else who struggles to get by in life, like the Cunninghams, she sees as "trash" (Ch. 23).

Her views of race distinction can be seen in the fact that she treats African Americans as others, as "them." Her view of them vs. us can be seen in her treatment of Calpurnia. Alexandra and Atticus frequently quarrel about the presence of Calpurnia in the Finch household. One example can be seen in Chapter 15. In this chapter, Alexandra asserts her opinion that the children should not have been present before the mob at the jail, arguing that Braxton Underwood would have come to Atticus's defense should there have been any trouble. Atticus asserts that the children did the right thing in jumping to his defense and argues it's uncertain just how much protecting Mr. Underwood really would have done considering that "he despises Negroes" (Ch. 16). Atticus makes this comment while Calpurnia is serving coffee at breakfast, and Alexandra disapproves of speaking of racial tensions in front of "Negroes," feeling that doing so just incites them to rebel. Her sense of them vs. us is most evident when she commands her brother, "Don't talk like that in front of them," meaning don't talk about racial tensions in front of African Americans (Ch. 16). However, Atticus refuses to accept Alexandra's them vs. us attitude and instead treats Calpurnia as one of the family.

Her belief in gender distinctions is especially seen in her own mannerisms and in her judgements of Scout. Based on the way Alexandra dresses and behaves, we know Alexandra feels that ladies are expected to do certain things--wear corsets, tight fitting dresses, and do needle work. Since Scout does not wear dresses but rather wears overalls and acts as a tomboy, Alexandra sees Scout as a "problem to [her] father," whereas Atticus disagrees (Ch. 23).

Hence, as we can see Alexandra is characterized as having a very judgmental nature, and her nature is seen in her judgements of people like the Cunninghams, in her treatment of Calpurnia, and her judgements of Scout.