The term used in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to describe the snowman built by Jem and Scout Finch is a colloquial and derogatory word, “morphodite,” which is a mispronunciation of “hermaphrodite.” In the context of the novel, it refers to a figure combining elements perceived as both male and female, reflecting the children’s use of mud to darken the snowman after initially constructing it with snow borrowed from Miss Maudie. The snowman, therefore, possesses both white (associated with purity and females by the children) and dark elements (associated with African Americans and males by the children), blending perceived gender and racial characteristics.
The use of this term highlights the prevalent racial and gender biases existing in the 1930s South. The childrens unconscious association of certain characteristics with specific genders and races underscores the deeply ingrained prejudices of their society. Furthermore, the children’s innocent yet problematic construction and labeling of the snowman reflects their limited understanding and acceptance of differences, revealing the societal norms being passed down to them. The initial innocence of the children, followed by the application of socially charged biases, provides a poignant commentary on the formation and perpetuation of prejudice.
