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Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In reality, appearance does not define who a person truly is. In To Kill a Mockingbird characters such as Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radely are misunderstood and or misjudged because of their physical appearance. This leads the society to unpleasant judgment such as fear, hate, and injustice. Boo Radely is one of the characters that is misjudged due to his false appearance and reclusive lifestyle. In the novel, Boo Radely is portrayed by other characters as a vicious monster that dines on live animals. “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was …show more content…

Everyone in town uses derogatory labels to address black people and discriminate anyone that associates with them. While Mrs. Dubose is having a conversation with Jem she says, “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for”(Lee 135). Mrs. Dubose is a resident of Maycomb and represents the racist mentality of the town. She and other white people discriminate black people and consider them criminals and slaves. Furthermore, Tom Robinson is mistreated due to his skin color, as a result, he is falsely accused of raping a white girl. No one in town is willing to help him in any way because of the racist mentality of the town, except Atticus. As a lawyer, Atticus supports Tom Robinson and states an important statement that describes the racist minds of the residents of Maycomb, “The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is”(Lee 271). Atticus’s statement describes the racist minds of the officials and judges, who cannot tolerate and approve a black man winning in court. Tom Robinson, who is an innocent man, is charged guilty of a crime that he did not commit. In reality, Tom Robinson is a very polite and kindhearted individual. During the trial, Mr. Gilmer asks Tom Robinson questions about the incident, “you did all the chopping and work from sheer goodness, boy?...Tried to help her, I says…You’re a mighty good fellow, ,it seems—did all this for not one penny?...Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-"(Lee 263-164). Tom Robinson is nothing like the stereotypes made for black people. In reality, he is

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