ipl-logo

Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

1338 Words6 Pages

Life is like outer space, unknown and always changing. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee writes about the segregation, hate, and prejudice in a town called Maycomb. Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of rape and doesn’t know what to expect. His attorney, Atticus Finch, an experienced, knowledgeable, and kind man, does his absolute best to defend him. However, the jury consists of all white males, most being racist and narrow-minded about the situation. Because of this, Tom Robinson is found guilty and later dies because of a mob, which displays the hatred and segregation that takes place in Maycomb.When stereotypes become embedded in the culture of a town like Maycomb, prejudice becomes more powerful than the truth, but through communication, empathy can be learned. …show more content…

Boo Radley, an innocent man who hasn’t been seen in years, is someone who is significantly affected by these stereotypes. This is displayed in the quote,“Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him” (Lee 9). Boo Radley is derived to be an evil person even though very few, if any, people have ever seen him. The people of Maycomb place stereotypes on him from stories and allow their imagination to make false accusations. Not only do they place stereotypes on Boo, they place stereotypes on those of different races, mainly blacks, and never question or think they are wrong. These exaggerated rumors affect many of the people, and are viewed as acceptable because of the specific structure of the town. The stereotypes exemplify the disrespect the people have for each other and illustrate the solution needed to avoid this problem. Classism is also embedded into the structure of the town and often affects the lower classes, such as poor whites, mixed races, and blacks. This is displayed in the quote, “But I want to play with Walter, Aunty, why can’t I?” She took off her glasses and stared at me. “I’ll tell you

Show More
Related

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Prejudice Quotes

    1230 Words  | 5 Pages

    To begin, Boo Radley faces prejudice from the people in the town of Maycomb who view him as frightening and menacing. Jem, Scout, and Dill are victims of this assumption when Jem says, ‘“I hope you’ve got it through your head that

    Read More

  • How Does Lee Present Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1405 Words  | 6 Pages

    (20) Jem’s exaggerated description demonstrates the community’s intense prejudice towards Boo Radley. The people are able to alienate a member based off of speculations. Scout, an innocent member of Maycomb, has grown up with the idea that Boo acts and looks like

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

    757 Words  | 4 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a small town named Maycomb Located in Alabama, highlighting the adventures of the finch children and many other people in the small town. The people in this town are very judgemental and of each other and it often leads to people being labeled with stereotypes and people think they know everything about that person however that is not reality. It is not possible to know the reality of a person 's life by placing a stereotype without seeing it through their own eyes and experiencing the things they experience. This happens often throughout the story with many people in the town. People are labeled as many things such a “monster” a “nigger” and many other things that seem to put them in their

    Read More

  • Tom Robinson Stereotypes

    879 Words  | 4 Pages

    Firstly, the stereotype that people who do bad things are supposedly evil and scary is shown through the characters, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is seen as an evil and scary person because he is accused for raping and assaulting Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is hated by a majority of the white people in Maycomb except for a white lawyer who is ready to stand up for someone who is innocent. Later on in the novel, Tom Robinson ends up committing suicide himself because he did not want to be put in prison for something he did not do.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Racial Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    754 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongfully convicted of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This novel goes through Scout's life from when she was 6, till she is 9. She lives in the town of Maycomb Alabama, and lives an innocent life until about halfway through the story, where she begins to ask questions. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the readers that racial inequality creates an unjust society through the African American community, through the people surrounding colored folks, and through Tom Robinson’s Case. The first example of the consequences of racial inequality is the African American community in Maycomb.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Social Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    977 Words  | 4 Pages

    Boo Radley had been kept in isolation for so long, he didn’t know how to communicate or socialise properly. He has been misunderstood as a malevolent person, when he actually is a benevolent person. He displays this when he put a blanket around Scout, whilst she and Jem watched the fire. As readers, we are shown social prejudice by the assumptions made about the Radley’s. Another example of social prejudice is the

    Read More

  • Atticus Finch Is A Hero Essay

    1166 Words  | 5 Pages

    Despite racial inequalities in the South, Atticus sticks to his own morals and agrees to be the defending lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man being accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus’ defense in court was thorough and clearly proved Tom’s innocence, the jury was prejudiced towards black folks and convicted Tom as guilty. Nonetheless, Atticus is still a hero despite losing the case. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes in, fights with reason rather than guns, and has utmost determination, making him a hero despite being just an average human being. Ultimately, his thoughts and actions set the stage for major changes in the meaning of equality throughout Maycomb County, changing lives of numerous people.

    Read More

  • Why Is Boo Radley Misunderstood In To Kill A Mockingbird

    411 Words  | 2 Pages

    Boo Radley who “was not seen again for fifteen years”, is the most misunderstood person in Maycomb. His childhood mistakes marginalise him from society by a “form of intimidation Mr Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight.” To elaborate, Boo did not intend to separate himself and be perceived as a “malevolent phantom.” In truth, Boo is intensely lonely and wants to befriend the children in which he saves their lives. Similarly, in The

    Read More

  • Prejudice Norms In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    Cultural norms are what make and shape a society. They are the guidelines, and or patterns, that are to be followed, in order to be considered a normal, typical, everyday citizen. As such, it does not matter if the norms are right or wrong. As long as the citizen is still a part of their society, right and wrong does not matter, as far as they are concerned. In the case of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the cultural norm, of Maycomb County, embraces the wrong, in the form of extreme prejudice behavior.

    Read More

  • Boo Radley Character Traits

    507 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee shows that we shouldn’t be too quick to judge another person’s character based on outward appearance and the stories and rumors we have heard. The character Boo Radley is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be hasty to judge. On the outside, Boo looks like a scary neighbor that lives just a few houses away. “.....he had sickly white hands that had never seen the sun. His face was as white as his hands…..”

    Read More

  • Theme Of Isolation In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1244 Words  | 5 Pages

    In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us about the town of Maycomb County during the late 1930s, where the characters live in isolation and victimization. Through the perspective of a young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, readers will witness the prejudice that Maycomb produces during times where people face judgement through age, gender, skin colour, and class, their whole lives. Different types of prejudice are present throughout the story and each contribute to how events play out in the small town of Maycomb. Consequently, socially disabling the people who fall victim from living their life comfortably in peace. Boo Radley and his isolation from Maycomb County, the racial aspects of Tom Robinson, and the decision Atticus Finch makes as a lawyer, to defend a black man has all made them fall in the hands of Maycomb’s prejudice ways.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Misunderstandings In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1028 Words  | 5 Pages

    In To Kill a Mockingbird, characters who are misunderstood by others are met with violence, fear, and stereotyping. One of the most prominent examples is Boo Radley. An outcast in the town, Boo

    Read More

  • Minor Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1339 Words  | 6 Pages

    He is accountable for creating many themes as well affecting the actions and development of other characters. Furthermore, he plays a major role in the maturation of Jem and Scout. Jem, Scout, and Dill are fascinated by the rumors of Boo Radley around them. People in Maycomb perceive Boo as someone who, “dined on raw squirrels and cats” and “the teeth he had were yellow and rotten”(16). This quote shows the people’s impression of Boo and how they affect the childrens in the book.

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1067 Words  | 5 Pages

    How does Harper Lee vividly capture the effects of racism and social inequality on the citizens of Maycomb county in ‘To kill a mockingbird’? In the novel, ‘To kill a mockingbird’, Harper Lee conveys the theme of racism and social inequality by setting up the story in Maycomb, a small community in Alabama, the U.S back in 1930s. Lee presents some of the social issues of 1930s such as segregation and poverty in the novel. These issues are observed and examined through the innocent eyes of a young girl, Scout, the narrator.

    Read More

  • Social Issues In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

    535 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harper Lee touches upon many social issues in To Kill a Mockingbird. Among these issues is the matter of racism in America during the 1930s. This novel focused on the issue of racism through the case of Tom Robinson which conveyed the strong hostility towards African-Americans in Maycomb, Alabama. Other various occasions in the novel exhibit racism’s potential and influence in this country including Aunt Alexandra's disapproval of Calpurnia, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s hidden life. Through the results of these instances, Harper Lee shed a new light on racism and how it will always persist in America.

    Read More

More about Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

Open Document