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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

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