Every human-being started out innocent, with a clear mind set, and from that view everything was simple; the line between right and wrong was clear, good and evil, equality and inequality, justice and injustice. However, as time went on this simple way of thinking changed, innocence was lost, and black and white became a million shades of gray. This common coming of age moment everyone experiences, whether it is for the better or worst, is shown within the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Therefore, the book represents the theme that children possess the ability to see people for who they are, without any prejudice or racism, because of their innocence and clear judgement, showing true knowledge of right and wrong, unless tainted by
The characters from To Kill A Mockingbird deal with racial injustice first hand. Scout, the narrator and daughter of Atticus Finch, experienced racial injustice of her father’s court case with Tom Robinson, an African American. Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”. This shows racial injustice because the lynch mob was coming for
Boo Radley is prejudged because he never came out of his domicile. Boo Radley never brought harm to anybody, he just choose to stay in his domicile and never come out. Tom Robinson is prejudged because he has black skin and not white skin. Atticus Finch becomes a victim of prejudice when he helps defend a innocent black man in court; Tom Robinson. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are prejudged; do to the fact that prejudice is so inclusive, the people who help the "mockingbirds", like Atticus,easily become victims of prejudice. Many of the people who live in Maycomb gossip and spread rumors about Boo Radley because he chooses to always stay in his domicile, while Tom Robinson is stereotyped by
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird has many examples of prejudice. The prejudice presented is against people such as Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, and Boo Radley. Each is discriminated against either because of the color of their skin, who they represent in court, or just how much they isolate themselves from the town. Harper Lee’s stance on racial prejudice is that it is a foolish practice, no matter who does it. Prejudice is a very large part of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Secondly, Racial discrimination is prevalent throughout the novel. Tom Robinson is likely the most substantial example of racial discrimination within the novel. Atticus comments, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word
Part of the human nature consists of racial judgment towards others. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, presents themes of gender bias, justice, and social class. But one of the main focuses in the book is racism. Most of the people in Maycomb County show racial judgments, opinions, and comments against African American people, as well as white people. Jem and Scout learn the power of racism and what it does to people, as they experience certain situations. Through the stories of Tom Robinson's trial, Jem and Scouts journey to Calpurnia's church, and Mrs. Dubose's commentary to Jem, the theme of racism remains.
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
According to the book To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, I believe Tom Robinson is innocent. The crime that Tom Robinson is getting charged for is that he had raped Mayella Ewell. There are many reasons of why I believe Tom Robinson is not guilty. For instance, Tom Robinson’s left arm was not strong enough nor working, so he didn’t have the strength to do what Mr. Ewell and Mayella said he did.
To Kill A Mockingbird portrays many types of prejudice such as sexism, lifestyle and racism. Sexism is represented through respect and roles of genders. Women were considered weak, they were expected to be elegant and ladylike. It was expected that women stay home and care for the house and children. Jem would often tease Scout for being a girl. One example is when he said, “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home- I declare to the Lord, you’re gettin’ more like a girl everyday!” (Lee 119) Another type of prejudice was lifestyle. Arthur “Boo” Radley, one of the novel’s mockingbirds was often judged for his way of life. He was brought up as a Foot Washing Baptist. This meant that all things people found pleasure in were seen as a sin. Therefore, Boo remained inside his house for years and years and was seen as the town boogie man. Also, Dolphus Raymond was a white man with many “mixed” children. He never saw race as an issue and liked spending his time with the black community. Dolphus acted as a drunk so no one would question his lifestyle and interactions with colored
Social prejudice is shown throughout Harper Lee’s award winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee powerfully analyses the theme social prejudice, and its effect on people. Such as how the
Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "...In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony. As can be seen, Lee’s usage of Tom Robinson’s trial and the racial discrimination and prejudice seen throughout it helps reinforce the theme of social injustice throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Another encounter that the
Race is the dominant cause of inequality in To Kill A Mockingbird, thus Maycomb’s views on race heavily influence every aspect of life. Although racial inequality is clearly illustrated in the in the injustice, prejudice, discrimination and antagonism surrounding the Tom Robinson trial, it is also shown more subtly throughout the novel. In Chapter 25 Atticus Finch is quoted disclosing that the corrupt justice system is a direct cause of a racist society. “In our courts, when it 's a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Lee, 295). To emphasize, on the same occasion Atticus attempts to explain to his
it shows the problems and occurrences of how human inequality and diversity is brought up in the world. Racial comments, prejudice remarks, and judgement are all mentioned in the book. Although, the book is fiction, it brings up real life events that are still happening in the present time. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s in that time anyone and everyone were judged by their life choices, skin color, social class, appearance, etc. Human society then was diverse into large groups of stereotypes.
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.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, undoubtedly there is more than one type of discrimination displayed. Before we get into that, what exactly is discrimination? Well, to discriminate means to treat someone differently based on what they believe, their age, gender, who they love, even their appearance. The forms that I will be talking about are Sexism, (Prejudice actions based on gender) Racism, (Prejudice actions based on race) classism, (Prejudice actions on those of a different social class) and discrimination on those with a disability.