American Literature : The Importance Of Prejudice In Literature

During the 1930’s depression, there was a great divide between black and white America. There were many communities and groups who had been exposed to the same treatment and persecution as the Negroes in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee has used a small town setting, such as that in To Kill a Mockingbird, to illustrate America’s views on white supremacy and the inferiority of the black race. The author has illustrated view that are expressed world-wide through her characters in Maycomb county.

The most important way he dealt with the downs in his life, was with his humor. Junior has always used humor in his life to deal with any problems. He tries to find the good in

Prejudice is one of the world’s greatest struggles. It does not only hold society back, but is harmful to the people who do good .In Harper Lee’s book To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout and Jem live through and witness prejudice and racism in the small town of Maycomb. They see someone wrongly accused of a crime because of his race. Scout and Jem also witness and take part in prejudice against a man no one knows anything about. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee uses characterization to show the negative effects of prejudice and racism.

In today’s society, we face prejudice every day in many forms. Most people in today’s society have either been victims of prejudice or are guilty of exhibiting prejudice towards others.

All throughout history, prejudice has been a part of society. Discrimination and intolerance are built into human nature. Less than 100 years ago, Blacks were still in the bonds of slavery. However, Blacks were not the only ethnical group that was ever mistreated. During the First World War, Germans in the United States were looked down upon by nearly all of the other citizens. Only a few years later, during World War II, the Japanese that happened to be in America were put into camps due to the incident at Pearl Harbor. During the mass immigration to the United States in the early 1900s, the Irish were met with signs in the workplace stating, "No Irish Need Apply." Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on two prejudices throughout

Introduction Prejudice refers to the judgements towards a person because of their race, social class, age, disability or sexual orientation. (Cherry, “What is Prejudice?”) Prejudice was, and still is, to a large extent experienced by people all over the world. It is a theme that is presented in so many works of literature in a plethora of different ways. One of the most prominent ways in which prejudice is explored is through the use of characters that perhaps are a different nationality or have a different orientation to the majority of the other characters in the works. Two texts, in which the theme is presented in an admirable way , are ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, and ‘Jasper Jones’ by Craig Silvey. Through the use of the

Prejudice is explained and illustrated with examples deriving from culture and treatment of African Americans and how society perceives them to be. The definition of Prejudice is, “An unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason”(Dictionary.com) The majority of humans tend to judge individuals by appearance rather than personality. Prejudice and appearance are prevalent in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein as well as today’s culture which has consequences regarding race, age, religion, etc.

Michael Crichton defines prejudice as “opinion in the absence of evidence”. This theme is embodied in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird and brims throughout the course of the story. Harper Lee exemplifies prejudice by using the juxtaposition of the unbiased man, Atticus Finch and his disparaging sister, Alexandra. Atticus’s quote “you never really understand a person until you consider things from from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” relates to the quote by Michael Crichton because they both illustrate the theme that you cannot judge a book by its cover.(30)

“Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart.”(Marguerite Gardiner Blessington). Over the years, countless people have fallen in to the dark abyss of prejudice because they merely following the trend of society. Prejudice is exactly what it sounds like; its root words are firmly planted. Prejudice may be defined as the act of pre judging someone because of their race, religion, sex, ethnic background, or can be based solely on how they look. Prejudice is a flaw in society many have dealt with for centuries, but one race has suffered in the United States of America where “all men are equal”, more than any other race in history. If all men are created equal, how could we treat people of a different color so unjustly? It is a travesty that cannot be forgotten and that can not, must not, and shall not be repeated. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee states the truth behind a world with closed minds. She put the world into perspective through her commentary that is still relevant today. Through her writing, we see the compassion, sympathy, and tolerance, or the lack thereof, from all perspectives: a father, a racist man, a confused woman, children, negroes, and a dear lawyer named Atticus Finch.

The prejudice seen in the fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee corresponds with the real narrow-mindedness during this time period. A fair trial would be unlikely during this time period between a white and a black man. Tom Robinson was presumed guilty because of his race.

Maya Angelou once said “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible” and this sentiment is apparent in the novel Song of Solomon and the film Searchers directed by John Ford . In both these works of fiction prejudice is an underlying theme to the central plot in the fiction. Throughout the stories it becomes apparent the cause, cost and cure for prejudice taking the form of racism in both these works of fictions. The root of the prejudice in Song of Solomon comes from slavery and the legacy that the generations that follow carry with them.

Maya Angelou once said “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible”. This sentiment is apparent in the novel Song of Solomon written by Toni Morrison and the film The Searchers directed by John Ford. In both these works of fiction prejudice is an underlying theme of the central plot. Throughout both plots, it becomes apparent the cause, cost and cure for prejudice taking the form of racism.

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.”- Maya Angelou. This quote by Maya Angelou to me perfectly describes the word and definition of prejudice. Prejudice was in all units in this class, in total there was prejudice against Indians, African Americans, and Jews. Prejudice was a huge theme or talking point in all the stories/movies, and it caused adversity for main characters. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior faced adversity. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus, Jem, Scout, and Tom Robinson all faced adversity. All Jews faced adversity during the Holocaust, and Shylock faced adversity in The Merchant of Venice. Because of this foul word we call prejudice, people in all types of books, and people all around the world, have adversity. Prejudice is bad, and all of these units share that common trait.

Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible. (Maya Angelou) By definition prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Prejudice to others is hate, judgement, and evil. The effects of prejudice are shown in the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the play The Merchant of Venice, and the tragedy known as the Holocaust. Prejudice affected all people differently, but one thing is true for all; prejudice is crippling and disables those who experience it from being who they truly are and doing as they please.

Prejudice. What is it? It’s the hushed voices from women who are demeaned of their rights and value as people because they’re female. From the very first word they've ever spoken, they're taught their opinion is irrelevant. The women of the world who are not allowed to vote. The desperation of gay men and women who are denied their right to love. It's the cry of help from muslims who are stopped in the airport because they look suspicious. The cry of help from people of color who are treated like animals, or objects. Prejudice is a battle fought by women, people of color and people of religion every single day, and for the rest of their lives. In no way is this kind of behavior new. This act of judgement has been bestowed on the world for hundreds of years. Despite history’s persistent act of abolishing prejudice, it seems the burden is only getting worse. Prejudice is here to stay.