Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird And The Help

Discrimination is prevalent in the story “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the most obvious being the excessive amount of racism (Lee). Racism is the easiest to see but there are more forms of discrimination (Lee). Boo Radley is ostracized from the community when truly nobody really knows him (Lee). People discriminate Scout for being a tomboy not a lady (Lee). The last one that no one ever thinks about is how reverse racism is seen when people threaten Atticus for defending Tom Robinson in court (Lee). Discrimination in any form is a controversial topic but everyone knows that it is not right to discriminate against people.

Discrimination, it has been part of human nature for a long time, especially relevant subject in literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the main character of Scout Finch was exposed to different types of discrimination as she grows up. Discrimination affected the lives of characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird because of society’s prejudicial views of race, gender, and class.

In this essay, both texts, “To kill a Mockingbird” and “The Help”, will be looked at in depth, and the range of literary devices and techniques used in order to portray the theme of racism will be analyzed. The emotional attachment between protagonists, and the positive perspectives shared by characters portray the overall theme of racism and how this is oppressive for all people involved.

“But now he’s turned out a nigger-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruining’ the family, that’s what he’s doing’.” (Lee 110). The power of hatred is one so strong, that it imprisons the Finches and African Americans of Maycomb County. In Alabama of 1920 to 1930, segregation is an established action of the Southerners, it’s a lifestyle. The slurs passed from the mouths of white Southerners and ending with the shooting of a black man, the ways of Maycomb County are ones seen as either shocking or common in today’s eyes. To Kill A Mockingbird is an eminent novel by Harper Lee that illustrates the aspects of discrimination and prejudice, tolerance and courage during a time in America where racial inequality

is a African American man who was wrongly accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell- who happens to be defended by Scout’s father (Atticus Finch). Scout is exposed to the racial discrimination that is obviously deeply rooted in the town, when it is passed down to and displayed by Cecil who says, “My folks said your daddy was a disgrace”. The aim to make Scout feel bad all because her father is defending a man who belongs to a certain race shows how racial discrimination continues to be passed along to Maycomb residents. Not only are the children showing it, but adults as well. Mrs. Dubose goes as far as telling Scout that her “father’s no better than the…

People judge others all the time. Just because someone does not get paid as much means they do not try hard enough, and someone who has a different skin color is automatically a bad person. These thoughts are called prejudice. People have thoughts like these everyday, every hour, every minute, every second, this does not mean it is right. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the people of Maycomb have these thoughts against people like Tom Robinson or Walter Cunningham. But there are some strong characters that go against all the discrimination against these people.Harper lee conveys that a person's income or race does not make them less of a person through the words, thoughts, and actions of Calpurnia, Dill, and Atticus.

Calpurnia responds that “folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talking right, they’ve got to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn, there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.”(Lee 167) Calpurnia ‘s insight offers us a look at the language divide between whites and blacks. White people dislike a person who speaks like a black and black people dislike a person who speaks like a white. The fact that the black community despises the way whites act and vice versa shows the fear of difference. Scout’s neighbor, Mrs. Dubose also dislikes people who act differently, including Atticus, which is shown when, she shouts at Scout. “‘Yes indeed, what has the world come to when a Finch goes against his raising? I’ll tell you.’ She put her hand to her mouth. When she drew it away, It trailed a long silver thread of saliva. ‘Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash that he works for!’”(Lee 135) Mrs. Dubose dislikes people who act differently than expected. Atticus acted differently than other people earning him the hatred of Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose also compares Negroes to trash, showing that she also hates Negroes, probably because they have different skin color from her. The town of Maycomb demonstrates again and

"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."(lee 304) said Scout, to what Jem replied "that's what I thought too...when I was you age. If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to devise each other?"(304). Discrimination and prejudice is illustrated in the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Throughout the novel discrimination is shown in two different categories, racism and stereotypes.

During the 1930’s and the 1960’s discrimination against blacks was popular. There is discrimination everywhere for almost everything, even today, but not as much as there used to be. In To Kill A Mockingbird and The Help both Scout and Skeeter see and experience discrimination. Scout sees discrimination during the Tom Robinson case, and she experiences it when she is told to act like a girl. Skeeter experiences discrimination when people are shocked she finished college and got a job, instead of getting married.

There are many forms of discrimination such as Gender, class, and race, which add tension to the story, develop the plot, and contribute to the themes of the novel. To begin, in the novel to kill a mockingbird many forms of discrimination are shown. One form of discrimination is shown through Gender. One example where this is shown is through one of the main characters in the book named Scout.

Discrimination has always been an important part of American history. There was lot of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Help. Skeeter, main character in The Help, and Scout, main character in To Kill A Mockingbird, have experienced discrimination happening to them personally and to the people around them. Scout and Skeeter reacted to discrimination in similar ways which reveals their moral beliefs. Scout reaction to discrimination was not strong, and she does not really understands what's happening.

Throughout history, discrimination has made an impact on society and affected people’s behavior. Taking place in a small Alabama county during the 1930’s, Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird largely describes how discrimination and hatred was a huge problem in society told in a young girl named Scout’s point of view. Throughout the story, she learns about the negative effects on colored people with discrimination and racism going on. The effects of discrimination and racism throughout the story resulted in erroneous behavior by others.

Harper Lee describes Maycomb as a small, peaceful town, but there is a dark side beneath all that beauty. The people of the town may seem nice, but they are afflicted by racism and prejudice against all blacks. The town is also affected by the Great Depression, putting its people in their own states of poverty. Then there are disgraceful people like the Ewells who would go so far as to hurt their own children. Let's start with the main theme of the book, the racism of the people.

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is written by Harper Lee. The novel is about two children called Scout and Jem who are growing up in a small town called Maycomb during the 1930s. Their father Atticus Finch decides to defend a black man called Tom Robinson who is being charged for the rape of a white woman called Mayella Ewell. Atticus provides ample amounts of evidence proving that Tom is innocent but he is still convicted because he is black. Tom goes to prison and is killed trying to escape. Jem and Scout then become targets of Bob Ewell but Boo Radley saves them killing Bob in the process.

To Kill a Mocking Bird is a novel that addresses various ideas surrounding the 1930s, including discrimination. As the novel develops, Scout reveals the different types of discrimination that are present in Maycomb. The information that she obtains is through observations, inferences, experiences, and dialogues with other characters from the book. Various forms of discrimination are present in To Kill A Mockingbird and add tension, develop the plot, and contribute to themes in the novel. Disabilities, social economic status, gender, religious, and racial discrimination can be observed throughout the novel.