Examples Of Prejudice And Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

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.

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.

Prejudice in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a very common problem in the society Maycomb; prejudice does not only harm an individual but also a society. Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley are all victims of prejudice, and all three characters are affected by this. The prejudice exhibited towards them traps them, kills them or makes them stronger.

Lastly, prejudice is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird by social or economic status. The Cunninghams cannot pay people back in money for services or things they have been given. They pay people back by goods that they already have. People know that it’s mean to make fun of them for paying people back that way, just because of their status. Another example is that Aunt Alexandra will not let Scout play with Walter Cunningham. She says to Scout, “Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him,” (Lee 256). This shows that even the kids are being taught to stay within their own class, even if it is something as simple as playing with another kid. Also, the Ewells are the trash of the town, and everybody knows it. The whole town just turns and eye to them and pretends like they are not there, because they live behind the dump and are the trash of their society. So, that shows that prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird is shown by social and economical status.

First off, in the book, prejudice is shown through the trial. The trial shows the race part of prejudice because Tom is found guilty because of his skin color. “Judge Taylor was polling the jury: Guilty... guilty…..guilty” (Lee 282). Tom Robinson is a black man living in Maycomb, Alabama. He is found guilty for raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. During the trial, Atticus Finch is trying to help Tom Robinson live his life, and be found not guilty. Tom Robinson is, unfortunately, found guilty. The color of his skin determines this decision of the jury. In this time period, black men and women were treated differently than white men or women. There were many facts that were shown in the trial that pointed away from Tom, like when Atticus said

Prejudice should not exist in this world. But unfortunately, it does and it always will somehow. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is an inspiring book and brings out hard truths about how the world used to be, about the great depression, and in some aspects how it still is today. It follows a girl named Scout and her family through three years of her childhood. Her father, Atticus Finch, took on a very big challenge to defend a negro for raping a girl. The book sort of revolves around this event. Prejudice is in many different forms of discrimination. Throughout the book it is demonstrated by race, class, and gender.

If I had to define prejudice, I would say a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. There are many examples of prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) is about Scout Jem and Dill who learn valuable life lessons. They watch a trial of a black man accused of raping white women unfold.Throughout TKAM you can see Harper Lee is saying that nobody is born prejudice but throughout their childhood, it is learned. Throughout TKAM we can see how the kids learn prejudice through race, class, and gender.

Prejudice is seen throughout the world in many forms even after the Civil Rights Movement. To Kill a Mockingbird shows the extreme prejudice that African Americans were faced with at that time period. This book shows prejudice through character interactions.

Discrimination: unjust treatment of a different group of people or things. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, discrimination is visible. The one most identify with is racism, with a great deal of the story revolving Tom Robinson’s, a black man, jury case. Left in the shadows, though, is the prejudice of other characters, whom the community of Maycomb may find to be a bit on the outs. Whether it is their way of life or how they act, someone always pick up on it and calls them out. Atticus Finch is old compared to the rest of the parents of students at Scouts school, keeping him from activities like the Methodists vs Baptists football game. Boo Radley, making poor decisions as a teenager, is confined to his house twentyfour-seven and

Discrimination has always affected people to a certain extent in society. Whether it be in the form of class or racial discrimination, people experience it in their everyday lives. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee illustrates the dangers of judging others before getting to know who they are. She demonstrates discrimination through social classism, gossip, and racism and how these things can lead people to judge others before they know their story.

Prejudice is a typical issue amid the early quarter of the twentieth century. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird this issue is obvious in Maycomb. Boo Radley, Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson are for the most part casualties of prejudice, and each of the three characters are tormented by this. It influences them all in an unexpected way; devastating them and debilitating them from going about as they wish.

Prejudice and discrimination is looked down upon, yet people still continue to be judgmental and have preconceived assumptions about others. It is a common thing that still happens in today’s society. To be particular, racial discrimination is one example of prejudice and is based solely on the color of one’s skin. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a caring individual who tries his hardest to treat everyone he meets with appreciation and respect. However, he is African American, which influences him and the other characters' lives in different ways. All he wants to do is help out another character, Mayella, which inevitably costs him his life in the end. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the character of Tom Robinson to illustrate the fact that innocent people are sometimes victimized to a racist society.

(A)Prejudice: a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.(C) The most important piece of information that scout learns from her father is , “‘you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”’(39). In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird , Scout learns many lessons on how to deal with racism and prejudice, and how to consider a person...as a normal person. Scout learns to walk in another person's shoes before she judges them. Boo Radley, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson are all misperceived by the people of Maycomb, and have more good qualities than meets the eye.

Famous book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, communicates many cases of prejudice occurring in the lives of Jeremy and Jean-Louise Finch through a variety of different characters. Prejudice is an opinion about something without solid reasoning or evidence. An example includes the kids’ experience with Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose. While she was a victim of prejudice from the society, it is clearly evident that she is more a perpetrator of prejudice than a victim of prejudice. As a morphine addict, she was known to treat the children unfairly, disliking everything they did. After a hateful time spent with her, the kids hear about Mrs Dubose’s death and discover her morphine addiction and her determination to break free before her death.

Racism can tear communities apart and ruin lives, like it does in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus knows from the beginning that losing the trial is inevitable. When the jury declares Tom guilty Jem is flustered. Shortly after Atticus confronts Jem to talk. He says to Jem, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.” (Lee 295) This proves that no matter what evidence is presented to show Tom’s innocence, he’ll still be convicted because of his skin color. While visiting their family, Scout gets into a fight with Francis. He says to her, “I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a n*****- lover, besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family-” (Lee 110) This statement conveys that just because Atticus is defended a black man, his own family has resulted to calling him names. After the trial is over Atticus is talking to Jem about the wrongly accused Tom Robinson. Atticus exclaims, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black man everyday of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t forget it - whenever a white man does this to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.” (Lee 295) This demonstrates how Atticus is trying to teach his children that it’s a sin to cheat a man when he did nothing to wrong you. Racism is just one of the many