Examples Of Racial Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

In conclusion, throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice is shown as one of the most important things in the lives of the citizens of Maycomb, Alabama. One of the most evident types of prejudice is

Since Calpurnia is so caring and good to the kids, they look at her as more than just the cook, they look at her as if she was a second mother. One day while Atticus was away for the day Calpurnia decided to take the kids to the all-black church with her. When she showed up with Jem and Scout she was getting nasty looks and comments from some of the other church-goers. She just ignored then and led the kids into the church. When church was let out and they began their walk home. This shows that Cal is caring enough to take the kids to church, knowing ahead of time that the other church members were not going to be happy. On their way home Scout asked if she could go visit Calpurnia at her home one day. Calpurnia responded with, “Any time you want to. We’d be glad to have you” (Lee 168). This also shows that Cal is willing to open her house for them anytime they want to come. Due to Calpurnia’s strong opposition to race, the kids aren’t racist. They don’t care about skin color, they want justice for all. Another example of her caring is the time Tim Johnson, the rabid dog, came down the street and headed right towards their house (Lee 123). The kids ran to get Calpurnia and she took

For the first time, Scout realizes that Calpurnia “led a modest double life”, “had a separate existence outside her household”, and had “command of two languages” (167). She learns from Calpurnia that people have to act differently based on certain situations or based on the people who she interacts with. Scout starts wanting to know more about Calpurnia, to see what her life is like outside of her home. She wants to step Calpurnia’s shoes and see what her other life is like. However, Aunt Alexandra does not want her to visit Calpurnia’s house; Scout doesn’t understand why, however, since she lacks the prejudice that most other kids would have. Had Scout been living in a different home, she probably would have seen Calpurnia’s other life is inferior to the one that Calpurnia has with them. In later scene, Scout demonstrates his lack of prejudice again at the court scene. When Reverend Sykes asked Jem and Scout if they wanted to go up “to the balcony with [him]” (219), they bolted towards the balcony without a second thought. Other white citizens would probably rather be squished against the walls or stay outside than going up to the colored balcony. However, Jem, Scout, and Dill ran full speed ahead towards the balcony. The kids didn’t care that it was the colored balcony;

In the story “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the main character Scout realizes the town she lives in is full of bias and prejudice toward negros. Scout, the only daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch, is faced with the activism that follows this prejudice when her father decides to defend a negro, Tom Robinson, in the court of law. She is constantly harassed and tormented by the residence of their small town, Maycom. What Lee is trying to show through these events is that people are always going to have prejudices, and sometimes these prejudices come from the people you least expect it form. In the story, neighbors, friends, and family all show their prejudices about the defendant Tom Robinson to Scout, who finally realize the world isn’t perfect but is, in fact, full of flaws and prejudices.

Hatred has been around for many years in the hearts of man. For example, even Cane and Able had hatred against each other. But hatred had spread to other people for several reasons, for jealousy, racism and even for being different. Harper Lee expressed much hatred in To Kill a Mockingbird. The era of the 1930’s in the Deep South was where the novel took place. Maycomb County, Alabama was a place of white supremacy. Scout witnessed the problems of racism and hatred of the Maycomb people. In To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee uses Scout’s perspective and Atticus’s experience to express the true hatred and discrimination in a racist community.

For example on page 118-120, Scout and Jem attend Calpurnia's church service. Being white children in a black church, Scout and Jem further stand out. “Lula stopped, but she said, "You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our in. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?” “...When I looked down the pathway again, Lula was gone. In her place was a solid mass of colored people. One of them stepped from the crowd. It was Zeebo, the garbage collector. "Mister Jem," he said, "we're mighty glad to have you all here. Don't pay no 'tention to Lula, she's contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church her. She's a troublemaker from way back, got fancy ideas an' haughty ways—we're mighty glad to have you all." page 119. This is the first occasion that Scout and Jem encounter racism first-hand. Jem and Scout feel as if they're the objects of somebody else's racism, which place them in a rare position. Henceforth, Scout and Jem understand that no matter what they do or how persistent they are, they will still be dealt like a superior of the black community and they see this owing to perspective. Scout and Jem noticed the black community of Maycomb County’s of view by being the minority in the black church. Scout and Jem obtain the gist of how the black community feels, but they yet never actually will feel exactly how the black community feels. Thanks to changing their

Along with these stereotypes comes racism. Jem and Scout first experience racism against them when Calpurnia takes them to her church one Sunday. Another member of Calpurnia’s church berates Calpurnia for bringing Jem and Scout into an all-black church. Calpurina refuses to let berating change her mind about allowing the children to attend her church. Rather than allow the children to go home as Jem suggests, Calpurnia challenges the racism against white people and proclaims that the children are her “comp’ny” (Lee 158). Throughout the novel Calpurnia models the respect that Atticus expects his children to show. Calpurnia complies with her hospitality whenever she is given the opportunity. In his article “Race in To Kill a Mockingbird” Chris Gonzalez refers to Calpurnia’s hospitality as “a great equalizer of

In the town of Maycomb, the black population is judged upon their skin color. For instance, when Mr. Gilmer is cross-examining Tom, and speaking to him without dignity. Mr. Gilmer says to Tom during his cross-examination “are you being impudent to me boy.”(225). Mr. Gilmer called a grown man boy, it was clear he showed no respect to Tom, who is black. Likewise, Calpurnia escorts Jem and Scout to the black church, and Calpurnia changes the way she talks. As Scout is observing Calpurnia talk, she says “why do you talk nigger talk?”(143). In Scout’s and Jem’s mind Calpurnia has never talked nigger talk; Scout is judging Calpurnia because she talks nigger talk. In Support of, Calpurnia introduces Jem and scout to her friend Lola, and Lola disapproves of the while children in a black church. Lola yells “you ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here- they got their church and we got our’n! (136).

Scout has to deal with becoming prejudiced to Walter Cunningham, she does not want him to come for dinner, but Jem still invited him over. Scout is talking to Calpurnia; Walter is in the dining room eating dinner when he pours syrup all over his plate. “‘He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham—’‘Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!’” (24). This shows how Scout is being taught to treat all people equal no matter what their race, religion, or social class. Scout had been going around calling black people niggers, but Atticus tells here that it is degrading and that she should not say that because she is just acting “common” even if she is not. “Of course I do. Don’t say nigger, Scout. That’s common.” “‘s what everybody at school says.” “From now on it’ll be everybody less one” (75). Although Scout is acting “common” by saying these words, she is being taught by the kids in her school that it is okay to speak like this. Atticus quickly corrects her teaching her that it is wrong to say such things; he is teaching her to be a respectful young lady. Scout is learning to be respectful like her father and all of the people raising her.

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.

But in this case Mr. Finch depends on Cal to raise his kids right and fill them with as much knowledge as possible. With Cal being at the house all day she is treated like a family member and is apart of everything. But when Cal takes the kids to her church one day she is called out on being associated with the Finches. Therefore i'm not saying that Cal is ever treated poorly by her black community, but she is definitely treated with more respect by her white family. In the passage “When Lula came up the pathway toward us Calpurnia said, “‘ Stop right there, nigger.”’ Lula stopped, but she said, “‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here- they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss cal?”’ Calpurnia said, “‘It’s the same God, ain’t it?”’(158). In this argument Cal shows a side to Jem and Scout that they have never seen before. This passage is a very good example how Calpurnia acts differently when in the black community. From being treated differently in two communities Calpurnia never lost any respect for the

First of all, one example that shows prejudice in the novel is social prejudice. Social prejudice is when an individual or group negatively show incorrect attitude to someone based on the individual’s membership of a social group. Harper Lee puts many examples of social prejudice throughout the story, starting from the beginning of the novel to the end. One of the examples that stands out is the character Dolphus Raymond. Dolphus is a wealthy white man who prefers the company of African American. He is married with his African American women and has fathered a number of mixed children. Just like his children he is also mocked by the town. The children are mocked by the town because of their mixed skin color and Raymond is also mocked

The kids are shown racial prejudice throughout the book. An example: “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here” (Lee 158), this is an example when Calpurnia brought Jem and Scout to a black church. Another example was when Atticus got judged for taking the case because Tom was black and Atticus is black. A final example is when Tom was found guilty because he was black. This shows that Racial Prejudice is mostly bad, but can also be good in some ways. Racial prejudice can be good if the different races are happy with only being friends with their own race.

When Calpurnia took the children to her church on a Sunday morning a black woman with no respect toward the children said “You Ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here – they got their church, we got ours.” (Pg. 119). This shows that the black people don’t want to be with them and it would be considered wrong of Cal to take them. The discrimination is shown towards both races in that chapter, because later on Jem and Scout question Cal on her church, and why she speaks differently. The children may be innocent, but they’re questions show us that they don’t know much information on who she really is outside of the

Harper Lee has depicted the separation between Caucasians and African-Americans in To Kill a Mockingbird by showcasing how White talk and African-American talk influences conduct between people of different races. For instance, when the children, Scout and Jem went to the church with Calpurnia, and they accessed the church. Subsequently, Scout stated, ‘“Calpurnia tilted her hat and scratched her head, then pressed her hat down carefully over her ears.’ Meanwhile, Calpurnia said, ‘Now what if I talked white folks' talk at church, and with my neighbours? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses’” (139). Specifically, Scout stated, she “scratched her