Freedom From Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, injustice is a main theme that is reflected towards many characters. To Kill a Mockingbird, is a novel written by Harper Lee and published in the nineteen-sixties. Many characters in the story are treated unfairly in society due to racial or prejudicial attitudes. Overall these characters are innocent victims of injustice. Atticus, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson are considered to be mockingbirds in the novel. A mockingbird was defined as a bird that did nothing wrong, but sang beautiful music for us to hear. These characters did nothing wrong and were treated unfairly in their town. In this different society, there are many factors that have had an influence on people’s perceptions towards others.

To Kill a Mockingbird, written in 1960 by Harper Lee, is a classical tale of how racism and prejudice affected the lives of African-Americans in a small Alabama community in the early 1900s. Racism affects multiple events throughout the book. If racism could have been overcome, many people in Maycomb could have had a different life. During the book, racism played an important role in three major events. These events included Helen Robinson not being able to get a job, Tom Robinson’s conviction, and Miss Merriweather explaining her feelings toward black people.

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.

Since the beginning of the nation, citizens have been fighting for their freedom and equal rights. The fight for equal rights caused decades of trial and massive attention in favor of the leaders so they would bring peace into this world. One of the first and perhaps most important woman who started the fight for women's rights was Lucy Stone. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, as a six years old girl, Scout is concerned with the significance of adult’s words and action as a way of understanding her world, and observes behavior that quite often befuddles her. Much as the judgment Scout receives for her tomboy appearance, Lucy Stone played a pivotal role in the evolution of women's rights.

The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, addresses the issues of racism and discrimination in the south during the 1930s through a trial concerning rape. Tom Robinson, though convicted of this crime, was innocent. The evidence within the case shows that Tom Robinson is innocent because of Mayella Ewell, the young lady that claims she was raped, has most of her bruises on her right side, however, Tom Robinson’s left arm is completely useless. To add, Tom sounds more trustworthy than the other two witnesses, Mayella and Bob Ewell. The first witness, Heck Tate, says during his testimony, “‘It was her right eye, Mr. Finch. I remember now, she was bunged up on that side of the face…’” (Lee 225), with this information, it makes it less likely that Tom Robinson had assaulted Mayella because “his left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right” (Lee 248). However, it is more probable that Bob Ewell abused Mayella because, during Bob Ewell’s cross-examination, Atticus asks him to write his name, and Judge Taylor realizes Bob Ewell is left-handed when announcing, “‘You’re left-handed, Mr. Ewell’” (Lee 237). During Heck Tate’s testimony, he says that Mayella’s right side of the face was beaten up, however, Tom Robinson’s left arm is shorter than his right, so it is implausible he would have pummelled Mayella’s face, but it’s more likely for Bob Ewell to do so because he is left-handed, and, in general, is a horrible person. This proves Tom could not have walloped Mayella’s right

Life is like a thrill ride; one never knows what will be in store for them. Many characters in the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee feel the same way about life, having experienced many surprising and unexpected turns of events. This story is about a sleepy southern town filled with prejudice, and a lawyer’s quest, along with his children Scout and Jem, to take steps in ridding the town of its prejudiced attitude. Despite being a white man, a lawyer named Atticus, defends an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. However, everything does not go as was hoped, and the mindset of the society overpowered Atticus’s fair-minded argument. From this emerges a theme regarding the bigotry and bias overwhelming Maycomb: A

Next, another key character in the novel, Scout, has a differing view of the prejudice and injustice. Her actions as well also reveal information to the reader. The main moment in the novel when the reader can see Scout’s true understanding of the injustice and prejudice is when she and Dill are discussing the court case after he felt sick. More specifically, after Dill complains about how Mr. Gilmer was treating Tom unfairly, Scout says “‘Dill, that’s his (Mr. Gilmer’s) job. Why, if we didn’t have prosecutors—well, we couldn’t have defense attorneys, I reckon.’” (Lee,  202). The quote demonstrates how Scout is an unreliable narrator. Mr. Gilmer was not acting that way because it was his job, he was acting that way towards Tom Robinson,

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.

Jem Finch (Full name: Jeremey Atticus Finch), Scout 's older brother who is obsessed with the story of Boo Radley. He risks his safety to see Boo. Jem can be a bossy character that sometimes takes control of his sister, and thinks he is justified due to his age. Jem also finds many loopholes in his father 's rules and exploits them.

“ You never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” ( Atticus Finch, TKAM). There are two characters that come to mind when thinking of this theme. Elie Weisel the main character from the novel Night a horrendous first person point of view from the Holocaust and Tom Robinson a black man falsely accused because of his race from To Kill A Mockingbird. Both of these people are quickly judged because of their race/ religion. In conclusion, both of these characters demonstrate that individual freedoms are limited by one’s ethnicity.

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.

Though it is not as common it is still relevant in today's society. Countless cases of discrimination occur in our country on a daily occurrence that applies to both sex and the very color of a human's skin. Discrimination is still just as relevant today as it was in the 1930’s. If this nation refuses to recognize and fix the faulty system no progress can be made. A simple way to lead young citizens down the right way to improvement and the betterment of our country is to educate them with the wisdom of others regarding such

Inequality is a theme that runs throughout all of history. Harper Lee uses the theme of inequality in her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson must deal with inequality when he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit because no one will trust a black man over a white man. The Cunningham family must face discrimination because of their lack of money. Scout even faces inequality when she tries to play with Jem and Dill. The theme of inequality is a strong one in Lee’s book, and her use of inequality doesn’t only define racism, but also discrimination based on wealth and gender.

During the Great Depression, racism and prejudice were the cause of suffering for many people who were greatly affected by discriminating thoughts. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Maycomb County is a town also filled with the evils of racism of prejudice, but that immorality is often hidden by certain of acts of courage and goodness enacted by the citizens of Maycomb. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee portrays the importance of courage through characters Atticus, Mrs. Dubose, and Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, who all persevere through the path of rightness in the face of prejudiced and disapproving opinions, without worrying about the consequences of their actions. Atticus’ decision to defend Tom Robinson brings many disapprovals from others but he still continues to fight for him, although he knows that there is a high chance of Tom Robinson being doomed because of his race. Mrs. Dubose exemplifies courage because even though it costs her life and invited bad thoughts from others, she stays determined to get free of her addiction. Scout, an innocent, young girl, shows courage by defending what she thinks is right, although the consequences may not be good for her.

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.