How Does Lee Use Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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.

To Kill a Mockingbird taught viewers a lot of lessons about racial prejudice, prejudice, and bravery, and that caused the critics to praise the film. An example of racial prejudice in the film is when Atticus is sitting outside the jail protecting Tom Robinson because there was a concern of a lynch mob coming for Tom. Everyone in the mob believes Tom is guilty because of the color of his skin. Then, Scout, Jem, and Dill run up to defend Atticus from the mob. Scout spots Mr. Cunningham among the group, and asks him how his entailments are coming along. Scout also says she goes to school with his son. When Scout tells Mr. Cunningham that entailments are bad, the group and Mr. Cunningham look ashamed. Then, Mr. Cunningham tells the group to clear out. The group of people that came to lynch

As the United States “progresses” in economic, educational and technological advancements we still are fighting for racial equality. With more than 50 years since the brown vs. board of education case there is still incidents like Ferguson, Baton Rouge, and Phiando Castile where many questions are still unanswered. However, Harper Lee dealt with these same problems in 1960 when she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee created an emotionally confronting story. Lee writes through the eyes of “Scout” a lawyer’s daughter in a small sleepy town of Maycomb in Alabama during the great depression. Throughout the book “Scout” learns coming of age lessons from Atticus and her own experiences. But when Atticus takes on a case defending a black man (Tom Robinson) convicted for rapping a white woman (Mayella Ewell) and is found guilty. “Scout” her brother Jem begin to understand the effects of the prejudices in society. Therefore, Lee applies the literary concepts of diction and tone to revel the truth that prejudices in society negatively affect the way people treat each other in To Kill a Mocking Bird.

In the beginning of the book, even when Scout is a child, she realizes that different people are on different parts of the social ladder. This is revealed when she responds to Mrs. Caroline, “He’s a Cunningham” (26). Scout thinks that just saying Walter’s name conveys the fact that he barely make any money, and the only way they live is through farming. By the end of the book, Scout and Jem finally figures out that Boo Radley is a good person, since he saved them from Mr. Ewell. Scout and Jem have grown up and they now realize that people can not be explained with just their last name, but by the content of their character.

A person is a product of his/her environment. Aunt Alexandra, Scout and Jem’s aunt, is a prime example of treating the “lower-class” like trash.Later on the story, Scout and Jem ask Aunt Alexandra to play with Walter Cunningham. she refused and her reason was “I'll tell you why," she said. "Because- he- is- trash, that's why you can't play with him. I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what.” Just like Scout at first, she thinks the Cunninghams are trash, which is not true they are good folks. However, she is so blinded and convinced that the finches are superior because of their social status. She would be devastated if Scout and Jem start to act the Cunninghams. We could declare that people are contemptuous towards the lower class because of their Economical status, which is the foundation of someone’s position in the society. Which is a considerable part of everyday life of Maycomb County that influenced the

The townspeople’s attitude toward everyone is based upon their social statuses. “There are four kinds of folks in the world: Finches, Cunninghams, Ewells, Negroes” (Lee 302). In Maycomb county, the folks get treated differently based on their ranks. The reader also witnesses that Aunt Alexandra’s attitude changes toward people who have a lower statuses. When Scout asks her if she could bring Walter Cunningham over to play, Aunt Alexandra decline her request “Because—he— is—trash” (Lee 301).

As a result of racism, this will prevent their children from earning good salaries and helping the development of Maycomb through taxes, therefore ultimately damaging the community. Furthermore, racism damages human relationships. One afternoon, as Jem and Scout pass by Mrs. Dubose’s house on their way into town she rudely says, “‘Your father’s no better than the n****** and trash he works for!’” (Lee 102). Due to the deep-rooted racism, even old women, like Mrs. Dubose seem to forget all the good Atticus has done.

“Cry about the simple hell other people give other people- without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too. ”(269) Prejudice is a strong word as well as a nasty act. It is shown throughout the Maycomb County in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Prejudice shows us just how it affects the different groups of people in this novel.

At first, Scout and Jem Finch have a very idealistic view of the town of Maycomb. They believe that everyone will do what is right, no matter what. Scout describes it as very ho-hum and predictable, where “a day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer.” (Chapter 1, page 6.) Scout says of the Radley family, “They did not go to church, Maycomb's principal recreation...” (Chapter 1,

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a beautiful story depicting a family living in the South of the 1930’s, and their struggle against the prejudice which was common to that time. The book centers on Atticus Finch, the father of the family as well as a lawyer, and his fight against prejudice. We see the story unfold through the innocent eyes of his young daughter, Scout, who is free from prejudice and not yet jaded. By viewing events as Scout sees them, the author shows us how to overcome prejudices, and gain tolerance.

Because of rumors and stories, the Radleys are unfairly made fun of and demonized by the people of Maycomb. In part one of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, Jem, and Dill mock

There is one thing that affects the lives of almost every U.S. citizen. Every day people are being left out. People are being mistreated. People are being criticized. People are being discriminated against - all because of that one thing, skin color. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, racism plays a big role in the life of a girl named Scout. Through a series of events, Lee uses scenarios that connect with the reader to show the effects of racism on the daily life of others.

Most literature, fictional or nonfiction, has some theme. That theme can be linked to anything: real life, your social life, or just applies to you personally. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is an amazing piece of literature. Telling the story of discrimination from previous ages, through the seven year old protagonist Scout Finch. Written as a memoire of Harper Lee’s own personal experience with racism, this book outlines all forms of discrimination: sexism, classism, racism, and domestic abuse.

What if this is happening in this generation? What if it is going on today? Wait, it already is, prejudice, and it is ubiquitous. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a very significant, meaningful and powerful book. The main characters are Jem, Scout, Atticus, and Boo. It takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. It takes one through the experience of growing up under extraordinary circumstances in the 1930’s. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, uses the society of Maycomb to demonstrate the negative consequences of prejudice.

Harper Lee's ‘To kill a Mockingbird’ explores the prejudicial issues which plague over the town Maycomb. Harper Lee uses the trial of Tom Robinson a black man accused of rape on a young white girl, Mayella as a central theme to portray the prominence of racial discrimination in Maycomb. The racial prejudice is also widely shown through the characterisation of Atticus. Having Scout as the narrator allows Harper Lee to highlight the gender inequity through a youthful unbiased perspective. The chauvinistic attitudes and prejudiced views of most of the town’s folk leaves Maycombs social hierarchy in an unfair order, victimising many of the town’s people due to their socially non-conforming habits some ‘socially unaccepted people’ including Boo