Racism And Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Racism is something that most people would claim they do not believe in or support; however, as clearly shown in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, racism is a disease that spreads through a region and worsens as time goes on. Racism is an issue that is still prevalent in the American society today, and Harper Lee’s timeless novel continues to teach the lesson that one needs to look beyond the color of another man’s skin and see them for who they truly are. Mr. Raymond’s conversation with Dill after Tom Robinson’s testimony initially shows that racism is better comprehended with age. He says, “Let him get a little older and he won’t get sick and cry… Cry about the hell white people give to colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too” (Lee, 1960, p. 269). Here, it becomes clear that children can be naive to racism and the evil in the world, but as they continue to grow up in an area that feels so strongly about white supremacy, they become immune to the injustice and prejudice. Further, Mr. Raymond’s words allow the reader to better understand the severity of the racism in Maycomb and the entirety of the country. It also unveils a crucial theme in the novel, namely that one must consider a person of color to be no different from oneself, as all humans are equal. Additionally, racism is repeatedly referred to as a disease in the novel, which is explained when Atticus is talking to Uncle Jack about the trial and he says “‘... I hope and pray I can get

Atticus said, “They’ve done it befor and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep”(Lee 285). To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. It is about two siblings , Jem and Scout, who live in a small town called Maycomb. Their father Atticus, is a well known lawyer, who is defending an African American that was accused of raping a white women. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout are introduced to discrimination and learn that it’s an everlasting problem. Prejudice and discrimination are important themes in To Kill a Mockingbird because of racism, sexism, and ageism.

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.

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

Is Stereotyping and racism truly wrong? In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee six year old Scout Finch, and her older brother Jem, live with their father in cozy Maycomb, Alabama. They love to spend time with their close friend Dill, and also spy on their mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Later Atticus, there widowed father, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges from the Ewell family, exposing the children to the evil of stereotyping and racism in the South. Throughout the trial Atticus taught his children to respect others, no matter what action they were accused of committing. Atticus lived by the theme respect others, protect the innocent, and always take a moral stance.

For many years, Boo Radley has been a source of fascination for the children of the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and Jem Finch are siblings who live with their father, Atticus. Along with Dill, who visits his aunt in Maycomb every summer, Scout and Jem spend much of their time trying to catch a glimpse of Boo. Even though they often find evidence that Boo is around, they never catch sight of him. Along with their hunt for Boo, Scout and Jem are faced with harassment from their classmates at school. Their father is an attorney in their small town. He has taken on the case of a black man accused of raping a white woman. The prejudice attitudes of the townspeople make life uncomfortable for the Finch family in Harper Lee's classic

names’s Tom Robinson”. Discuss the effects of racism on Maycomb citizens such as Tom and Helen Robinson,

For example, Atticus is a firm believer in racial equality; therefore, Scout is brought up in this manner making her impartial as well. In a scene of the story, Scout asks her father about a term that is given to Atticus and his family by different members of society. As Scout asks Atticus if he is a nigger-lover, Atticus replies by telling Scout that he loves all races equally and tells her that this may be the cause of unjust treatment. However, it must be done because it is the right thing to do. (Lee 144).

During the 1930s in “To Kill a MOckingbird” by Harper Leek, racism was known and present. The first example is when a Maycomb citizen talks about Atticus defending Tom's life, “..yeah, but Atticus aims to defend him. Thats what I don't like about it”(163). White people in Maycomb look down on African Americans and they were disgusted that Atticus want to help a black man. The second example is when Atticus explains about unequal treatment of blacks to scout, “...when it's a white man's word against a black man's word, the white always wins. they’re ugly, but these are the facts of life”(252). No matter how right a black man is, the whites will prevail because to whites they see themselves as civilized people and not inferior beings. The final

is one that is the most prevalent. This theme is the root of every racial and social problem in

This idea has been an issue ever since human race people are born. Although it is slowly disintegrating, it is still a larger issue in today’s time. In To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, racism is a big key theme throughout the book. All the townspeople in Maycomb miss judge African Americans and treat them harshly and rudely. Scout," said Atticus, "nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. As the novel concludes, a main theme that is portrayed well throughout is; you never understand a person until you walk around in his

I have read “To Kill a Mockingbird” in this “your choice” novel unit. One theme I discovered was prejudice. I’m not sure if that would be considered one but in my head it is. Plus, I know that it’s a big problem throughout the entire book. You have a white women (Miss. Mayella Ewell) accusing a African-American male (Tom Robison) of raping her, in which she lied, in case we figure out that she’s lying ourselves as we read through Scout’s point of view, though the court rules in Mayella’s favor because that would always happen back then. Where being prejudice comes into play is, everyone seemed to be against Tom, expect a few who support him, who includes Atticus, but he couldn’t do anything about it because Tom was African American.

The youthful innocence and childhood ends when a child is exposed to tragedy. The grim reality of adult life can ruin a child’s positive outlook on life. For example, in To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout’s traumatic experience made her see her town in a whole new way after witnessing Tom Robinson’s trial. She now see the bias and racism that the men she sees everyday. As Scout read Mr. Underwood’s editorial, she realized the truth about the unfairness of the trail. The excerpt that displays Scout’s thoughts says, “How could this be so, I wondered, as I read Mr. Underwood's editorial. Senseless killing—Tom had been given due process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood's meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed,” (Lee 323). Scout is discouraged when she realized the moral advice that Atticus had given her had failed in the courtroom. In Tom’s trial, she saw how racism trumps justice. In The Pact, Mike suffers a great loss at such a young age. The death of his best friend was a traumatic event that went with him his whole life. As weeks passed after Ricky’s death, Mike felt an overwhelming sense of regret that weighed on his heart forever. An excerpt from the book states,

For hundreds of years, white men spurned African Americans and viewed them as inferior. Africans led poor, humble lives, for they remained enslaved, while many Caucasians enjoyed comparatively wealthy and prosperous lives. Although the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery over fifty years before the Great Depression ensued, the time period surrounding To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice against those with different skin colors remained evident. Black people continued to work for white people, and many looked with disdain upon individuals who stood up for African Americans. Also, the bias toward Caucasians resulted in unjust court outcomes. Racism exists as a prominent theme throughout Harper Lee’s masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird, as demonstrated by the lifestyle of the African Americans, the partiality opposing those who defended them, and the instance of the Tom Robinson case.

What is racism? According to dictionary.com, racism is hatred or intolerance of another race or other races. In other words, racism is the discrimination against a different race because one thinks that their race is superior. Harper Lee provides readers with a glimpse of racism in her book To Kill A Mockingbird. Set in the 1930’s, Harper’s book displays a time where segregation became prevalent in America. Maycomb itself did not seem have segregation laws, but the people still acted racist towards Negroes. Racism in Maycomb can be seen in court, safe communities, and people’s attitudes toward those who interact with Negroes.