Theme Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

The town keeps its prejudices after Tom’s death by blaming him for it,”To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a niggers mentality…”(Lee,322). The town does not care about Tom’s death except for a few people. “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). Tom has no chance. Even though he is innocent he is still convicted, killed, and forgotten because racism and prejudice run to deep.

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.

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.

Lee develops the theme of prejudice throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Some forms of prejudice are not recognized by the young narrator, but the people of Maycomb are the source of racist and classist prejudice. The most obvious form of prejudice is racism. This close-minded view of certain ethnic groups is displayed when the jury declares Tom Robinson guilty when clear evidence had been presented proving his innocence. The stark outcome of injustice shows the readers that

Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee 322). In this quote the narrator is saying how being black automatically makes you guilty, even though the jury knew he was innocent. This quote proves the main idea because it shows the point of view of an African American. Everyone knew that Tom Robinson was innocent because of the strong evidence Atticus gave, but he was still charged guilty. The author included the quote as a way to show the different point of views of different characters. Tom Robinson’s point of view was portrayed and shows the racism in Maycom county. He was automatically ruled guilty just because he was black. Prior this quote Scout had been in a fight with a boy at school because he called Atticus a “nigger-lover”. Atticus tells Scout, "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” (Lee 144). In this quote Atticus is telling Scout about the racism in Maycomb county and how some people were with it and some against it. This quote is an example of the main idea because it helps to show the point of view of a white person who is not racist in Maycomb county. Almost all the white people in Maycomb discriminate blacks except for Atticus. The author used this

Tom Robinson’s role in this book shows a lot of prejudice. He is a black man convicted of raping a white women. This book is set in the 1930s, during this time period the Jim Crow Laws were still in place and racism was big. ‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling” (Lee, pg 197). Tom Robinson is talking about how he felt sorry for Miss Mayella, who is white. Mr Gilmer gets very upset stating that a nigger should not feel sorry for a white woman. "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads -- they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the fact of life.” (Lee, pg.220) Atticus is talking to the kids about how Tom Robinson will get the death sentence because of the color of his skin and how the jury looks at him. He talks about there is no court in Alabama that would’ve gave him something less. Basically it was Tom against a town full of white folks. Tom is a big symbol of prejudice in the book.

Prejudice is defined as: “An unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.” Harper Lee explores this theme throughout To Kill A Mockingbird with various characters demonstrating or being affected by it, especially because it is set in the turbulent time of 1930s southern USA. In particular, the theme is prominent in the characters Arthur (Boo) Radley, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson. I will begin with Arthur (Boo) Radley.

Boo Radley faces prejudice against society since many people create rumors about Boo him. A rumor said about Boo is, “People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows… Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work” (Lee, 10). Prejudice is shown through Boo Radley against Maycomb since they want to create a reason to hold onto about Boo’s actions for staying indoors. Boo Radley is similar to a mockingbird because all he does is give to Jem and Scout.

Decades ago, in the 1930s, people of color were not treated fairly. Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird took place in the 1930s in the fictional place of Macomb County, Alabama. It was narrated through a young girl named Scout Finch. Throughout the novel, Scout, her older brother, Jem, and their good friend Dill discover realities of society. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, was appointed to be the attorney of a black man. Because of the time period, the case was almost hopeless, but Atticus fought anyway. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird displays universal themes such as racial intolerance and innocence of youth.

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

There are many themes shown throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird. The author, Harper Lee made the novel take place in the 1930s and in a fictional town called Maycomb County in Alabama. The narrator was a young girl in the novel names Scout Finch. Throughout the book Scout, her older brother Jem, and her best friend Dill discover new things and become more mature. Then towards the end of the book Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white girl. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, racial intolerance and courage are two of the many themes demonstrated throughout the novel.

Analyse how symbolism was used to convey an interesting idea in an extended written text

In the novel, Boo Radley is a casualty of prejudice. Boo Radley isn't acknowledged nor does he fit into Maycomb society since he is not the same as others. He isn't ordinary so he is rebuffed by a general public that is judgmental. Boo does not act like a typical individual. In the public

“To Kill a Mocking Bird” is a novel which was written by Harper Lee. In my essay I will discuss how Harper Lee explores the theme of prejudice by looking at the writing techniques and how they affect people.

Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experiance. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Prejudice is everywhere. It is especially against Tom Robinson a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell a white woman. In the case Mayella was beat on the right side of her face which means that the person who beat her was left handed. Tom’s left hand was injured by a cotton gin and he could not use his left hand. He was still convicted even though there is no way he could have done it. He was decided guilty because of the racial prejudice in Maycomb.