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To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

Decent Essays

To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) by Harper Lee, is set in the insular town of Maycomb where people are unwilling to go against traditions despite the unfair nature of them. Through TKAM readers come to understand the roots of an unfair society and the importance of integrity and perspective in establishing a fairer society. Communities are treated unfairly based on preconceived notions the people of Maycomb have about race and social class. Tom Robinson is treated unfairly at the trial because of his race. The jury will never “decide in favor of a colored man over a white man” because people will always carry the assumption that “all Negroes lie” and are “immoral beings”. Even though the trial claims to be fair by making it a public event, we can see how it is not truly fair due to people’s racial prejudice against the coloured community. Mayella Ewell is thought of as trash because of the family she was born into and their known reputation and social class, despite trying her best to be a proper lady. We can see that she is not like the rest of the Ewells as she “[tries] to keep clean” and she “tenderly” cares for her geranium, but in spite of this people will always think of her as “absolute trash” because she is a Ewell. The Ewells are not accepted into the white community despite being white themselves because of their social class. Lee uses the metaphor of “Maycomb’s usual disease” to convey the message that prejudices, especially race and class based, are contagious

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