To Kill A Mockingbird Discrimination Essay

Because of what people have heard about Scout, they stereotype that she isn’t ladylike because she acts like a boy and wears overalls. Mrs. Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor, says, “’…what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways- a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café-hah!’”(Lee 135). In this case, Scout is considered a stereotype, but she changes her ways. Scout is confronted with her own stereotypes in the novel but as she grows and learns, she begins to regret her actions. Scout changes her ways throughout the book in order to get rid of the label people put on her. Even though she is still a tomboy at heart, Scout learns how to control her actions and act more like a lady.

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.

Throughout the book, Scout was being discriminated because she was a girl. Dill said, “Jem, you and me can play and Scout can watch if she’s scared” (Lee 51). This demonstrates that Dill and Jem think she can't do certain things just because she is a girl. Scout was always convinced that being a girl was a bad thing and by doing boy things, she could avoid being a “bad girl”. “I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that’s why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could go off and find some to play with” (Lee 54). This justifies how Scout is doing everything she can to not become a girl, even if it means hanging out with Jem and Dill. When Jem and Dill were going to peep in Boo Radley’s window, Scout got nervous because she was afraid that they would get caught, and how Boo would respond. Jem said, “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home-I declare to the Lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day” (Lee 69). This proves that Scout is getting yelled at for thinking like a girl. She is noticing Jem’s recklessness ideas. This states that sexism is a notable topic in To Kill a

Scout was particularly affected by gender discrimination as she was a girl. She was told she acted too much like a boy when she should be acting like a girl. Scout described Aunt Alexandra as “Fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pant” (108). Aunt Alexandra discriminated Scout for not wearing lady like attire and told her that if she continued to dress that way then she could not be a lady. Aunt Alexandra soon became determined to put an end to Scout’s non-feminine behavior. Atticus tried to explain to Scout that "She asked me to tell you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are. She wants to talk to you about the family and what it's meant to Maycomb County through the years, so you'll have some idea of who you are, so you might be moved to behave accordingly"(178). Atticus decided to take his sister’s word and told his children what they should act like despite him not approving of this. Scout’s behavior is what leads her Aunt Alexandra to discriminating her and telling her she will never be a lady if she continues to not dress

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a complex literary work exploring several aspects of the human condition. Lee’s story is one based in the 1930’s, shortly before the Civil Rights Movement. Her novel ventures into the societal issues, such as racism and gender stereotyping, in their fictional town, Maycomb. One recurring theme throughout the narrative is the social adjustment of the citizens of Maycomb and the human race as a whole. Lee showcases the progress in social justice matters by using symbolism and motifs.

Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the difficult times of the Great Depression in the early 1930’s. The novel surrounds the life of a young girl named Scout Finch, along with her brother Jem, and their friend, Dill. Who are forced at a young age to watch the people of their small town of Maycomb not only receive, but also give prejudice to numerous, harmless people. Whether it be Boo Radley, a shut in who falls victim to the town’s gossip, even though he is constantly showing acts of kindness towards the Finch children. Or it be Tom Robinson an innocent man that Atticus, Scout’s father must defend be accused rape, and be convicted of a crime he did not to just because of the color of his skin. Throughout the novel, the people of Maycomb deal with prejudice in the forms of sexism, intolerance of differences, and in racism.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee depicts racism in the 1930’s and shows the characters had to overcome challenges because of it. The 1930’s was a difficult time to live in because of racism against African Americans and the depression, where thousands of people lost their jobs. The idea “an extraordinary challenge can sometimes make an ordinary person into a hero” shows that anyone in To Kill a Mockingbird could have been a hero, even in a time of hardships. Scout Finch, Arthur “Boo” Radley, and Atticus Finch overcame challenges in the story in order to become great heroes.

Racism is a big issue in this novel, Even though racism is not as bad as it used to be it is still something that is causing a lot of pain to dark-skinned people.

During an individual’s childhood, culture and morals have a dramatic effect on the outcome of the person as an adult. In Harper Lee’s classic To Kill A Mockingbird, she writes the novel based on a young girl’s point of view to exemplify the racial prejudice that occurred throughout Maycomb, Alabama. Scout Finch, the narrator, goes through situations with multiple characters during the novel that show Lee’s perspective on The Great Depression time period. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee stresses the theme of innocence destroyed by evil using several characters symbolized as mockingbirds, analyzing the characters’ morals, and detailing the Tom Robinson court case.

Injustice: The Unfortunate Consequences of Racial Prejudice Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father, Amasa Lee, became the basis for Atticus Finch, Scout`s father and main protagonists within the story. (Baxter 1).

To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, that offers a view of life through a young girl’s eyes. The novel is focused on two main themes which are racism and discrimination.

The fact that it is noticeable and common knowledge within the town, and no one attempts to enact change, proves that the racism of Maycomb creates a great inequality between the peoples. The town’s racial prejudice is not limited to the black people, but extends to those children born of one white parent and one African American parent. ‘…but once you have a single drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black.’ The people of Maycomb are of the belief that all black people, regardless of whether they are a coloured person or otherwise, are as bad as each other. At this point in the novel, we have already heard from Atticus on why the peoples are equal when he states that ‘You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women – black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman with desire.’ By using this powerful comparison of no man having never told a lie, it proves to the reader, and should at the minimum provide doubt to the community of Maycomb, that immorality, lies and sins are not determined by race or the races of an individual, rather by behaviour of a specific person. The racial inequality seen in Maycomb teaches a valuable life lesson in equality, as it is clearly

Why is there discrimination? Discrimination is everywhere in the world and there always has been. People are discriminated against because they are different, whether that is ethnicity, religion, social class or gender, everyone is going to be discriminated against because they aren’t “normal”. Society can fight back, they don’t have to accept this hatred that prevails throughout the world. Everybody just needs to have courage, integrity and tolerance, the necessary traits to help end the discrimination that is in the world, which Harper Lee shows perfectly in To Kill a Mockingbird.

In today's society we come across subtle racism so much, it is almost always overlooked. Subtle or convert racism are small thoughtless actions that reflect racism, much like being ignored or being treated differently because of a persons' skin colour. This form of racial discrimination is often based on fears and/or racial stereotypes. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird we come across subtle discrimination shown to Tom Robinson by Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor in his trial. Mr. Gilmer refers to Tom Robinson as "boy", in contrast Mayella is referred to as "Miss Mayella" or "Ma'am". Treating Tom differently (with lack of respect) than Mayella even if its the same situation but for the colour of his skin is subtle discrimination. Shouldn't everyone

Jimmy Carter once said, “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over.” The book takes place in fictional Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Scout, the narrator, and her older brother Jem, have a different childhood than most children at that time period, because their father, Atticus, is not making them conform to society’s standards and is encouraging them to be who they want to be. The family has an African-American cook, Calpurnia, who both children adore, and Atticus teaches them to respect everyone and not discriminate based on race. Throughout the novel, there are several instances of discrimination against both white and black people, like when Calpurnia brought Jem and Scout to her church one time, and how Atticus defended Tom Robinson in court for a crime he did not commit knowing he was going to lose because Tom is black. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses both dialogue and setting to convey the fact that discrimination is an issue that affects everyone.