To Kill a Mocking Bird- Victims of Prejudice

Prejudice is an opinion based on stereotypes and not actual experience and discrimination is unjust treatment of people based on race, sex and age. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” there are multiple cases of discrimination and prejudice. One example is the trial of Tom Robinson. Some might think that prejudice and discrimination lead to positive outcomes in the novel but in fact, it leads to the opposite. Prejudice and discrimination lead to negative outcomes because it provides a way to judge people based on stereotypes and not actually meeting the person, people who did discriminate get angry with people who don’t, and it causes people to lose their innocence.

During the 1930’s depression, there was a great divide between black and white America. There were many communities and groups who had been exposed to the same treatment and persecution as the Negroes in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee has used a small town setting, such as that in To Kill a Mockingbird, to illustrate America’s views on white supremacy and the inferiority of the black race. The author has illustrated view that are expressed world-wide through her characters in Maycomb county.

When the Flinch children moved into Maycomb bad rumors were spread about the Radley house, and soon the children were terrified of this “ghostly” neighbor. Little to their knowledge Boo Radley was not a scary mean person like they thought. Boo taught both Jem and Scout that you should not judge people based on what rumors say. For example, in the beginning of the novel Scout and Jem find a knothole in a tree, but when they kept going to the tree there was always something new, like someone had been putting presents for them in their. “I were trotting in our orbit one mild October afternoon when our knot-hole stopped us again. Something white was inside this time.” (page 79). Even though Boo knew that the kids were scared of him and that they believed the rumors he still put effort into making their day and giving them something. Another example was at the very end of the novel when Boo Radley saved Jem and Scouts life. At this moment Scout had a whole new respect for Boo because he wasn't what everyone said. He was better than that. “ A man was passing under it. The man was walking with the staccato steps of someone carrying a load too heavy for him. He was going around the corner. He was carrying jem. Jem’s arm was dangling crazily in front of him.”(page 352). That was Boo that was carrying Jem back to the Flinch house. Boo Radley saved their lives and Scout will never forget him and learned a valuable lesson

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.

In conclusion, throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice is shown as one of the most important things in the lives of the citizens of Maycomb, Alabama. One of the most evident types of prejudice is

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.

Discrimination, it has been part of human nature for a long time, especially relevant subject in literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the main character of Scout Finch was exposed to different types of discrimination as she grows up. Discrimination affected the lives of characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird because of society’s prejudicial views of race, gender, and class.

Prejudice should not exist in this world. But unfortunately, it does and it always will somehow. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is an inspiring book and brings out hard truths about how the world used to be, about the great depression, and in some aspects how it still is today. It follows a girl named Scout and her family through three years of her childhood. Her father, Atticus Finch, took on a very big challenge to defend a negro for raping a girl. The book sort of revolves around this event. Prejudice is in many different forms of discrimination. Throughout the book it is demonstrated by race, class, and gender.

If I had to define prejudice, I would say a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. There are many examples of prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) is about Scout Jem and Dill who learn valuable life lessons. They watch a trial of a black man accused of raping white women unfold.Throughout TKAM you can see Harper Lee is saying that nobody is born prejudice but throughout their childhood, it is learned. Throughout TKAM we can see how the kids learn prejudice through race, class, and gender.

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.

Prejudice is seen throughout the world in many forms even after the Civil Rights Movement. To Kill a Mockingbird shows the extreme prejudice that African Americans were faced with at that time period. This book shows prejudice through character interactions.

The novel to Kill a Mockingbird, is about a young girl named Jean Louise Finch. She is also known as Scout. Scout experiences different events that change her life. Scout and her brother Jem are being raised by their father, a lawyer named Atticus and a housekeeper named Calpumia in a small town called Maycomb. In the South racism and discriminations towards black was a big issue . The story begins when Scout and her brother, become fascinated with a mysterious man known as Boo Radley. Scout and Jem meet boy named Dill who comes from Mississippi to spend the summers there. Jem quickly tells the story of Boo Radley to young Dill. Boo Radley, a man in his thirties who has not been seen outside of his home in years, mainly because of

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.

I have gathered you all here today, because recent events have really had the whole town in uproar… I thought I should remind y’all that Just because their are folk… white folk… that would discriminate against us coloured… that would go out of out their way to cause us trouble… Does not mean, we should prejudice these people and expect them all to commit such acts upon us all. Myself personally, rasin’ two white children, and tendin’ to their property, I ‘ave begun to truly see, that there are those who would help, and who would look out for our kind in times ‘o trouble. Mr Finch for instance, Is a man of kindness, a man who would fight for coloured folk in court even if he knew the odds were against him. I can bet that there be plenty ‘o other folks, who would treat us like human bein’s... Now… I been hearin’ crazy talk about startin’ a riot.

Blacks all around the world have received prejudice against them all the time, being judged, not by their actions but by their skin color. Their lives have been segregated since the start of civilizations, and only recently have they been granted the same equality as everyone. But still, this does not hinder people from continuing to show racism and prejudice against blacks, putting labels on them, and treating them as inferiors. Lee depicts the racism and prejudice against blacks in the Jim Crow era, describing how they were viewed in the eyes of the white population. Atticus, Scout’s lawyer father, is sent to court to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. At the end of his case, he pleads the jury to not let the evil racism of the society affect their decision, but have justice and proof be the real judge, “...the evil assumption---that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber,”(232). Atticus makes his firm statement trying to go against the ideals and morals of that time period. He is asking a jury of white men to vote against the word of 2 other white and judge on. man as innocent. These type of people are those who can firmly see through the blinds of racism and foggy mist of prejudice. They are those who strive for a bigger difference and the bigger picture in the future. They see what can become of the world if prejudice continues to undermine our society and form new values. They aim to identify people based on their true actions and intentions rather than rumors and judgment. But the amount of these special people is dwarfed by blind men believing in rumors and never questioning the innuendos. The jury still after hearing the final words of Atticus, are still going to declare the black man guilty, because of the judgment that all blacks are immoral, and will harm others. These assumptions determine the fate of this black man and will determine the fate of other black men in the future as stated in Tim Wise’s article, “Year after year, and case after cases it continues, with black lives viewed as expendable in the service of white