Racism, sexism, discrimination, and prejudice of many kinds are still a major dilemma even in modern culture and society. For example, salary differences between men, women, and people of all ethnic backgrounds vary drastically. Racism is also present, as well as frequent hate crimes we often hear about in the news. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice is ever present in Maycomb. Lee tells the story of a young girl, Scout, and how she sees the world through a child’s perspective. Scout witnesses prejudice in the trial of an innocent black man, the rumors spread about a man who hasn’t been seen in many years, and the harsh words spoken about racially mixed children. Scout, her brother, and their friends, however, cannot understand …show more content…
Actions against those who’ve been isolated are still taught just as racism is. In Maycomb, a man named Arthur “Boo” Radley is falling victim to rumors such as these. People claim he is dangerous, a murderer, and unfit for society, and force him to remain confined to his home for many years. Everyone fears him, but for unproven reasons. “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained” (Lee 13). Everyone in Maycomb is under the preconception that Boo is some kind of monster. They isolate him from their community. That prejudice from adults passes down to children who now avoid the Radley house, and tell horror stories about him, even though Boo is just a normal human being whom everyone has turned against. There is no truth behind their reasoning for hating him. Towards the end of the book, Boo finally emerges from his house in order to rescue Scout and Jem from certain death. When Scout realizes who her rescuer is she is overcome with emotion. “His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. ‘Hey boo,’ I said” (Lee 362). Scout does not treat Boo like he was different. She treats him like any other house guest, even though he has not been seen by anyone in years. …show more content…
Adolescents are always watching adults. They see how adults treat others and they learn from that. In Maycomb, mixed children have a hard time fitting in because they are told they do not belong anywhere. Kids see that and often grow up to have the same prejudice opinions as the adults they grew up around, and those affected by it, grow up believing that those opinions are true. Mixed children become outcasts because they are told that is what they are. “‘They don’t belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just in betweens, don’t belong anywhere’” (Lee 215). Jem has this to say when Scout inquired what a mixed child was, referring to Dolphus Raymond’s children. The culture in Maycomb is not to accept everyone regardless of race, as it should be; rather, it is based on what one looks like and who one’s parents are. Kids grow up learning this from adults and this is what they believe. People often judge someone based on things that cannot be controlled, such as ancestors, or skin color. “‘Around here, once you have a drop of negro blood, that makes you all black’” (Lee 216). In Maycomb, if someone has any sort of negro background, people automatically feel a certain way about that person. These opinions are formed based entirely on preconceptions that they likely learned from someone else. The culture in this
Three students kicked out of a high school for threatening to bring a gun to school. Why would they? Because people were prejudice against them because other students thought they were “losers”. Moral: You shouldn’t not like a person because they aren’t like you. Prejudice was far much worse in the time period of To Kill A Mockingbird. But, Prejudice is the reason for much social injustice. Three characters named Nathan Radley, Atticus Finch, and Aunt Alexandria show us this in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird.
They have many misconceptions of people, places, and concerts in Maycomb county. However as they are young and don't really have opinions themselves. They abide by those presented them. At the start of the novel Scout and Jem see Mr. Arthur Radley or "Boo", as a dangerous, crazy, and rather isolated man. Although never being in his presence or in association with him they always make assumptions about him. They constantly pestered his household and played games that mocked him, "..time to play Boo's big scene...steal the scissors...Jem would fake plunge into Dill's thigh..."(LEE40).They also had the misconception that Boo was kept inside forcefully by his family. Boo was also blamed for unresolved events. As time goes by they mature and start to develop more of an understanding of Boo, "..I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in his house all this time...he wants to stay inside"(LEE227). Jem develops an understanding as to why Boo Radley stays inside. It's not because his family forces him to stay inside. He realizes that when living in a town like Maycomb, there is an incredible amount of judgement and labeling that occurs. It becomes evident to him that Boo has no place and isn't welcomed into the society. Especially with having a stereotype "glued" to his identity. Scout then has an
Growing up in a prejudiced environment can cause individuals to develop biased views in regard to both gender and class. This is true in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, where such prejudices are prevalent in the way of life of 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. The novel is centered around the trial of a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. The narrator, a young girl named Scout, is able to get a close up view of the trial because her father is defending Tom Robinson, the defendant. The aura of the town divided by the trial reveals certain people’s prejudices to Scout, giving her a better perspective of her world.
Prejudice is arguably the most prominent theme of the novel. It is directed towards groups and individuals in the Maycomb community. Prejudice is linked with ideas of fear superstition and injustice.
The Theme of Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ teaches us about the deceit and prejudice amongst the residents of Maycomb County, all of whom have very contrasting and conflicting views. We are told the story through the eyes of little girl, Scout, and the day-to-day prejudices she faces amongst society. Her father, Atticus, is a white man defending a Negro, even though the town frowns upon such a thing. He is trying to bring order to the socially segregating views, both within the court and out. The most common form of prejudice, which is seen many times throughout the novel, is racism.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, many different themes come into view. One major theme that played a big role in the character’s lives is racial prejudice. Racism is an unending problem throughout the book. The song “Message from a Black Man” by The Temptations has many similarities to the theme of racial discrimination. Therefore, both the novel and the song prove that racism was a great obstacle for some people at a point.
Prejudice is a major topic in all of the units. The Germans were prejudiced against the Jews, the whites versus the blacks, the whites versus the indians, and the Venetians versus the Jews. In this essay I will discuss the various reasons I think prejudice is a major topic in this book.
“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. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody." To Kill a Mockingbird is a very powerful book, with many themes and it teaches many life lessons. Such as racism, in this book, the theme of prejudice and racism is embedded throughout the chapters. They teach about racism when an unfair case is pulled to trial, when a mysterious person is in hiding, and when a little girl is growing up and how she is learning and how she deals with racism. It also shows many more bits and pieces of racism throughout the entire book.
’To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee covers the period in the lives of a sister, Jean-Louise(Scout) and her older brother,Jem, as they mature while they learn about the prejudice in their community and developing empathy with people who appear different. Scout learns to respect Walter Cunningham how to act like a lady while Jem realizes the injustice in the justice system.
Prejudice has been present in society since the beginning of the United States. For example, the Scottsboro Boys being accused and charged with rape. The Judicial System during that time allowed race, skin color, and religion to affect the trials. Because of their skin color, the boys did not get a fair trial and were sentenced to years in prison, with some spending their whole life in prison. Few of the boys served their full time in prison and were set free, but they had a difficult time finding job due to their background with the law. In the novel, Harper Lee wanted the readers to know that prejudice can cloud the judgement of people, bring out the hatred, and also wants readers to put themselves in other’s position, so they would be less
A common theme shown throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird was racial prejudice directed towards African American people. During the trial of the Ewells versus Tom Robinson, the Ewells claiming that Tom Robinson, an African American man, raped Mayella Ewell—who was the daughter of the town drunk—though Atticus as Tom’s lawyer proved that he was innocent of the serious accusation made against him, the biased, all white, male jury turned a blind eye to Tom’s discernible innocence. Even though the jury was supposed to be unbiased and open-minded, the jurors still in their own unintentional way brought their bitterness, such as racism or a vehement hatred towards something, into their verdict. As his closing statement continued, Atticus
"Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among stones"- Charlotte Brontë. Nearly every problem and unfortunate mishap in Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird, has been somehow revolved around prejudice or discrimination. Many different forms of prejudice are found throughout the novel, with racism, sexism, and classicism the most common. The residents of Maycomb have discrimination running through their veins and were raised to be racist and sexist, without realizing. They see nothing wrong with judging other people and treating people that they find inferior harshly. Prejudice is a destructive force because it separates the people of Maycomb, both physically and mentally.
How would you like it if someone walked up to you and berated you based on the color of your skin? A characteristic like that isn’t even something you can control, so an insult of that nature can leave one furious and oppressed. Discrimination is inevitable in any culture, throughout history, in modern times, and even in ancient times. For example, the oppression and murder of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust, the African Slave Trade which occurred for multiple centuries, and more recently, the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya people in Myanmar, brought on by the government of the Asian nation, all of which are tragedies doomed to happen when history repeats itself and people do not learn
Arthur Radley or Boo Radley was a nice kid but he did something his parents were not happy about and made Boo grounded for life. So he has been living in the basement for life since he was a kid and now no one knows what he looks like. He was known to get outside at night where no one can see him him and he stays hidden. Boo is lonely as it seems because he was grounded by his parents and its for life.Boo cant get out of the house only at night when his parents are not awake.Boo has never been seen for so long only as a kid he was seen before what he did.He is very afriad of the many people in Maycomb.He does not want to leave the house Boo is scared of the people to judge him on what he did like when he was known to kill Bob Ewell.Boo is afriand of these people in judging him of what he did.His parents judged of what he did as a kid and grounds him for so long that he cant get out of the house.His parents were stricted about it in whch that can make him lonely.Jem said “...he wants to stay inside” which he is talking about Boo Radley that he is so lonely that he does not want to go out side with the people his loneliness is not strong enough to seek friendship even after he saved the children from Bob Ewell that he stil cant make friends.He does not want people to judge him from killing Bob and he would be to
Racism. racism is the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race, based on the belief that one's own race is superior. This belief has been around for many years, ever since the beginning of humanity. Many experts say that racism started in the colonial era and is know starting to diminish. Nonetheless there are still people who believe in the supremacy of their race and think someone's ethnicity makes up their personality. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the people of Maycomb treat African Americans like they're second class citizens. In this Novel, Lee expresses one’s appearance doesn't change people of other ethnicities character and opinions. In which Lee means your appearance can’t change