Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

684 Words2 Pages

One of the biggest issues we face every day is prejudice.In today’s society, many people, just like mockingbirds, are treated unfairly. In Harper Lee’s unforgettable novel “To kill a mockingbird” the moral lesson presented is important in today’s society due to racism that continues to exist in the midst of police shootings and terrorist attacks around the world, the lessons voiced in this book can open minds to what needs to be changed in the world.

Harper Lee presents the challenges of following the theme of the book by introducing readers to not only black vs white predice, but also prejudice found in other situations.The moral lesson found in the novel is to never judge a book by its cover. Harper Lee demonstrates this lesson by stating: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point …show more content…

A study published last year found that “African Americans are almost three times more likely than white people to be killed by the police's use of force”(Buncombe). African Americans in today’s society, lose their right to no discrimination.The Universal declaration of human rights states that. “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race ” In the year of 2017 “Police and law enforcement officials killed at least 223 black Americans in the year, according to a Huffpost analyst of data compiled by the Washington post and the Guardian”(Huffpost). In the midst of police shootings,terrorism, discrimination, etc. Racism has been and is the cause in these situations. Consequently, people are often judged because of their race or the colour of their skin. The reason for why our society acts this way is shown due to the neglected acts against the moral lesson of the book. As the world continues to evolve, changes need to be made to not only protect a group of humans, but also to protect the universe and

Show More
Related

  • Prejudice And Empathy In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.

    Read More

  • to kill a mockingbird

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee sheds light upon the controversy of racism and justice in his classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The notion of equality in accordance with the law and the pursuit of justice are hindered by racial discrimination. The essence of human nature is pondered. Are we inclined to be good or in the wrath of evil? The novel reflects on the contrasting nature of appearance versus reality.

    Read More

  • Prejudice in To Kill A Mockingbird

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Judging People in To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

    1186 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Racism is still an issue that can be seen in the twenty-first century. Although, tons of progress has been made over the last century, some still hold on to racist beliefs. The majority of classic American literature demonstrates the racism that was present in the early twentieth century. By looking at the theme of race in the American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, it is clear that people are quick to judge others based on their own opinions and feelings.

    Read More

  • prejudice in to kill a mockingbird

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prejudice is a real life problem in the world. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes the prejudices found in a small American town in the 1930's. Race, social class, and gender are examples of prejudice.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Prejudice Quotes

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prejudice is a preconceived feeling or opinion that is not based on reason or actual experienced. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee one of the main themes was prejudice. Prejudice is based on ignorance and that is shown in the novel. Many characters were unwilling to understand others which displayed their ignorance. Harper Lee explored different types of prejudice throughout the novel with character interaction. She used different characters in the novel to express and expose prejudice. The prejudice in the town did not only effect one group of people it harmed the whole town. There were three main types of prejudice in the novel. There was racism, sexism, and classism.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Social Issues Displayed in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird displays social issues in early America. In this time standing against common customs was unacceptable, a violation of society. People believe that today courage has overcome adversity that was displayed in early America. Courage is the common subject of To Kill a Mockingbird, which allows Lee’s novel to defy the changing times of humanity. These morals are bound to the “impartiality” and “fairness” taught to people as children, but become unavoidably invisible though selfish actions. The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express audacity along with resilience in the face of cowardice.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Diction In To Kill A Mockingbird

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harper Lee teaches life lessons in the novel by different characters’ opinions on racism. Many of these lessons are brought on by Atticus Finch.

    Read More

  • Challenging Racial Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    529 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, is a novel which explores the theme of challenging racial prejudice. Within this novel, Lee has portrayed unintentional racial prejudice through the characters Atticus Finch, Link Deas and Scout Finch. With these characters, and their roles in exploring the theme of racial prejudice, Harper Lee has set unintentional boundaries for readers, as result, racial prejudicial thinking from contemporary perspective, in comparison to historical views, is challenged to a small extent.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    “To Kill A Mockingbird” is marvelous and unforgettable novel. Not only show how dramatic, sad in and old town – Maycomb be like, but through her unique writings, some big conflicts about politics and critical is going on through this tired old Southern town. Not just in general like education, friendship, neighbors but also pacific in individuals like family and the people’s characteristics themselves. In one book yet can covered with such many problems, Harper Lee must have been experienced a lot and deeply understanding that time. That is why the book lives, becoming literature and get the love from the audiences a lot. One of the problem and mostly run along with the story and interest me is racism between white people and black people socially.

    Read More

  • The Message of Moral Responsibility in To Kill a Mockingbird

    1555 Words  | 4 Pages

    Not only is To Kill a Mockingbird a fun novel to read, it is purposeful. Harper Lee wrote the novel to demonstrate the way in which the world and its people should live together in harmony through a basic moral attitude of treating others with respect and kindness. The novel received the Pulitzer Prize in 1960, which places it among the best adult novels ever written; although it achieved this high recognition, today’s primary readers are adolescents. However, at the turning of the twenty-first century, one might wrongfully assume Harper Lee intended To Kill a Mockingbird a novel for adolescents and ignore its lessons for adults. According to “’Fine Fancy Gentlemen’ and ‘Yappy Folks’: Contending Voices in To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Theodore Hovet and Grace-Ann Hovet, Lee’s work is important because she does not supply the normal assumptions most in America harbor regarding the origins of racism. To the contrary, they argue that “Rather than ascribing racial prejudice primarily to ‘poor white trash’ (qtd. in Newitz and Wray), Lee demonstrates how issues of gender and class intensify prejudice, silence the voices that might challenge the existing order, and greatly complicate many Americans’ conception of the causes of racism and segregation” (67). Reading To Kill a Mockingbird provides its audience with a basic moral code by which to live and encounter individuals who appear different or make choices unlike those made by the mainstream populace. Therefore, this novel becomes part of our moral culture; regardless of age, people learn from the moral codes taught by defense attorney Atticus Finch, his children, and his community.

    Read More

  • Racism In Martin Luther King Jr. Speech I Have A Dream?

    1916 Words  | 4 Pages

    Race seems to be a common theme throughout history, pertaining to the injustice that one has received based on their background. However, as race is a big issue, interracial issues are higher than ones of a different race, 85% of the time black people are the perpetrators of the crime (Jefferson). In this article, it also talks about how in 2013 a black person is six times more likely to commit a murder than any other race. This fact is shocking but describes why many people have predetermined thoughts concerning black people and their actions. Even though this fact is relevant we cannot simply look at every black person in the same way, because everyone is different and unique in their own way. The quote from Martin Luther King Jr. mentions brotherhood and it being a solid rock, but in actual fact, even your own brother can turn on you. The justice department has been put in place to protect the people and serve as protection for people who are being victimized. Yet police then and now still seem to abuse their authority, "We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality." For generations, police have rightfully and wrongly accused black people purely based on the colour of their skin, but to the lengths, some police officers take it to abuses their position in which one originally trusted. In recent day there have been many cases such as the Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ferguson and much more that highlight the police in some cases murdering someone just because they stole something and are believed to be carrying an armed weapon. This racial profiling is so wrong, but it still happens to similar extents resulting in another life being taken away. As much as a whole we try to be accepting, but all of it seems to be an illusion as we still cannot move forward and get rid of the

    Read More

More about Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Open Document