Herd Mentality In To Kill A Mockingbird

People get peer pressured into various activities, one of these situations for example could be a group of friends going downtown when, all of the sudden, 5 people in masks jump out at the group looking for a fight. Thankfully in most cases people are with enough friends (that were also peer pressured into going) that they are all able to fend them off. A situation like this explains how herd mentality can lead into negative situations, but also help get out of those situations. If you had never submitted to herd mentality, you wouldn't be there, but if others hadn't also submitted to the idea, you could have been killed. This is a prime reason how, as seen in the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the article “Fear Factor: How Herd

Some of these negative affects are seen in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Although there are various scenes where herd mentality is shown, one of the most prominent parts occurs when Bob Ewell is called to the stand. When he walks up to the stand and sits down, Scout has a memory moment regarding to what she noticed about the Ewell’s separation from their neighbors. Scout then comes to the realization that “All [Bob Ewell] had that made him better than his neighbors was… his skin was white” (229). This theme is consistent in the book because the herd mentality of Maycomb County leads to the idea that certain skin color (white) is superior. This is an example of how herd mentality can lead to harmful and racist ideas that affect the lives of many. Another instance in the book that represents a negative of herd mentality is Aunt Alexandra’s beliefs that Scout needs to wear a dress to be more ‘lady-like’. This idea that to be a lady you have to wear dresses and stay inside and cook is a very insulting expectation. These misogynistic thoughts that stemmed from the herd mentality during that time led to some unfair disadvantages for