prejudice leads to injustice

722 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Boo radley in to kill a mockingbird innocence

Prejudice leads to injustice
Throughout this classic piece of literature written by Harper Lee, injustice and prejudice acts by the townspeople are the main focal points of the story with many examples present in the novel. Boo Radley, Atticus, and Tom Robinson are all examples of prejudice and superstition that leads to injustice. Boo Radley is the main example of superstition and Tom Robinson is the main example of prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Boo Radley is the subject of both prejudice and superstitious beliefs made by the people of Maycomb. Rumors of Boo's nightly activities have turned him into an idol of gossip and a man who is feared throughout Maycomb. He has acquired a very scary nickname, a reputation for violent and perverse traits, and most of the town avoids the Old Radley House like a disease. Aside from the fear of the unknown that haunts many of the people in Maycomb, there are many superstitions that are observed by both children and adults. Many of the people say he got in trouble with the law when he was younger, and his father imprisoned him in the house as punishment for his wrong doings. He was supposedly imprisoned for fifteen years, until it was said that he had stabbed his father with a pair of scissors. 
The pecans dropped from the tree in their yard are rumored to be poisoned by Boo Radley; the children never eat them when they fall into the schoolyard. It was said that he could only come out of his house at night, and Miss Stephanie Crawford said that she saw him looking in through her window one night. Any small mishap or issue was always blamed on Boo, such as the azaleas freezing in a cold snap. When the crazy Addie killed the household pets at night, they blamed it all on Boo. The children...

... middle of paper ...

...l Dill, after all he’s just a Negro” (Lee 199). In Maycomb, people are treated very differently based purely on their color, and economic status.
To conclude my essay Harper Lee uses the time and setting to exemplify the horrible effects of prejudice through Atticus, Boo and Tom. Boo is thought to be a monster by the people of Maycomb but ends up being a very caring shy young man not a monster. Throughout the novel Atticus Finch is discriminated by the townspeople of Maycomb for doing what is right and standing up for Tom Robinson who is innocent. Tom Robinson experiences so much racism that by the time he steps in to the courtroom he is a dead man. This classic piece of literature is an epic novel that exemplifies and pints out the horrible effects of prejudice and injustice on people and how these two key matters lead to injustice and in some cases destruction.

Show More
Related

  • To Kill A Mocking Bird

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird is the existence of racism and prejudice in the 1930 – 40's. Harper Lee succeeds in presenting the topic in a manner that is not overly simplistic and thus achieves the task of allowing the reader to fully appreciate the complex nature of unjust discrimination. Harper Lee's inclusion of characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond and many others, aid the reader to grasp the concept of racism and its central role in the town of Maycomb.

    Read More

  • 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

  • How Does Atticus Show Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.

    Read More

  • Discrimination in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sometimes, people discriminate one thing, but strongly oppose the discrimination of another thing. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, this issue is very much expressed throughout the story. This thought-provoking story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during a time when there’s a rape trial against a falsely accused African American named Tom Robinson. There is also a discrimination, of sorts, towards a man named Boo Radley, by three young children named Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and Charles “Dill” Baker Harris. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are similar in their own ways through their inherent goodness.

    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

  • Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    After his father died, his brother moved in with him. While Boo was locked up inside is house, the people of Maycomb County made up stories about him. The legend of Boo Radley was well-known to the people of Maycomb. Jem describes Boo, “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—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.”

    Read More

  • The Mockingbirds of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thus, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley are all victims of rumour, humiliation, and prejudice. Firstly, Atticus is humiliated by his family and his neighbourhood because he has stood up to an African American man, and then, is nicknamed “nigger-lover” for his decision. By strong evidence, Tom Robinson is proven innocent of rapping a young white woman, but is still convicted, and then shot to death because he is black. Finally, Arthur Radley is greatly misunderstood because of his mysterious background and is forced to isolate from society to escape the awful and untruthful rumours about him in Maycomb. Through the storytelling of Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley, the reader understands how the mockingbird symbol is used to represent those who are innocent, and have good intentions at heart.

    Read More

  • Fear and Courage in To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Radley family has a presence that startles nearly all of Maycomb County in some way. For example, every resident of Maycomb County would never set foot in even the Radley house yard. However, this was not the case for protagonist Scout Finch and her brother Jem. This show of bravery represents outstanding courage. Moreover, the main area of fear of the Radley family is provided by Boo. Boo is the child of the family, and is rumored to eat grotesque foods such as live rats. Although very few people had ever seen Boo, nobody dared to search for him. That is, except for Scout and Jem. Despite being terrified of what Boo could be, Jem and Scout searched tirelessly for him. Even after their father forbid them to search for Boo, Jem and Scout would not be denied and searched for him anyways. The courage shown by the young children in this novel is good.

    Read More

  • Power Hungry in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    Boo Radley was a victim of prejudice because after youthful pranks, his father confined him to their house. As a result, Boo became known as a "malevolent phantom." Later, Boo is revealed to be "a gentle soul through his unseen acts" (Telgen 292). Even though the community hasn't seen or heard from Boo in over 15 years, he is assumed to be a monster. Children of the neighborhood, including the narrator, harass Boo and adults try to avoid the entire family. In Interpretations, Bloom summarizes, "The one remaining victim of vicious gossip, Boo, has revealed himself as not only very much a human being, but as the savior of children" (35).

    Read More

  • Examples Of Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Diction In To Kill A Mockingbird

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no doubt that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel known for its themes, most of them containing wise life lessons, racial inequality being an obvious and important one. Firstly, racism illustrates the lack of justice and people’s views on prejudice in Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, the novel touches base on diction notably the racial slurs used. Finally, with racism being a theme of the novel, it affects the characters’ personalities. Harper Lee uses life lessons, diction and characters throughout the novel because it develops the main theme of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.

    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

  • To Kill a Mockingbird - Equality

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    Few people are the same as they are on the street in their homes. Few people can treat others equally; no matter what colour their skin is. Atticus Finch is one of those precious few. Racism in the town of Maycomb is nothing but disguised by the polite smiles and ladies missionary meetings; although it is the strongest belief that each person of the town holds apart from some such as Atticus. Racism is an issue of great importance, yet to the eye of a visitor waltzing through, it's just a slight whisk of air.

    Read More

  • Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sum up, the social relationship between these people here, this old town Maycomb is complicated and pretty tense. This novel has taught us so much, thanks to Harper Lee – one of the greatest writers of all time. It has opened our eyes wider about racism at that time and compared it to nowadays it has become so much better. People are equally, no matter what skin color you are, what religion you have, or where you’re from, what you’re appearance looks like, we are all equal, and we are all the same – human. So instead of treating badly to one another we should all united and make the world a better place.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Fear In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    Boo had found himself in the wrong crowd as a teenager which eventually resulted in breaking the law and attending court. Mr. Radley, who is Boo’s father, had made a compromise with the judge which was if the judge released Boo, he himself would see to it that he gave no further trouble. Ever since, Boo had never been seen or heard from again for just about fifteen years. The children are afraid of the Radleys because they keep to themselves and most people in Maycomb are friendly and sociable, they also believe the Radley pecans are poisonous. They are mostly afraid of Boo because he never comes out of the Radley house, Mr. Radley takes a stroll to the town store every day at eleven thirty and comes home promptly at noon, Mrs. Radley occasionally walks across the street to enjoy coffee with their neighbors, but Boo never comes out.

    Read More

More about prejudice leads to injustice

Open Document