Discrimination: Then, Now, and Forever

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Irrationality, exploitation, characteristical features of races, and nonconformity are all reasons people have been discriminated against (Brenner 2). Discrimination not only covers racism, but social statuses, gender, and even typical stereotypes. It affects almost all lives in America and is commonly seen in American life. Discrimination will exist in America, though many hope to see it fade into the past.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, forms of discrimination are seen throughout the book. Scout is expected to act as a female and lady instead of the tomboy she is at heart.
Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra’s vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father’s lonely life (Lee 85-86).
She tries to refuse the attempts that people make to change her into a proper young lady. A 1930s woman was expected to stay in the home, be married, and have children. “Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote—a right known as woman suffrage” (History 1). Even though they were allowed to vote, they were not seen as political material, let alone material for any career. In the book, Lee explained more about stereotypical women in a conversation between Atticus, Scout, and Jem. “‘For one thing, Miss Maudie can't serve on a jury because she's a woman.’ ‘You mean women in Alabama can't -?’ I was indignant. ‘I do. I...

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Discrimination against African Americans. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
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"Relations of Class in the Great Depression." Class in the 1930's. Urban and Urbane: The New
Yorker Magazine in the 1930s, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
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"Vulnerable Youth and the Transistion to Adulthood." Hhs.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
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