Theme Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Prejudice is an unreasonable opinion formed without enough prior knowledge to be reasonable and completely accurate. In To Kill A Mockingbird, a fascinating novel by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout learn a myriad of lessons through their father, Atticus, and experience. Promently, the children become aware of how prejudice their once innocent town of Maycomb Alabama really is. Throughout the book, the Jem and Scout encounter a theme that reoccurs countless times: prejudice. And most specifically racial prejudice. Woven into the book, prejudice, especially racial prejudice, is a common theme, which is discovered by Jem, Scout, and the reader through Tom Robinson and his trial, Dolphus Raymond, and the overall actions of the inhabitants of Maycomb …show more content…

The black community in Maycomb was badly oppressed. Very few of the black people could read, Calpurnia, her son Zeebo, and about two more being the exceptions. Scout and Jem, when visiting Calpurnia’s church were thunderstruck. They had taken reading for granted, everyone they encountered regularly could read as far as they knew. Not only does the black community of Maycomb suffer but, the town working like dominoes (when one is affected everyone is), so does everyone else. After Bob Ewell is dubbed a hero by the jury because of racial prejudice, he becomes overconfident and begins to freak everyone out. Therefore Bob Ewell becomes a threat to the lives of all the folks nearby because of the biased jury. The trial affects Tom’s wife and people whose lives are intertwined with his, “Reverend Sykes hesitated. ‘To tell you the truth, Miss Jean Louise, Helen’s finding it hard to get work these days… when it’s picking time, I think Mr. Link Deas’ll take her”(Lee 164). Knowing that Tom and Helen are in trouble, Link Deas will probably help her. This affects everyone who is concerned about the Robinsons. When food arrives at the Finch’s doorstep after the devastating results of the trial, we see many people of Maycomb are mourning about the decision of the jury and feeling grateful and sorry for Atticus’ hopeless attempts to fight racism and thus defend a man’s life. Everyone in Maycomb county is affected by acts of injustice towards a fellow citizen, whether they support them or

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