Examples Of Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

Appearance and stereotypes can make us judge someone, because of something such as skin color. These perspectives can keep people from seeing the consequences and results of their actions. By learning how to open our minds, we can broaden our own perspectives. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses conflict and plot to illustrate that judging someone without knowing them can eliminate the opportunity to understand their point of view. Lee shows this through Boo Radley and the theories that people have about him. It was also shown when there were unfair accusations towards Tom Robinson. Because of stereotypes, they couldn’t see the truth to what he had done. Although judging seems bad, it is the actions that come from our own opinions that can lead us to make mistakes.

They believed that “Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work,” (10) which shows their fear and belief that all bad things happen because of Boo. The only reason that they treat him like he is a monster is because of the suspicions and theories that have built up and spread to other people. Lee shows Boo’s kindness when Atticus tells Scout “‘You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when [Boo] put the blanket around you,’” (96) which implies that he is thoughtful and cares, but people’s fear of him prevents him from being seeming generous. Tom Robinson and the case against him is another example. Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, believes that he is innocent and he is only being accused because of his color. Stereotypes of blacks such as the assumption that they lie and are bad people cause others to not give someone a chance to be proven innocent, not unlike Tom. In the book, the characters refer to a black person as a “nigger” which is a very offencive and negative term which shows how people in the early 1930’s viewed people of dark