Atticus Finch Discrimination Quotes

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Discrimination is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird in numerous ways. Racism and prejudice are shown when the jury makes the ruling to convict Tom Robinson as guilty, despite all of the evidence to prove his innocence; Scout is known for being a tomboy. The lessons about discrimination that Scout learns throughout the novel are applicable to all types of prejudice. Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem Finch, is judged for defending Tom Robinson, an innocent man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a low class teenage girl. Since most of the community is racist, Tom Robinson’s case is very hard for Atticus to defend. They do not believe a white man should be defending a black man. However, Judge Taylor appoints Atticus to the case because …show more content…

The community is very prejudiced. In Maycomb there are very few people who believe in justice for all and equality, such as Judge Taylor and Atticus. Atticus believes people discriminate in areas such as race and gender because of stereotypes. When the children try to disturb Boo Radley, a man who is seen to be a monster and stays inside all day, Atticus tries to teach his children, Scout and Jem, to act as himself, civil and unbiased. He tells them to let the man be. Atticus addresses Scout after a long day at school when he says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 30). However, this pertains to the lesson Atticus is trying to teach Jem and Scout because he wants them to stand in Radley’s skin and leave him unbothered. Atticus applies this lesson to everyone, even Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, when he spits in his …show more content…

She realizes her father was right all along as she muses, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 374). Scout sees seeing everything from Boo’s point of view, and becomes sad because she realizes that Boo is just an innocent shy man and people in Maycomb see him as a monster and a horrible person. She gets to know Boo and understands why he acts the way he does. Boo stays inside because he has been conditioned to do so and does not know anything else anymore. His preference does not make him a bad person. As Scout matures, she becomes more like her father. Scout learns not to discriminate and to give everyone a fair