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Essay On Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, in Maycomb County, there are unfair events that happen to people because of wrong things that others believe in. Since people in Maycomb County believe in those preconceived ideas, some of the characters like Walter Cunningham, the negroes, and Scout don’t get equal rights. Even if it’s the early 1930s, inequality still exists to this day: social, gender, and race/color. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, readers can see that prejudice and bias creates inequality.

One reason why inequality is a central problem in To Kill A Mockingbird is where you stand in the economy. For an example, “ But I want to play with Walter, why can’t I? Scout asked. She took off her glasses and and stared at me. “ I’ll tell you why, she said. “ Because he - is - trash , that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him picking up his habits and Lord- knows what.” Said Aunt Alexandra. ( Lee 301) This shows inequality because other kids besides the Ewells and the Cunningham are called trash. It’s not right that just because you’re poor you’re called trash. Also, “Cry about the simple heck people give other people -without even thinking. Cry about heck white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too. “ said Mr. Raymond. ( 269) This is crucial because it shows how much damage is being done to african americans; it shows that even if people know that what they’re doing is wrong, people do it because of preconceived ideas. …show more content…

“ Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home - I declare to the lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day! Jem said. ( Lee 69) Jem is telling Scout that in a genuinely mean way. What’s wrong with being a girl? There’s absolutely no reason to tell someone, “ Oh, you’re acting like a girl.” Jem said that to Scout like she was powerless compared to

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The term disenfranchisement can be defined as depriving someone of their rights, power and privileges. This notion is heavily explored and demonstrated in Harper Lee’s classical novel - “ To Kill A Mockingbird”, published in 1960. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is set in the fictitious rural town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. The plot of this novel occurs in an era of great social and economic turmoil. Discrimination and racism was at its peak and Lee, the author manages to capture this attitude in her novel.

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So·cial jus·tice, noun, 1. justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. 2."individuality gives way to the struggle for social justice.” (Google Search). Social Justice is a term used to justify the equality in the world; equality of race, equality of gender, equality of religion, of age, of background; equality of all people not dependent on any outside factor, but of the people themselves.

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He is vulnerable to Maycomb’s gender and racial views, where he is unable to create his own opinions, thus he ends up following the prejudiced views. Jem’s father, Atticus does not agree with this, so he is trying to teach his son, what is wrong and right. When Scout neglects Jem and Dill’s idea of trying to peek through Radley’s house; Jem says to Scout: “…I’m telling you for the last time, shut your trap or go home – I declare to the Lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day.” (p.57) Jem places these gender views of females on Scout; as Jem perceives females as weak, childish and scared.

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When Jem says this it aggravates Scout because she thinks that Jem and her are equals, and everything he does and he knows she does as well. Scout isn't old enough yet or mature enough to realize that she can’t do everything Jem is able to do and she doesn’t know everything that he knows. Her immaturity leads her to doing many things that if she were older and more experienced would know it’s not polite or right to say and do some of the things she does. As the book progresses she does show slight advances in her maturity level, but Scout still hasn’t grasped the fact that she is younger and will not comprehend everything as well as all the people in her life that are older and more understanding of the world around them. She still talks back to anyone who tries to tell her what to do even if it’s for her own benefit.

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