Examples Of Dehumanization In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The root of any discrimination is dehumanization, no large group of people can sincerely hate or cause pain to a group of people based off of race, color, sexuality, gender, religion or any other separating factor without dehumanizing them. Every single time in history where people in power have taken advantage of a specific group of people, they have had to dehumanize them. There is no debate about that. Harper Lee not only uses To Kill a Mockingbird as a direct protest against the Jim Crow Laws, but she also protests the reason people allowed themselves to sleep at night. Author Radley represented how easy it is to be dehumanized and what it took to simply prove himself a person, of which is the center of any discrimination. At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Dill and Jem shared some questionable similarities to Jim Crow, while Scout represented the …show more content…

First, Jem implemented fear and falsehood about Author that dehumanized him. He spread lies making him sound dangerous and without conscience. Eventually, the mention of Boo instantaneously registered fear into Scout’s brain. Second, Dill, who represented Jim Crow, made games of mimicking Author, of which furthered the dehumanization. Until this point, Scout didn’t want anything to do with Author, she was terrified of him and the things he might do. As Scout grew older, she began to notice Author’s kindnesses. Ever so slightly did she begin to question his humanity. At the point when she was the most mature, she acknowledged Author’s name. Almost every time a white was intentionally used to dehumanize African Americans. People didn’t recognize African Americans people. They were not people, they were niggers. Atticus called Tom by his name every single time he referenced or