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Examples Of Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Everybody is Equal The novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, introduces the main characters Scout, Jem , Atticus, and Calpurnia. In the beginning, the characters wonder what has become of Boo Radley. Was he anything like what they have heard, and is he truly the monster the town thinks he is? As the story moves on they become concerned about what will happen to Tom Robinson during the trial and if he will be plead guilty or not. In the end of the book the characters are getting worried about whether or not Atticus will be harmed by Bob Ewell. This book has many forms of racism, classism, and discrimination. Discrimination was is not the largest problem in the novel. When Cal brought Jem and Scout to her church, when atticus …show more content…

Towards the end of the book scout wanted to play with the little boy, Walter Cunningham, but Aunt Alexandra told scout that she could no longer play with walter or talk to him. Scout was getting furious and asked Aunt Alexandra why she can no longer play with Walter. Aunt alexandra says “ I’ll tell you why,” “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 learning Lord knows what. You’re enough of a problem to your father as it it.”. When Aunt alexandra said this, Scout was furious at her because she didn't like how Aunt Alexandra was talking about him. Aunt Alexandra was saying to Scout that she the Cunningham boy is no good and he doesn't know any better because of how he was raised and she doesn't want scout hanging around him and catching the “bad habits” she thinks walter has. Another part in the book where classism is seen is when Jem is trying to explain the different classes. Jem said, ”I think it's been how long your family has been readin and writin”. Jem compared his family to the Cunninghams, the Ewells, and then the negro families. Classicism defines a lot of people even though that is not who they are are. People are judging on who their family is and the town thinks that they are just like the rest of their family, even though they are

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’s mother passed away. Aunt Alexandra tries to convert Scout from acting like a boy and tries to make her act like a girl more. Aunt Alexandra influences both Jem and Scout by teaching them basic manners. Ex. She teaches them how they should act when she first comes over.

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549 Words | 3 Pages

Aunt Alexandra is stubborn and says Scout cannot invite or spend time with Walter because quote on quote “he is trash”. The scene ends with Jem explaining how the class system works in Maycomb, the whites(The Finches), the farmers(The Cunninghams) in the woods, the trash(the Ewells) who live in the dumps, and the african americans(First Purchase Church), and each class looks down upon the one below it. This scene in the book shows that regardless of how nice,kind,loyal, and respectful the cunninghams are they aren't treated equally just because of their class. In conclusion, Walter is a character in To Kill a Mockingbird who is discriminated against.

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1575 Words | 7 Pages

In this quote, Scout is talking about how Aunt Alexandra doesn’t ever let a chance to nag people about how pure her family is and how impure their families are. This, however, is just her facade so she could hide her true self. In the following quote, it will show how Aunt Alexandra really is and this is after Atticus tells her, Scout, Calpurnia, and Miss Maudie that Tom died trying to escape jail. “I thought Aunt Alexandra was crying, but when she took her hands away from her face, she was not.

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424 Words | 2 Pages

In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee uses negative connotation and vivid symbolism to persuade that being judged by an outward appearance or backstory can affect a person negatively and make the judgers feel superior. Lee uses an outstanding amount of characters to persuade this but some distinctive characters that she uses is Aunt Alexandra and the Cunningham’s. Lee also uses the Ewells and Tom Robinson to persuade her meaning. In chapter twenty-three Scout asks Aunt Alexandra if she can play with Walter Cunningham but Aunt Alexandra declines the request and does not give Scout permission to play with Walter. She explains why plus starts to judge Walter.

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788 Words | 4 Pages

Aunt Alexandra demonstrates discrimination, even against her own race, when she refused to allow Scout to have Walter Cunningham over for

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606 Words | 3 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been read by thousands, and it teaches lessons that can be applied to everyone. Perhaps one of the most obvious themes in this novel is the importance of not being judgmental. Lee’s novel follows main characters Jem, Scout, and Atticus. Lee’s novel takes place during a time when black people were not so much loved. In her novel Atticus, the father, is defending a black man named Tom Robinson for raping a white women in the racially prejudice Southern rural Alabama during the Great Depression.

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637 Words | 3 Pages

For example, Aunt Alexandra told Scout that she couldn’t play with Walter Cunningham because she says that he and his family are not their kind of folks. “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 learning Lord-knows-what” (225). This quotes shows how Aunt Alexandra believes that Scout shouldn’t associate with Walter Cunningham even though he is

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627 Words | 3 Pages

First of all, one of the life lesson Scout learns is that everyone should be treated equally. One way she learns this lesson is from Calpurnia, who has taken on the role of Scout and Jem’s mother figure. When Walter Cunningham comes over for lunch Scout criticizes him very rudely. Calpurnia takes Scout into the kitchen and scolds her. Calpurnia tells Scout that just because Walter is lower it doesn’t mean you can treat

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788 Words | 4 Pages

Scout wanted to play with Walter Cunningham, but the proposal was instantly shot down, due to Walter being of a lower class. Frankly, Aunt Alexandra understands that The Cunninghams may be good people, but she wants her family to obtain their reputation as being respected and wealthy. Thus, because of her strong belief in maintaining her family’s social status, Alexandra opposes a relation between her family and one of a lower tier. Afterwards, it is necessary for Jem to explain Maycomb’s caste-like system to Scout. Jem points out that there will always be prejudices, even within the white community.

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1660 Words | 7 Pages

The Path to Freedom The Civil War movement took place in the 1800, which is the period that Mark Twain lived in and witnessed the massive racism, torture, and persecution toward African Americans. Mark Twain uses the word “nigger” more than one time in his writing. He did not mean to insult or criticize African Americans, but using the word nigger at that time was considered a natural word that people use.

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The main Characters of the book are Atticus, Scout, and Jem Finch. Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird the author gives the reader insight into how racial, gender, and religious discrimination, impact the community of Maycomb. There are many times when racial discrimination is shown in the novel, like when Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her church and Lula tells them many times that she has no business bringin white children to a black church.

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This is illustrated when Scout asks to play to Walter Cunningham, the children are shocked to hear her state her reason for preventing their interaction, her justification was “‘because--he--is--trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not hage you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what’”(301). Jem also uncovers some of the family tension when Atticus defends Tom Robinson; he is often teased that his father loves African Americans. At the Christmas reunion, Francis says that Atticus was “‘ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’ ’” (110).

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1208 Words | 5 Pages

Aunt Alexandra being the social butterfly she is, disproves the idea of Scout hanging out with a poor farmer’s boy. In an act of prejudice, Aunt Alexandra forbids Scout from any boyish behavior to prevent Scout from having any social connections with Walter Cunningham. Scout argues with Aunt Alexandra about inviting Walter Cunningham to dinner, but Aunt Alexandra insists that Scout does not do such a thing. “their is no [doubt] in Aunt Alexandra ’s mind that

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738 Words | 3 Pages

Scout is initially naïve and does not think about how her actions affect others, showing that children can be offensive when their naïveté equates to a lack of empathy. For example, when Jem invites Walter Cunningham over for dinner, Scout is not accustomed to the way he eats. She says to Calpurnia, “But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup, he’s poured it all over” (Lee 32). Scout’s youth prevents her from understanding the differences in other people’s life circumstances, including Walter’s. Her family is wealthier than the Cunninghams and she knows proper manners; Walter, on the other hand, likely does not.

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1514 Words | 7 Pages

In the story Aunt Alexandra gets angry at Scout for hanging out with people that were not in the same economic group as them. The text states, "She took off her glasses 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 learning Lord knows what.

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