Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is when a person has a pre-determined opinion about someone or something despite not having an actual reason to think that way. We see multiple examples of prejudice and racism in “To Kill A Mockingbird”. For example, when Tom Robinson is accused of raping and beating Mayella, the majority of the county is quick to immediately assume he had to have done it specifically because he was black. Many people were so consumed with the stereotypes surrounding black people at the time that many important details were unknown until the trial nobody knew he was crippled until he went up to testify. We learn that Mayella had a bruise on the right side of her face, and even when it was proven highly unlikely he would’ve been able to harm her

But while that is true, it is ultimately an outdated book and therefore should not be required reading. The book is commonly used to teach students about racism and injustices in the world, but the book itself took place in the 1930s and was written in the 1960s. It is extremely outdated and doesn’t properly depict what racism looks like in our day and age. The book shows students a very blunt example of racism, when in reality, in this day and age, racism is a deeper and more complex issue. It isn’t a matter of just hating someone because of how they look, but a more internalized issue commonly built off of microaggressions that someone might not even know is a microaggression. The book is also told and written from the perspective of a white person, someone who especially at the time wouldn’t be able to speak about how racism affects people. It is good to teach these things to children to prevent hate, but there are a number of other books written by and narrated by people of color that could be used to more accurately explain how racism affects others. Because of this, despite the book being a good piece of literature, it shouldn’t be used to discuss racism in the

Mockingbirds are birds that don’t harm or disturb anybody and they’re known for singing beautiful songs, which is why is it considered a sin to kill them. The author gives the birds meaning by using them to describe innocent characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, and how they didn’t deserve the things that were done to them. Boo Radley was the subject of many rumors and stories in which he was usually depicted as a monster when in reality he was forced to be a recluse because of something he did as a child. While Tom Robinson was accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, despite him being a polite man simply trying to work to support his family. During his trial it was even proven that it would be highly unlikely he would’ve been able to harm her due to his crippled arm, and yet he was instantly witch-hunted simply because of his race, and the stereotypes surrounding his race at the