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Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The Damage That Comes With Being a Good Man. Prejudice harms those who face it, and it continues to roam the world today like it did a hundred years back. So this begs the question, In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, set in a time where discriminative views were rampant in the South, specifically Alabama, which character is most affected by prejudice? Due to societal dislike and its impact on his family, Atticus Finch is the character most affected by prejudice. Firstly, Atticus receives broad social disapproval from the citizens of Maycomb. To start, people’s perception of Mr. Finch, as a man, begins to decline after he accepts the Tom Robinson case. For example, Ms. Dubose clearly states her mind to Scout and Jem by saying “Your father’s no better than the n*****s he trashes he works for!” -Harper Lee (p.102). …show more content…

Dubose thinks of Atticus, but what the general population thinks of him as well. The white population of Maycomb justifies their racist acts to the black population by saying that they are lesser humans than them, and once Atticus decides to defend a black man in court, they believe that he is a lesser man himself and the societal prestige he once had in the community starts to degrade. Plus, Atticus starts receiving threats from the folk of the town because of what he stands up for. In fact, Bob Ewell goes out of his way to spit on Atticus and swears that his battle with him is not over, because Bob felt that he was disrespected by Atticus in the trial. On the contrary, Atticus never meant to disrespect Bob Ewell in any way and was simply performing his professional duties as a lawyer by defending Tom Robinson in the case. Yet, Bob fails to correctly analyze Atticus’ principles and intentions, therefore, he feels the need to threaten Atticus, putting him in some potential danger from Mr. Ewell. Secondly, the hatred going against Atticus starts affecting his

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The Prejudice Community of Maycomb The book “To kill a Mockingbird” is based in a small town in Maycomb, Alabama during the great depression. Some of the main characters are Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell, Atticus Finch, and many more. Tom Robinson is a black male who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell who is Bob Ewell's daughter. Atticus Finch is the lawyer defending Tom and has to put up a battle against the Ewells and the jury to try and defend this man.

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Ewell also developed a hatred towards Atticus after hearing the disclosure about the trial. After the trial Mr. Ewell met Atticus , “spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life” (217). I think Bob found such an appalling behavior necessary because even though he was found innocent the people of Maycomb knew he was guilty of rape. Although Atticus received negative relationship changes he also gained positive relationships with people, specifically from the black community.

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In the story, the character Tom Robinson was accused of beating and molesting Mayella Ewell (daughter of Bob Ewell). As everyone in Maycomb county titles a person that defends African American “Nigger-Lover”, Atticus Finch (Scout and Jems father) is against that cliché; he is rather humble. Bob Ewell is one of the characters that slightly does not follow the law of life. He demands change but it is easier said than done; his definition of change is revenge. Ewell plans to take his revenge out on Atticus, Jem and, Scout for being witnesses of the humiliation he went through.

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Prejudice is preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. According to Oxford Dictionary. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird prejudice is one of the main topics. This is demonstrated in the trial and The kids tresspancence into the Radley yard & Lulas reaction to Calpernia bringing Jem & Scout to the Jim Crow church.

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Bob and Atticus have ideal contradictory lifestyles, but unusually have some elements of their personal lives in common. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb, raising his children to be educated and wise, like himself. Bob Ewell, a man poorly raising his eight children and spending his relief checks on whiskey is the opposite of the judicious and pleasing Atticus Finch. While Atticus is a thoughtful and sympathetic man and whereas Bob is selfish and vulgar, both are single fathers raising their children in the community of Maycomb where the Ewells and Finches have been in for generations.

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Atticus realizes Bob Ewell's determination to retaliate on him for defending an African American during the trial. However, Atticus still sincerely understands Bob Ewell's perspective and attempts to find goodness in it. After Jem asks for Atticus's reasoning regarding his forgiveness of Bob, Atticus points out: "Jem, if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last bit of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does..."(292)

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Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird has a recurring theme of prejudice. Throughout the novel the narrator Scout Finch, Arthur “Boo” Radley and colored people are faced with prejudice. Prejudice is an assumption about someone based solely on what they believe is true or on what they were told or taught. Scout experiences prejudice because of her age, Boo because he is seldom seen and colored people because of the color of their skin.

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“[I]t’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee 90; ch. 10). The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930’s - a time heavy of prejudism. Throughout the book Harper Lee conveys a message about prejudice, telling her readers that what one may think about another is not always true. Prejudice opinions within the book affect people of different race, social class, and gender.

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Prejudice has affected a lot of people in american society. In To Kill a Mockingbird there is a lot of prejudice in Maycomb Alabama. The story is written about a family called the Finches. The members of the family are Jem, Scout, Calpurnia, and Atticus.

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Bob Ewell, as told by Tom Robinson, then yells “you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya” (Lee 104). Bob Ewell knows he is beneath many white people, but still believes his family is better than the black people. When he sees his daughter kissing Tom, he views that as extremely shameful, for Mayella, and for the family. This causes him to come up with the lie of Tom Robinson raping Mayella. It is clear to the reader that Tom did not rape Mayella, and Atticus states to the jury, “This case is as simple as black and white.

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In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee she shows that in her time there was a lot of prejudice. Some characters were able to see through this and show honesty, kindness, and innocence. Though not all people were like this and some were considered cruel and reckless, but no one stood up to them. Atticus Finch and Scout were able to see through this and know who was innocent. Tom Robinson was innocent and kind, but people judged him on what he appeared to be instead of what he really was.

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A Fading Preconception Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the town of Maycomb prejudices Tom Robinson for his skin tone and previous experiences with negro men and women. To Kill a Mockingbird took place during The Great Depression. People were losing their jobs and beloved families. Tom Robinson, a negro man in To Kill a Mockingbird, had to deal with the entire town of Maycomb against him during the Great Depression. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee shows how the town of Maycomb goes against a black man in the south during times of prejudice and racism.

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For example, when he tries to take the case of defending Tom Robinson, he causes major uproar to onlookers and his community even though he’s doing nothing but defending an innocent man. Such an example is when Mrs. Dubose expresses her dissent to Atticus by saying to Jem, “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (102). Even though Atticus thinks the same of everyone regardless of race, culture or gender, many of the people in Maycomb don’t notice that and instead target him for helping a black man who believes he should deserve a fair case. In addition to this, the scene where Mr. Ewell threatens Mr. Finch by spitting and shouting words at him after the case is another example of Atticus being targeted. Mr. Ewell, one of the witnesses of Tom’s case, didn’t like how Atticus was trying to point out his flaws in his cross-examination as that proves Tom Robinson, a black man with no place in society, is not guilty.

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It is in Harper Lee’s “How To Kill A Mockingbird.” that the issue of Prejudice is shown throughout the novel. It is apparent in the novel which exhibits the unethical idea of individuals, particularly

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Even the language he uses declares his intentions and anger towards the blacks. In the white men world, Bob Ewell is a poor, uneducated and powerless white man; but in the black men world, he is powerful; in his mind, he thinks that the town of Maycomb should make him a hero; he saved a white woman from a black villain. Bob Ewell’s real intention is not to defend his daughter and himself; his real intention is gaining attention, he hates that he is nothing and wants the world to shape around him. He execrated Atticus because Atticus is better than him and educated and rich and a man with morals. At the End of the trial, the Ewells unfold to be lairs, Bob Ewell

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