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Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Prejudice: an opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Prejudices can kill, especially when there is power involved. Harper Lee composed one of the most famous to exist, To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that discusses difficult subjects like racism, rape, and murder. The main event in the book is when Atticus is representing Tom Robinson, a black man, that is accused of raping the daughter of Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is convicted by a white man, Bob Ewell, that has made the claim that Tom Robinson has raped his daughter. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many obstructive prejudices that divide the community of Maycomb such as sexism, racism, and classism.
Sexism is a prejudice in To …show more content…

Aunt Alexandra compares the Cunninghams, more specifically Walter Cunningham to Jem. She said that no matter how well-dressed or how put together Walter Cunningham looks he’ll never look as good or be like Jem. The hierarchy of maycomb is unmistakably clear, there are 4 levels of social classes based on skin color and job status/profession, the finches are in the highest social class of maycomb while the finches are in the social class below. Aunt Alexandra is a rude woman who thinks she is better than everyone, “Jean Louise, there is no doubt in my mind that they’re good folks. But they’re not our kind of folks” (Lee 255). This is very classist of Aunt Alexandra by teaching the children the hierarchy of Maycomb. The rich whites: The Finches and Miss Maudie, the humble, poor white people: the Cunninghams, the trashy white people: The Ewells, and the colored, or black people. This divides the community by teaching and passing on the isolating groups that is applied to the families of maycomb. Classism is recognized in Maycomb as just what differentiates the families, but what is not seen or taken seriously is Scout trying to beat up Walter Cunningham for her embarrasment that she faces when she is caught talking in school and she blames it on walter. This is a huge issue and should be recognized as one because she is doing what she sees her family, Aunt Alexandra more specifically, doing, blaming and accusing the lower social class for mistakes that have been made. Classism is a major issue in To Kill a Mockingbird that isn’t addressed as

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532 Words | 3 Pages

Aunt Alexandra’s relationship with Cal is also another example of how she supports segregation. In the text, Scout (Atticus’ daughter) finds out that Aunt Alexandra disapproved of him on the trail of defending a black man from her cousin Francis, “[Aunt Alexandra said that Atticus] turned out a nigger-lover and we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'" (Lee 110). This demonstrates how ashamed she is that her brother is defending a black man and that she is scared of what other people will think. One more example that Aunt Alexandra supports segregation is that she is very concerned about the children and Cal’s relationship.

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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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458 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that prejudice divides communities and that persecution of innocent people is evil; furthermore; these two minor themes reinforce the major thematic idea that a simple assumption can divide people. When Tom Robinson is put on trial for supposedly raped Mayella Ewell, the racism in Maycomb surfaces and creates conflict. In the novel, a stranger says, “You know what we want,” ‘another man said.’ “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.”(172). Some drunken men want to harm Tom Robinson for the wrong that he did.

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111 Words | 1 Pages

A vast amount of time had passed among the first inhabitants of Alaska and when the Ipiutak first emerged. The first evidence of the Ipiutak occurred around ca 1,800 uncal. BP and only lasted to ca. 1000 uncal. BP.

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The Cunninghams, a poor farming family living on the outskirts of Maycomb, are not viewed as “‘...company, [they are] Cunningham’” otherwise known as the trash of Maycomb, according to Scout Finch (Lee 24). Scout makes rude remarks about Walter Cunningham Jr., a classmate of hers, after he drenched his supper in molasses. Calpurnia quickly scolds Scout, explaining to her that Walter had not known any better, not having had supper like that before. Social prejudice is clearly demonstrated here because Walter Cunningham Jr. is not welcome by Scout at the Finch home due to the fact that she does not perceive him to be of her same caliber and social class. No person should be alienated because of the way they dress, where they live, or who they affiliate with.

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576 Words | 3 Pages

People now a days think they are being racially profiled for being looked at. They feel they are being judged by everybody. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird there are multiple accounts of actual racial prejudice. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee shows racial prejudice through how people around the town treats the black community. Like in today’s society, many people are in fear of being judged because of what they do, but in the book there are many examples of people living in terrible conditions in order to not be judged.

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This behavior makes the community single out people like the Ewells and the Cunninghams. We also see how Maycomb’s society influences highly respected people like Alexandra Finch to speak and act impudent. Walter Cunningham Jr. is treated unfairly because of his social class. An example of Walter being treated unfairly would be, “He ain’t company, Cal he’s just a Cunningham” (Lee, 33).

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Her actions towards others of a lower class can be categorized as rude or impudent. For example, “‘I’ll tell you why,’ she said. ‘Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him,’” (Lee 256). Aunt Alexandra’s prejudice can clearly be understood when she prevents Scout from playing with Walter, a poor child, through the use of dialogue.

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Prejudice and Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird In her historical fiction novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee follows two young children, Scout and Jem Finch, as they witness the racism and prejudice within their "tired old town" (6) of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus, their loving father, takes it upon himself to courageously fight these concepts outside the neighborhood Scout and Jem "[confine] their activities to." (132). Atticus, a lawyer, willingly accepts to "[defend] a Negro…[,] Tom Robinson" (100), who was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman.

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The children must be aware of varying social place in their town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus devotes his efforts to teaching his children to always be empathetic regardless of their higher status in society being

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1649 Words | 7 Pages

Grace Merriweather, and Bob Ewell. Aunt Alexandra is one character that is prejudice against African Americans by not liking Calpurnia taking care of Jem and Scout. Aunt Alexandra is also racist against people like the Cunninghams because they are in a lower-class than the Finch’s. Mrs. Merriweather is another character that also does not agree with what Atticus is doing for Tom which leads to her showing behaviors that are prejudice against Tom for being African American. Also, by showing disrespect to her servants, Mrs. Merriweather shows people that she is racist.

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977 Words | 4 Pages

Social prejudice is shown throughout Harper Lee’s award winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee powerfully analyses the theme social prejudice, and its effect on people. Such as how the Social prejudice is discrimination based on your status in society. An example of social prejudice would be the Radley family, which consists of Boo Radley, Nathan Radley and Arthur Radley. As they haven’t been out of their house in years people are lead to believe the rumours.

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986 Words | 4 Pages

To elaborate, social classes separate people even if they are from the same place; the poor people would stick with the poor, middle class with middle and upper class with upper. When Walter Jr is invited to the Finches’ house for dinner, two different responses were made; Jem who welcomed him and Scout who did not. In the beginning, Scout does not accept Walter, as “he ain’t company” and “just a Cunningham.” Later on, Calpurnia explains to Scout that “no matter who they are” she cannot act “so high and mighty” even though “[she] might be better’n the Cunninghams.” Walter helps shine a spotlight onto the complex world of white class relations and class superiority in Maycomb.

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630 Words | 3 Pages

”(225) Aunt Alexandra tries to say that Walter had lower status than the Finch’s so if Scout plays with him, then she will learn bad work habits. She had some problem with her father. There also one example in novel that Jem told Scout there are four types of people in town first like his family, second Cunninghams, third Ewell’s family and end with Black

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1115 Words | 5 Pages

In our society, innocent people, known as mockingbirds, experience prejudice in their lives. A/T: In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Background: Tom Robinson is a black person who’s was accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell which he has never done. For this reason, Atticus Finch was appointed to be his lawyer. As a result, Atticus takes a stand for him by approving his case and standing up for him, but Tom was still found guilty.

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