Who said it best? While both the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird and the film, A Time to Kill, effectively portray the repercussions of prejudice, it is clear through effectively conveying systemic racism and the discrimination of people with disabilities, To Kill a Mockingbird has undoubtedly ‘said it best’. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee clearly shows how systemic racism occurred back in the 1930’s through the trial of Tom Robinson. Tom, a black man, is accused of assaulting a white woman and despite plenty of evidence pointing towards Tom being innocent of assaulting the woman, the jury convicts the man simply based off skin colour. Furthermore, the treatment of Calpurnia by Aunt Alexandra is indicative of the prejudices of …show more content…
The concepts of To Kill A Mockingbird go beyond racial prejudice with Boo Radley as he is subject to prejudice merely because he is disabled. The people of Maycomb fear him based on rumours. This demonstrates that prejudice comes from peoples fear of “outsiders” or anyone who is seen as different from everyone else. A Time to Kill goes no further into prejudice aside from racism. While the film shows the threat of the Ku Klux Klan, it does not address the broader problems that inspire such hatred. While both the novel and the movie have ‘white saviours’, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill, To Kill a Mockingbird is the icing on the cake as it portrays Atticus in a better light. Atticus fights for equality and justice, whereas Jake only fights with his driven ambition and for personal gain. The overall message of A Time to Kill is mainly delivered through violent and dramatic courtroom scenes. While this approach works well for drawing attention, it can feel a bit improper (choose a better word) as it does not portray prejudice the same