ipl-logo

Examples Of Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

890 Words4 Pages

Nolan Baker
Mr. Columbo
English 1H
27 February 2023

To Climb Into Someone Else’s Skin and Walk Around in It
In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee explores the issue of stereotypes through several characters and their stories from 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. By following Scout Finch as she interacts with preconceptions, the reader is able to observe how deeply ingrained prejudices impact individuals. The book addresses the injustices that African Americans experience as well as preconceptions about persons who are difficult to identify in order to demonstrate the negative effects of prejudice. These preconceived beliefs could never have been true in the present given how much society’s attitudes have changed over time. Lee's portrayals of Boo …show more content…

As a black man in the 1930s South, Tom is automatically assumed to be guilty of the crime he's accused of simply because of his race. In Mr. Underwood’s editorial, he highlights Tom’s case when he writes “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee 245). Despite the lack of evidence against him and the testimony of the white protagonist Atticus Finch, who defends him in court, Tom is ultimately convicted and killed. During the court case, Atticus asks Tom “Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?" (Lee 202) where Tom responds "No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now" (Lee 202). This shows how Tom wasn’t meaning to hurt anybody and is further evidence that he is not guilty while he is ultimately convicted. This tragic outcome underscores the pervasive and unjust stereotypes that were common during that era, as well as the dire consequences they could have for innocent individuals like Tom …show more content…

Atticus expresses his inner thoughts about courage to Scout when he says "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway, and you see it through no matter what" (Lee 112). While the people of Maycomb attack Atticus, they have no idea how good of a person he is and how courageous he is being by standing up for Tom. Atticus is stereotyped as being a traitor to his own race for taking on such a case. The white community believes that Atticus should not be defending a black man, as it goes against their social norms and values. Bob Ewell thinks that Atticus is wrong when he threatens to kill him. According to Miss Stephanie Crawford’s account, “Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him” (Lee 221). However, Atticus believes in justice and equality, regardless of race or social status. Through his defense of Tom Robinson, Atticus challenges the prevailing stereotypes and prejudices of his community and encourages his children to do the

Show More
Related
672 Words | 3 Pages

The main character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus Finch, a middle aged man living in Maycomb Alabama. Even though he is a southerner he isn’t racist and he believes that everyone should be treated equal, Atticus teaches his children empathy and not to discriminate against other people, he does his by telling them “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Even though Atticus treats everyone as equals he gets affected by the town and their prejudice way of thinking. Because Atticus accepts Tom Robinsons case he gets called a “nigger lover” and him and his children get treated differently by the town.

Read More
1402 Words | 6 Pages

A critical event in the book is when Atticus accepts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell; however, he is disfavored against by the town due to his race. In the book, Atticus says, “...The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’. The evidence boils down to you did--I-didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’...” (Lee 117).

Read More
143 Words | 1 Pages

Stereotyping is represented in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird through historical allusion. Tom Robinson, who was an innocent crippled handed and kind, was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Consequently, he was put into trial. This trial, which alludes to Scottsboro trial, portrays white man’s stereotypical view of black man at that time.

Read More
1119 Words | 5 Pages

Though people are fond of Atticus himself, his decision to aim for Tom Robinson’s justice causes discomfort, “ ‘Lemme tell you somethin’ now, Billy’ a third said, ‘you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger.’ ‘Yeah, but Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it” (186). The quote exposes that everyone understand the fact that he is assigned to the case but do not understand as to why he is so intent on proving a black man’s innocence. Since Atticus exceedingly expresses his thought on Tim’s innocence and involves so much of himself in the case with a black person, he obtains negative feedback and gets called a nigger-lover.

Read More
275 Words | 2 Pages

Jem and I decided that Boo had got her at last” (Lee 63-64). The character Boo is stereotyped as psychotic

Read More
963 Words | 4 Pages

He’ll arise in front of everyone and confront them even if he knows that the chance of winning is minor. The accusation of Tom Robinson’s rape was incorrect, however, it was a black’s voice against a white’s. Atticus went several times for Tom’s rescue despite the consequences, Atticus states “I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep.” Atticus will try everything he can to protect the unfortunate man, Tom Robinson, but the whites are believed to have more privileges in the community.

Read More
757 Words | 4 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a small town named Maycomb Located in Alabama, highlighting the adventures of the finch children and many other people in the small town. The people in this town are very judgemental and of each other and it often leads to people being labeled with stereotypes and people think they know everything about that person however that is not reality. It is not possible to know the reality of a person 's life by placing a stereotype without seeing it through their own eyes and experiencing the things they experience. This happens often throughout the story with many people in the town. People are labeled as many things such a “monster” a “nigger” and many other things that seem to put them in their

Read More
991 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus is appointed a case by Judge Taylor to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Because of the racism and prejudice against black people, he believes that he will not win this case and could risk the life of Tom Robinson. Because of this case, Scout gets bullied by Francis about how his dad is defending a black man, Atticus later talks to Scout about how “[Tom Robinson] lives in [a] settlement behind the town dump….there’s been some high talk around the town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man” (Lee 86). Atticus knows that something bad can happen to him if he were to defend Tom Robinson but still does so because he has the courage to do it. After the trial had ended, Atticus was waiting for news but he did not expect something so terrible and heartbreaking, Tom Robinson, unfortunately, died after being shot several times.

Read More
544 Words | 3 Pages

Different stereotypes were discussed in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the stereotype of Arthur Radley, Tom Robinson and Jean Louise Finch. Arthur Radley is stereotyped as cruel when he is kind, Tom Robinson is racially stereotyped as a criminal due to his skin color and Jean Louise Finch is sexually stereotyped. Arthur Radley or Boo Radley was stereotyped as creepy and cruel, though his true personality isn’t that. For example, “As Mr Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities.” (Lee, 12)

Read More
691 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus tells Scout “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” (p. 39). because he wants her to know that to understand the things Miss Caroline does, Scout must try and look at it from their perspective. Scout does this when she remarks, “She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it as an honest mistake on her part.” (p. 40). Atticus is attempting to make Scout realize Miss Caroline won’t know everything about Maycomb in a day.

Read More
1031 Words | 5 Pages

In Harper Lee’s classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Lee writes about the coming of age of a young girl named Scout. It is set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. This town happened to be a very racially driven place. Lee touches upon many societal problems and flaws, some of them being justice, and the consequences of prejudice. One of the main ones highlighted in the story is racism.

Read More
590 Words | 3 Pages

Judgement is often placed on the people of Maycomb. Generally, the women of Maycomb gossip about the people in the town based on stereotypes. Subsequently, the men in the town then act on the statements that were made by the women. Because of the adults the children often join in the banter, which evidently makes the cycle continue even as they get older. People repeatedly judge others based on stereotypes.

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, believes that he is innocent and he is only being accused because of his color. Stereotypes of blacks such as the assumption that they lie and are bad people cause others to not give someone a chance to be proven innocent, not unlike Tom. In the book, the characters refer to a black person as a “nigger” which is a very offencive and negative term which shows how people in the early 1930’s viewed people of dark

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

As can be seen, Lee’s usage of Tom Robinson’s trial and the racial discrimination and prejudice seen throughout it helps reinforce the theme of social injustice throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Another encounter that the

Read More
724 Words | 3 Pages

5.2 Conclusions Witchcraft is known to be spiritual powers that can be used by witches to cause an event to occur either good or bad and in this case it is mostly the bad that dominate. The study found that witchcraft is identified by using supernatural powers, through the exhibition of extreme anti-social behaviour patterns and sudden misfortunes and mysterious deaths hence the study concludes that witchcraft exist and has been overwhelmingly supported by respondents. The study found that witchcraft can be received in the form of gift, through food from friends, one can buy it, one acquires it through family lineage, and through gifting and moreover, old age/isolation one can be branded as a witch, wretchedness can lead one to be branded

Read More

More about Examples Of Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document