How Does Atticus Finch Use Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

How can two children be raised not to adopt the prejudices that surround them? In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one man is able to accomplish this despite the prevalence of prejudice and discrimination in their small town of Maycomb, Alabama. This man is Atticus Finch, and he accomplishes this by simply not upholding the classism, sexism, and racism that run through this town, otherwise known as “Maycomb’s usual disease”. The example of equality that Atticus constantly sets for his children allows them to form unprejudiced beliefs.

Atticus’ disregard of gender roles teaches Scout to do the same. Living in the deep South in the 1930s meant expectations for how girls were meant to act were very clearly set, from a very young age. These

Up until Atticus took the case, they were used to the casual racism of Maycomb and participated in it as well, referring to black people as n-words and other racist comments. At that time they didn’t know any better. However, as soon as Atticus takes the case, these beliefs are directly contradicted. When the trial first begins, Scout doesn’t consider the possibility that Tom could be innocent, saying “I know Tom Robinson’s in jail an’ he’s done somethin’ awful..” (40). She isn’t able to comprehend his innocence right away, but as the trial drags on this assumption of guilt changes. After he is found guilty and shot in prison, Scout reads an article about his death being a “senseless killing” and fully understands how racism was the deciding factor in his guilty verdict, not the actual facts of the case. “Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: 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 second Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (226). Because Atticus was willing to put everything on the line for this case, he was able to challenge the racism of Maycomb in not only the minds of his children, but in the minds of anyone who had been in that