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How Does Harper Lee Show Social Pressure In To Kill A Mockingbird

1166 Words5 Pages

Throughout many instances throughout history, we learn that having social influence can change the way that the audience has perspectives about people. Cases such as the Scottsboro Trial shows this through the racism shown towards the teenage boys by the white people and the verdict of the trial. The case showed lots of racism towards the boys because of the color of their skin and the racism engraved into their mindsets. The case ended up being handed a life sentence for the boys by the all-white jury. Harper Lee links this similar to the novel To Kill A Mockingbird to show the racism displayed in the novel. Not only does she demonstrate the problems of racism, but also the problems that occur when having socially biased thoughts as well. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characters such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley to show the detrimental impact of prejudged beliefs, …show more content…

Tom Robinson speaks more about his interactions with Mayella during his trial, who falsely accused him of rape. He shares his view of the social pressure that Mayella might be facing in the case. Understanding that pressure unveils the biases that he experienced during the trial. Apart from the pressure from the society as a burden on Mayella, but also the pressure from her father as well. Tom Robinson’s sympathy shows this when starting, “I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more on the rest of 'em—" (Lee, 201). Tom Robinson’s empathy represents his understanding of the social pressure that she faces under the influence of her society. Representing his empathy towards her unveils Harper Lee’s view of the racially divided society of Maycomb and the complex structure of the race, injustice, and power that played into the trail. In addition to Tom Robinson’s representation of racism, but also a representation of prejudice throughout the

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