ipl-logo

How Does Lee Show Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

866 Words4 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930’s, a period marked by deep-seated racial and social tensions. Narrated through the perspective of Scout Finch, a young girl coming of age amidst the complexities of her Southern community, the novel delves into the complexity of prejudice and its far reaching consequences. As Scout and her older brother, Jem, navigate the challenges of growing up, they grapple with the shocking realities of racism, injustice, and inequality that shape their world with the help of their father, Atticus Finch. Through Scout’s eyes, readers are drawn into a story that not only exposes the flaws of society, but also emphasizes the importance of empathy, compassion, …show more content…

Harper Lee advocates for empathy, education, and integrity as crucial tools to defeating prejudice and fostering a more inclusive society. The trial of Tom Robinson serves as a clear example of racial prejudice in Maycomb. Tom Robinson, a white man, was accused of raping Myaela Ewell, a white woman. Despite overwhelming evidence of Tom's innocence, the all-white jury convicted him solely based on his race. Atticus Finch, Tom's defense attorney, summarizes the systemic racism of Maycomb's judicial system by saying, "In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins" (Lee 220). This injustice highlights the deep-seated racism that affects Maycomb society, affecting every aspect of life for its black residents. Another strong example of prejudice in the town of Maycomb is the life of Boo Radley. Boo Radley, a reclusive figure, occupies a central place in Maycomb's history. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo remains a shadowy presence, confined to the eerie Radley House. Rumors swirl around Boo, painting him as a sinister figure responsible for mischief and …show more content…

The victims of this senseless act endured unimaginable terror and violence, surviving physically but grappling with the psychological pain. However, it's essential to recognize that prejudice harms not only the oppressed, but also the oppressor. In this case, the perpetrator, Jason Eaton, faces imprisonment for his violent actions, a consequence of his prejudiced beliefs. This underscores how prejudice and injustice have far-reaching consequences, affecting both victims and perpetrators alike. Moreover, studies, such as those highlighted in the Boston Globe article, have shown that experiences of prejudice and discrimination can have detrimental effects on individuals' physical and mental health. The stress of facing prejudice can contribute to a range of health issues, including depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular problems. This study shows the profound and complex impact of prejudice on individuals' well-being. In conclusion, To Kill a Mockingbird offers timeless lessons on confronting prejudice and fostering empathy. Harper Lee's message remains relevant today, urging individuals and society to acknowledge and challenge

Show More
Related
762 Words | 4 Pages

In society today there are those that are pushed out of the crowd because of what they look like, how they act, and what others say to be true about them. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows that unselfish, kind hearted people can experience prejudice from others. Always wanting to be the better person, Atticus Finch is like the mockingbird when taking the responsibility of defending Tom Robinson, who is a black man. Once Atticus gets the news that he will be defending Tom Robinson, who is accused of rape, he is very stressed until the end of the trial. Harper Lee shows this when she says, “It’s this Tom Robinson case that’s worrying him to death...”

Read More
507 Words | 3 Pages

One of the main themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is equity. The novel presents a case of racial injustice and demonstrates how it is unfair for individuals to be judged based on their race. In the book, Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of rape, and despite the lack of evidence, he is found guilty simply because of his race. This is evident in the following quote: "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins" (Lee 220).

Read More
1642 Words | 7 Pages

In Maycomb, rumors that are spread compare him to a creature, a stalker, and a criminal of the town, saying "went out at night when the moon was out, peeped in windows, and committed small crimes throughout Maycomb", Miss Stephanie Crawford most likely being the one to spread them. Many of the rumors like these come from the fact that the town does not see much of him ever, he is much like a recluse, which the town fails to understand. Ms. Crawford is also mostly responsible for this rumor in particular, as she claimed to have seen Boo Radley in her window, some night, which is probably wasn't true to begin with. To continue, many of the prejudices in the novel, like this one, come from a lack of understanding and the willingness of the town to their minds up about who Boo is when they truly have no clue. Along with the fact that these rumors spread from a lack of knowledge, the children of the town pick up on the comments and rumors made about Boo.

Read More
739 Words | 3 Pages

What causes racism? This novel is about a white family that lives in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Scout, the main character, has a brother named Jem, father/lawyer named Atticus and a cook named Calpurnia. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses Conflict and the character Tom Robinson to reveal that racism can lead to injustice. Lee uses conflict to reveal that racism can lead to injustice.

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

The Innocence in Society Mockingbirds are innocent birds. They don’t do anything but fly and explore, they even sing. So why do people harm them ? Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird discusses politics, civil rights, prejudice, injustice and racism.

Read More
792 Words | 4 Pages

Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a story that takes the reader on a journey through the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the mid 1930’s. The story revolves around a young white girl named Jean Louise Finch, more commonly known as Scout. Scout’s life is filled with many events, like the Tom Robinson trial, that play a key role in her character development as she grows up in the racist community she is a part of. Throughout the novel, Scout learns that the society she lives in is filled with people who are dangerously influenced by racial prejudice. She matures from a naive girl who could not even comprehend the idea of racism to a knowledgeable person who realizes how unfair the racial justice system is.

Read More
1973 Words | 8 Pages

Harper Lee uses Boo Radley’s character to show how people fear and do not accept who is different. Boo Radley is a victim of prejudice due to being an anomaly. The people of Maycomb County are critical and judgemental towards Boo. The neighbourhood depicts Boo as a “malevolent phantom” because he has not been outside. Seeing that, the townspeople start making rumours about Boo Radley a description of him according to Jem, “ Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch that’s why his hand were blood stained if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.

Read More
757 Words | 4 Pages

In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee uses discrimination and injustice to tell us readers that you shouldn 't judge others by the way they live life or their actions because you can always be wrong. In the story many people are being discriminated because of their race , gender and even age. During the book we have many examples of discrimination especially in the case with Tom Robinson. We have many examples of how many people used to and still discriminate African Americans.

Read More
1405 Words | 6 Pages

(20) Jem’s exaggerated description demonstrates the community’s intense prejudice towards Boo Radley. The people are able to alienate a member based off of speculations. Scout, an innocent member of Maycomb, has grown up with the idea that Boo acts and looks like

Read More
1914 Words | 8 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that show the life of a southern state od Alabama during the “black racism” time period, where majority of the people had the mentality that (quote) with the exception of a few. To chosen to portray it from the eyes of Scout Finch, from a child’s point of view. Living in Maycomb, in the midst of a conservative society of the 1930’s and 20’s Southern America Scout Finch is an extra ordinary child.

Read More
1174 Words | 5 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird, is a powerful, classic piece of literature which heavily influenced readers through its enduring concepts since its initial publication. Written in 1960’s by Harper Lee, the passage is set in 1930’s America in the southern state of Alabama. A prominent period of racial segregation, in which most experienced horrendous brutality, political exclusion, and legal segregation. Harper Lee endeavours the key concept of moral courage through the practice of common racial cultural assumptions, beliefs and values present in 1930s America. Lee employs stylistic devices and aesthetic features to provide an insight into the characters mind, and therefore, provide a marginalised perspective of the racial segregation of blacks during

Read More
1341 Words | 6 Pages

Ignorance, discrimination, and hatred are noticeable influences of a cruel society containing conservative people, but Atticus and his household are open-minded and not opinionated over others. The novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, an American novelist, discusses the racial injustice in the Southern town, Maycomb County. The book occurs during the Great Depression era—1929 through 1939—when African Americans confront segregation and discrimination. The book examines the life of Scout Finch and her experiences as a child in this town with her brother, Jem Finch, and her father, Atticus Finch. As he defends Tom Robinson in the case against the Ewell family.

Read More
1244 Words | 5 Pages

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us about the town of Maycomb County during the late 1930s, where the characters live in isolation and victimization. Through the perspective of a young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, readers will witness the prejudice that Maycomb produces during times where people face judgement through age, gender, skin colour, and class, their whole lives. Different types of prejudice are present throughout the story and each contribute to how events play out in the small town of Maycomb. Consequently, socially disabling the people who fall victim from living their life comfortably in peace. Boo Radley and his isolation from Maycomb County, the racial aspects of Tom Robinson, and the decision Atticus Finch makes as a lawyer, to defend a black man has all made them fall in the hands of Maycomb’s prejudice ways.

Read More
1580 Words | 7 Pages

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the segregated South of the 1930’s. The book is told in the eyes of an eight year old girl, Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who is struggling to prove the innocence of a black man incorrectly accused of rape. The historical context of the book lets one see the social status of different groups during the civil rights era. The story explores who fits into certain societies, who is respected in the community, written and unwritten rules concerning family, gender, age, and race, expectations of certain people, and what conflicts arise out of tension.

Read More
1395 Words | 6 Pages

In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee presents a large social atmosphere that includes many different cultures and extremes. The story takes place in the southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. This novel illustrates how the southerners perceived different ideas about each other and social norms. It is told through the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch, as she is growing up and becoming influenced by societal attitudes. Throughout the course of this book Scout learns many lessons including: how a society functions, why there is conflict between different cultures, and what makes cultures different from each other.

Read More

More about How Does Lee Show Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Open Document