How Does Lee Use Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Prejudice: To Kill a Mockingbird” Why do we judge strangers so harshly? Why is it that, when we walk down the street, we look and treat ‘odd’ people differently? Instead of giving the homeless person a wide berth when he flashes you a hopeful smile, why not return the smile, just as you would for anyone else? In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the townsfolk of Maycomb treat ‘odd’ people and African Americans with no respect or kindness. Many people are aware that Lee teaches this lesson when she describes how the white people of Maycomb treat African Americans. But she also addresses prejudice of several different kinds of outsiders as well. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the reader finds a common lesson, to treat everyone with respect, and not let themselves be blinded by prejudice against outsiders such as Maycomb residents did with Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond, and the Cunninghams. Boo Radley, a social outcast in Maycomb's society, is subjected to prejudice throughout the book because he broke social

Lee demonstrates through the social injustices Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond, and the Cunninghams have to endure, that prejudice comes in many forms, including prejudice against outsiders. Lee believes people should be kind to everyone, because no one ever truly understands a person until they see the world from their point of view. "'First of all,' he [Atticus] said, 'If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-' 'Sir?' '-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’” (Lee loc 492). Throughout the novel, Atticus was the only one who never resorted to prejudiced judgments. His knowledge in the words he tells Scout shows how he believes prejudice against outsiders is a terrible thing, and that everyone should treat everyone with