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Mob Mentality In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

2091 Words9 Pages

Despite differences in setting and time period, the conflicts impacting the adolescent characters in To Kill A Mockingbird connects to the effect of mob mentality on teenagers in modern society. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel told from the perspective of a young girl, Scout Finch, in Alabama in the 1940s. Scout grows to see her small town in a new light as they go through a very important trial. Mob mentality, also known as herd mentality, can be seen through the actions of multiple characters throughout the book. Mob mentality refers to when a person's thinking is mostly influenced by their peers and based on emotions rather than logic. It defies reasoning, discussion, inquiry, research, and common sense, similar to a sheep …show more content…

When someone holds a certain opinion, then softens or changes it, they may be trying to change themselves to fit in with the group. For example, a teen might change their style and wear something new not because they like it but because a group they want to join is wearing it. Another sign of herd mentality is one that strongly impacts teens and younger generations. It is most commonly known as FOMO, which is the Fear Of Missing Out. It is hard to watch other people enjoying different activities and not be included. The fear of being left out can impact the way people make decisions because they think that if they have the same principles as a certain group, they will be accepted. Mob mentality can also make one's opinions more extreme, leading to the next sign, which is group polarization. When someone is on the fence about where they stand on a certain issue, finding a group with specific views can pull them to one side. If that group already has a collective opinion, they are probably strongly against the opposing argument, so the new person may feel pressured to comply. The fourth sign also relates back to the polarization of mob mentality, with the fourth sign being the suppression of contradicting opinions. A teen trying to join a new group would find it much easier to agree with them or stay quiet, rather than taking the harder route and challenging the status quo. Sticking up for one's own beliefs is very courageous but very difficult

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