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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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In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a poignant coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence in the character of Scout. Three significant events illustrate this fact. The first example portrayed in the novel occurred when Scout went to the jail to find out what Atticus was up to, only to find that a mob had arrived to lynch Tom Robinson. This event left Scout with the notion of a mob mentality. Another event was the turning point of the story, the trial of Tom Robinson; this defining moment taught Scout of prejudice and injustice.

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While one of the main themes of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is understanding another human’s perspective. Scout Finch, the story’s protagonist, shows growth and maturity as she learns to deal with the injustice of a prejudiced society. Scout is a young girl from Alabama whose father, Atticus Finch, is asked to defend an African-American man who is charged with rape. The southern way of life during the Great Depression would not allow Tom Robinson a fair trial, and Scout and her brother Jem are forced to deal with a county’s ignorance and racist attitudes. While in the beginning of the book Scout seems to be an innocent, naive little girl, she matures as time goes on and ultimately learns the lessons her father wants her to understand.

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Examples Of Mob Mentality In To Kill A Mockingbird

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To Kill a Mockingbird In chapter 15 of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the author uses many ways to develop her message about mob mentality and human nature. Harper Lee uses multiple ways to develop her message including repetition and dark and light imagery. Harper Lee is showing us that mobs play a big role in protests in Maycomb County, Alabama. What this shows us about human nature is that humans tend to forget the consequences of what they do when acting in a group and feel almost invincible against punishments. A person that is part of a mob will act differently than they would act on their own.

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Likewise, people, and animals, tend to do what others are doing around them (Smith). Observers started noticing these behaviors in animals long before they discovered that these behaviors are also very evident in humans. It was not until the 20th century that observers started realizing this about humans. Additionally, herd mentality is a more conscious behavior influenced by peer pressure, a need of acceptance, and a desire for belonging and people who struggle with being themselves and are therefore more susceptible to obtain this way of thinking and behaving (Smith). This form of mob mentality causes people to behave summarily to what others in the group are doing.

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Examples Of Mob Mentality In To Kill A Mockingbird

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form of pure pressure because people are forced into doing something they would not usually do (Clay routledge, Ph.D.). Low self-esteem has a big rool in mob mentality, for many people in mobs usually are trying to find a way to let their anger out( Clay routledge, Ph.D.).One way mob mentality is showen in To Kill a Mockingbird is the jury and how the jury said Tom Robinson was guilty when they knew he was not, the jury said Tom was guilty because he is a black man.(Lee 211 ). Another example of mob mentality in To Kill A Mockingbird was when a mob came to the jail ( Lee 172). The mob had come to the jail to try and hurt Tom Robinson, but Scout stopped the mob by talking to Mr. cunningham about his family (Lee 174).

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Recognizing that one is participating in groupthink is the first step to getting out of it, and it’s always important to take a step back from any polarizing situations to assess how one really feels, and if their actions reflect their true opinions and morals. Everyone will find themselves in a herd mentality situation at some point in their lives. The true test is: will they find the courage to break free? Or will they sit idly by as injustice after injustice happens around them? That, of course, is for the individual to

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“Don't trade your authenticity for approval” stated an unknown author. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird Scout is a young girl who breaks the social norm of wearing proper clothes such as dresses. In the town called Maycomb, the social norms are for whites to separate from African Americans along with women dressing a certain way and men dressing another. Those social norms don’t just exist in Maycom they are also in the real world. Ellen DeGeneres is a woman in the real world who breaks those social norms.

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890 Words | 4 Pages

According to Source C, social psychology gives us that deindividuation, identity, emotions, acceptability, anonymity, and diffusion of responsibility are prominent causes of mob mentality. It also says that “the larger the group or crowd, the more likely there will be deindividuation and diffusion of responsibility.” Deindividuation is the phenomenon that when people are in a crowd, they lose their consciousness and their everyday personality. According to Source D, this is “what compels people to do things in a group setting that they would never do on their own.” Source E infers that a “human’s natural desire to be included and accepted as part of the majority” causes this to happen.

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Examples Of Mob Mentality In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Mob mentality is when a large group of people believes strongly in an idea or action (Smith). People act differently when they are in large groups and that is why they join mobs (Smith). People think they will not get in as much trouble when performing illegal activities in a large group (Smith). Society longs to be in a large group and wants to feel they are similar to others (Smith). Current examples of mob mentality are being peer pressured into drinking and smoking (Smith).

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Similarly, in the article “Why do People Follow the Crowd” reported by ABC News, studies reveal the portrayal of people fearing the fact of being wrong when faced against a whole group that supposedly has a different plan. While taking tests, determining the mental state people have when they are told different ideas, the committee found that,” people actually believe what others [tell] them not what they [were seeing] with their own eyes” (ABC 26). This portrays how people naturally want to fit in the crowd even though they know it might not be the right choice to make. Because this is apart of human’s nature, people can conflict bad habits and ideas upon others, causing unfortunate events to occur causing the whole community to perish due to a silly mistake. Even though they might be sure of an answer in this case, they still aren’t positive, which causes them to start doubting themselves, therefore changing their mindset.

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Lastly, Rothwell explains how pressure toward uniformity is another general symptom of groupthink. This occurs when there is an assumed sense of agreement which results in no one speaking up when they have an opposing opinion (p. 251). Often times the false sense of uniformity causes there to be direct pressure on the deviants which does not allow for an open environment for opinions to be shared and considered (Rothwell, 2013, p

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In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee demonstrates three points. These points include the attitude and tone of the characters. The way the characters feel throughout the novel. This is important because it can have a great impact on the rest of the story. Lastly how the reader feels throughout the novel/what effect it gives the reader throughout the novel.

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Groupthink is a process of conformity to a group ideal that may or may not be true. It stems from lack of conflict, disagreement, or challenge to the direction of the group. In simple terms, if a group leader or president were to surround themselves with like-minded individuals there would be very little disagreement or conflict and the decisions of the group may not be the best. Historical examples include Nixon’s Watergate fiasco, and Kennedy’s Bay of Pigs catastrophe. The term groupthink was first introduced by social psychologist Irving Janis in 1972.

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Do you know how many great leaders became so prominent? Trust is the foundation of leadership and is how many leaders can show their dominance. “Law #6 or the law of solid ground” of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states good character builds trust and the foundation of leadership. For example, Gandhi became influential because he gained the people’s trust. Trust builds a leader's credibility and self-confidence, so he or she can gain a strong following.

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