Preconceived Judgments In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is having a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. This is an action that is sadly used often today. People come up with opinions from things they have heard from others personal understandings. From that they choose to judge people or things without knowing anything personally. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch defends a black man, Tom Robinson, when he is wrongly accused of raping a white girl. When he takes this job the Maycomb community instantly criticized Atticus for helping Robinson. Atticus’ two children, Scout and Jem, are also judged because of their father’s job. Almost everyone in Maycomb has preconceived judgements against Atticus and the blacks in the community. In the novel

They are treated poorly and ridiculed. One day, Jem, Scout, and Dill walk by a picnic where blacks are hanging out, when they start to talk about ‘mixed children’, “Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just inbetweens, don’t belong anywhere.” (215) This shows how the children how are half white and half black are rejected just because they aren’t one or the other. They’re ignored because of prejudice between blacks and whites. During the trial Atticus acknowledges the prejudice within the case, stating, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man.” (272) This shows how interaction with blacks is interpreted in their society. They are expected to not have any romantic relationships that intermix. This thought that the two groups of people are different and on is worse or better is just people passing on their own ideas to others. The prejudice towards blacks is very heavy in the book and is shown through many aspects. The way they are treated and talked about is all because people have predetermined opinions about them without their own experiences. The book To Kill A Mockingbird by author Harper Lee, demonstrates prejudice in the 1930’s and now by showing that it can be used against all different people. Prejudice happens to everyone at one