Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is defined as judging someone based on personal bias without really knowing them. In To Kill A Mockingbird, there are all kinds of prejudice shown through the eyes of a young girl named Scout. From her perspective, we get an insight into the prejudice she sees and faces. Prejudice has shown itself in many forms, including ageism, sexism, and racism; it has affected the way people view each other and has negatively affected their lives. Ageism is a type of prejudice that happens to both young and old people. When it started snowing in Maycomb, Mr. Avery blamed the cold weather on the kids. “‘See what you’ve done?’ he said. ‘Hasn’t snowed in Maycomb since Appomattox. It’s bad children like you makes the seasons change’” (Lee 87). He claimed that it was the kids’ fault that the bad weather occurred based on his opinion and personal bias without having

This is shown during a confrontation between Mrs. Dubose and the kids. Mrs. Dubose disapproves of Scout's choice of clothing, as she deems it wasn’t something a girl should wear. “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways” (Lee 135). Mrs. Dubose criticized Scout’s clothing and told her she won’t do well in life if she continues her ways. Besides Mrs. Dubose, Jem has also commented on Scout’s ways. When Scout disagreed with Jem, he told her she was acting more like a girl. “I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that’s why other people hated them” (Lee 54). Jem disapproves of Scout’s feminine behavior and comments that being a girl is something negative. His views affected the way Scout perceived girls. She considers being a girl as something bad while being a boy is something good. Sexism mostly affected the opinions of how women are viewed and