Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Alabama in the 1930s was full of racism and prejudice. Harper Lee uses her book To Kill a Mockingbird to express the problems and bring them into the minds of ordinary people. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses mockingbirds to represent innocence, the Radley Place to represent mystery, fear, and understanding, and the sick dog to represent the illness of society. In To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee uses the mockingbird to represent innocence. Miss Maudie told scout that “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(Lee 119). They are completely innocent because they “don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs” (Lee 119), but only sing beautiful

At first, Scout and Jim wouldn't go anywhere near the Radley place but, they started to grow up and become less fearful of the Radley place. In the book, the narrator says “A negro would not pass the Radley Place at night, he would cut across to the sidewalk opposite”(Lee 11). This shows that Scout and Jem were not overreacting as grown men were even scared of the Radley Place. “If Maycomb were Disney World , the Radley Place would be the Haunted Mansion. And the Finch kids aren't the only ones who avoid it”(Shmoop).Scout says, “The shutters and doors of the Radley house were closed on Sundays, another thing alien to Maycomb's ways: closed doors meant illness and cold weather only. Of all days, Sunday was the day for formal afternoon visiting: ladies wore corsets, men wore coats, children wore shoes. But to climb the Radley front steps and call, "Hey," on a Sunday afternoon was something their neighbors never did” (Lee 11). This makes people suspicious since the things they do are abnormal and this brings the mystery factor. Boo Radley is what makes the Radley place even scarier as he is considered to be a psychopath and he has been locked up in there for most of his life. Scout says “The Radley Place has ceased to terrify me” (Lee 324). Scout is starting to understand that there is nothing to be afraid of. The main reason she was scared of the Radley place

Ill with racism and ignorance. The mad dog shows how the county is also mad and raging at Atticus for defending Tom Robinson. The dog represents all the craziness Atticus has to face. The dog’s name was Tim Johnson and it is very close to that of Tom Robinson’s. These two could also be similar because of how they are both killed or gunned down like dogs. It shows how Tom’s life meant nothing to the white folks of Maycomb County. Atticus says to Jem, “Don’t you go near that dog, you understand? Don’t go near him, he’s just as dangerous dead as alive”(Lee 128). This is also true for Bob Ewell who is a hazard to Atticus’ kids since he is ignorant with obvious racism and wants revenge on Atticus for defending Tom Robinson. He is dangerous to Jem and you see that when later on in the story he breaks his arm. Atticus is brought in to kill the dog since he has the best shot in Maycomb County. Ms.Maudie said to Scout, “Forgot to tell you the other day that besides playing the Jew’s Harp, Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time”(Lee 129).This shows how Atticus had the best shot to take out the dog. It also symbolizes how he has the best shot in Maycomb County to end the disgusting racism