Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Racism has shaped America's history since it was founded. During the civil rights movement, there were many attempts to call out hate, like MLK's speeches or people boycotting segregated buses. However, not all attempts conveyed the message that they wanted. For example Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, is a book that was written during the civil rights era, about a young girl named Scout, who lives through her father, Atticus Finch, defending an innocent black man named Tom Robinson. It tried to tackle racism and how to solve it, but instead black voices, like Tom, and Calpurnia were barely represented, in a story centered around race. In To KIll a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's lack of acknowledgment of Tom Robinson illustrates how if racism

This is demonstrated by the trial of Tom being used as an integral part of Atticus's story, and by Scout's coming of age being with Boo Radley.

The trial being an integral part for Atticus's arc illustrates the problems that come with not addressing racism. During the trial Mayella Ewell's father, Bob Ewell, defends her by antagonizing Tom Robinson and African Americans overall, he says " I knowed who it was , all alright, lived down yonder in that n****r-nest, passed the house every day. Hedge, I've asked this county for fifteen years to clean out that nest yonder, they're dangerous to live around 'side devaluing' my property-"(Lee 234) Lee is clearly demonstrating that this trial is about race. Bob Ewell says extremely hateful things and uses the derogatory term 'n****r", demonstrating Bob's hatred for black people. This illustrates how the trial

After Scout is saved by Boo she comes to a sudden realization of everything she has learnt over the novel, she says "I thought Jem and I would grow up, but there was not much more to learn except Algebra."(Lee 374) This is Scout's coming of age, she finally realized to 'not judge a book by its cover´. She only learnt this lesson when it came to a white man, but never really cared when Tom was on trial. This shows her lack of understanding towards the segregated south, and what life was like for people that did not have the same privileges of being white and middle class in a time so full of hatred . Her saying that she has "nothing else to learn" closes her mind to talk about racial issues in her community. Race not being a part of Scout's coming of age might leave her susceptible to having prejudice against people of color in the future. When Scout escorts Boo to the Radley house, she looks through a window and reflects on the events that happened throughout the novel.¨ I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Maudie's house, Miss Stephanie's house-there was our house, I could see the porch swing-Miss Rachel's house beyond us, plainly visible, I could ever see Mrs. Dubose's. " Scout is reflecting on her experiences and everything she learnt over the past three years. Whether it be advice from Mrs. Maudie, going to Mrs. Dubose's house with Jem in the