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Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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It is a common belief among humankind that we have the ability to think rationally. Additionally, factors such as bias, memory, judgement, and personal psychology demonstrate the nonsensical sides to our mind and behavior. Our perception of humanity promotes the inequality of different races, classes, and ages, which proves the statement: “It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this” (Russell.) Ironically, people have a bias against humanity and its rationale, considering the fact that we are all human. Is all the information that we think we know on the human mind correct? Is it a possibility that psychology and neuroscience can help us understand why racism exists …show more content…

The Cunninghams are less wealthy than the Finches, causing Alexandra to identify them as “trash”. To Alexandra, family and status are of most importance. The impact of social class on her mentality promotes classist behavior. In other words, her ingrained perception of class is demonstrated while explaining to Scout that “they’re not our kind of folks. (299)” Scout wanted to play with Walter Cunningham, but the proposal was instantly shot down, due to Walter being of a lower class. Frankly, Aunt Alexandra understands that The Cunninghams may be good people, but she wants her family to obtain their reputation as being respected and wealthy. Thus, because of her strong belief in maintaining her family’s social status, Alexandra opposes a relation between her family and one of a lower tier. Afterwards, it is necessary for Jem to explain Maycomb’s caste-like system to Scout. Jem points out that there will always be prejudices, even within the white community. Because Scout is at an age that has an inability to judge others for having different characteristics, she cannot understand why it is done. Scout’s lack of capability to see foolish discrimination is direct evidence on why specific peoples are not superior over others. Ultimately, Scout concludes “'there's just one kind of folks. Folks.” (304) Scout’s innocence righteously determines that all people

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This incident shows the reader that she wants to be taken seriously by her colleagues. It also displays that Hilly deeply treasures her reputation because of her reaction towards the situation. On the other hand, Aunt Alexandra has also shown the reader signs that she values her family’s reputation. In chapter 23 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Aunt Alexandra did not allow Scout to play with Walter Cunningham because of his poor background. She said, “Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him.

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The Cunninghams, a poor farming family living on the outskirts of Maycomb, are not viewed as “‘...company, [they are] Cunningham’” otherwise known as the trash of Maycomb, according to Scout Finch (Lee 24). Scout makes rude remarks about Walter Cunningham Jr., a classmate of hers, after he drenched his supper in molasses. Calpurnia quickly scolds Scout, explaining to her that Walter had not known any better, not having had supper like that before. Social prejudice is clearly demonstrated here because Walter Cunningham Jr. is not welcome by Scout at the Finch home due to the fact that she does not perceive him to be of her same caliber and social class. No person should be alienated because of the way they dress, where they live, or who they affiliate with.

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In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee uses negative connotation and vivid symbolism to persuade that being judged by an outward appearance or backstory can affect a person negatively and make the judgers feel superior. Lee uses an outstanding amount of characters to persuade this but some distinctive characters that she uses is Aunt Alexandra and the Cunningham’s. Lee also uses the Ewells and Tom Robinson to persuade her meaning. In chapter twenty-three Scout asks Aunt Alexandra if she can play with Walter Cunningham but Aunt Alexandra declines the request and does not give Scout permission to play with Walter. She explains why plus starts to judge Walter.

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The citizens viewed Aunt Alexandra as a real prim, proper lady as she had the characteristics the ladies were taught to have but could never master had they had no role model who exhibited these traits. Aunt Alexandra became the vision of a “perfect” lady, which goes to show how Maycomb lived when compared to Aunt Alexandra. Without this glimpse of perspective, the film lost an interesting take on how the ladies in Maycomb were expected to be. While Aunt Alexandra gave the reader a feeling of how Maycomb viewed ‘outsiders’, Aunt Alexandra also gave the reader insight as to how ‘outsiders’ viewed Maycomb. This is illustrated when Aunt Alexandra is discussing with Scout the ways of different citizens of Maycomb.

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She must to be charming, submissive to the men around her, and always in need of a man’s protection. Scout’s Aunt Alexandra is unable to separate herself from society’s traditions, leaving her dependent on

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The Cunninghams were viewed negatively because they were farmers who did not conform to the same social norms as everyone else. Scout told Aunt Alexandra that she wanted to invite Walter over but Aunt Alexandra declined and “took off her glasses and stared at me. ‘I’ll tell you why,’ she said. ‘Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him” (Lee 301).

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells a story of racial prejudice during the Depression and how it is combated. The main development in the novel is that a Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, has been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young white woman named Mayella. Many people in the town of Maycomb, particularly people involved with the case of Tom, have a negative attitude towards African Americans. Prejudice was a terrible issue in the South during the Depression, but Atticus Finch shows that racial injustice can be combated in two main ways, each having different levels of effectiveness.

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Aunt Alexandra conforms to society and always has. Scout is Aunt Alexandra’s opposite. Scout wears overalls and does not conform to society’s expectations. Aunt Alexandra conforms to society just like most of Maycomb does. She acts how everybody thinks she should act.

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In the novel, there are families with lower status than everyone else, the Cunninghams and the Ewells. When Scout asks Aunt Alexandra if she can invite Walter Cunningham over to play, Aunt Alexandra responds by saying, “Jean Louise will not invite Walter Cunningham to this house.” She says this because, “he—is—trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what.” (PDF pg. 228).

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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.

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To prove this point, Aunt Alexandra even goes as to tell her niece, Scout Finch, that her friend, Walter, “is trash,” based upon that of his family being dirty and poor (Lee 301). Aunt Alexandra, is deeply set upon saying that Walter and his family are below hers, as a result of the classism, caused by the Great Depression. In fact, if it was

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In this short but powerful quote, Aunt Alexandra is seen using her own prejudice as an excuse to disallow Scout from being friends with Walter. This strongly upsets Scout and she begins to dwell more on mature and grown up subjects that she had previously ignored. In addition, when Scout expresses her opinion on people, it shows her noble attempt at a grown up issue. “‘No, everybody’s gotta learn, nobody’s born knowin’.

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‘Because—he—is¬—trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-wat.’”(301). Aunt Alexandra hasn’t even met Walter Cunningham yet but is already judging him. She knows that he is a lower “social class” than the Finches and thinks that Walter will be a bad influence on Scout so she forbids Scout from playing with him.

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986 Words | 4 Pages

To elaborate, social classes separate people even if they are from the same place; the poor people would stick with the poor, middle class with middle and upper class with upper. When Walter Jr is invited to the Finches’ house for dinner, two different responses were made; Jem who welcomed him and Scout who did not. In the beginning, Scout does not accept Walter, as “he ain’t company” and “just a Cunningham.” Later on, Calpurnia explains to Scout that “no matter who they are” she cannot act “so high and mighty” even though “[she] might be better’n the Cunninghams.” Walter helps shine a spotlight onto the complex world of white class relations and class superiority in Maycomb.

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Scout is initially naïve and does not think about how her actions affect others, showing that children can be offensive when their naïveté equates to a lack of empathy. For example, when Jem invites Walter Cunningham over for dinner, Scout is not accustomed to the way he eats. She says to Calpurnia, “But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup, he’s poured it all over” (Lee 32). Scout’s youth prevents her from understanding the differences in other people’s life circumstances, including Walter’s. Her family is wealthier than the Cunninghams and she knows proper manners; Walter, on the other hand, likely does not.

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