ipl-logo

Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

602 Words3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice is portrayed in many ways. Three characters that experience prejudice is Boo Radley, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson. Boo Radley is not treated like he fits into the town, Atticus Finch is being judged because he is presenting a black person in court, and Tom Robinson experiences prejudice because he is black. The people in Maycomb think Boo Radley is different, so they treat him like he does not belong in the town. The citizens in Maycomb think that Boo’s actions are not normal. People in the town think that Boo stabbed his own father with scissors and acted as if nothing happened “Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activity” (Lee, 11). Because of that, he isolates himself for many years. Boo becomes mentally challenged, which affects the way he communicates and acts with others. The town has a certain way they see Boo as a person, and everything that unexpectedly happens in the town, they automatically blame him. Because of Boo’s past, the people of Maycomb and the children always …show more content…

Atticus faces criticism because he is representing a black person on the court. The townspeople do not think that Atticus should represent Tom because according to them, a black person is already guilty before going on trial. Because Atticus believes in having equal rights, he continues to represent Tom. Bob tries to get Atticus to give up the case, but Atticus is firm in what he believes in. Atticus’s children have to face comment comments from family and friends because Atticus is defending a black man. This confuses the children because they have not yet been exposed to racism, they are innocent minded. Atticus’s family is giving him and his kids a hard time, and they think he is being a disgrace to the family “she won’t let him alone about Tom Robinson. He is disgracin’ the family” (Lee,

Show More
Related
1327 Words | 6 Pages

Sometimes people are pre-judged by who they are perceived to be based on stereotypes. In the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee expressed the story about Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch who live in the southern town of Maycomb, Alabama. The Finch’s were faced with many obstacles from the prejudice society of Maycomb. Boo Radley, a mysterious man from the story, exemplifies the theme of “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” when the people in Maycomb stereotyped Boo for being a creepy man, until Scout and Jem saw how Boo cared for them, and why Boo remained hidden from the public for so many years. Boo Radley embodied the

Read More
1227 Words | 5 Pages

In contrast to modern culture, small-town America in the Great Depression lived a very conspicuous lifestyle. People were still overcome by prejudice, particularly racism and sexism, and practiced this through segregation and gender roles. Those with darker flesh did not have as many opportunities as whites; they spent their lives often serving as maids and laborers. Women were expected to fulfill their gender role and cater to the needs of the “man of the household”. Harper Lee illustrates such a world through the innocent eyes of a child who has not been corrupted by prejudice in her classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

However, during this case, he encounters many problems, such as verbal abuse. Thus, it does not make sense for Atticus to defend Tom Robinson. Atticus’s family name and reputation was ruined because those in society could not trust a black mans word. Also, by defending Tom Robinson, Atticus and his family’s safety

Read More
1522 Words | 7 Pages

One of the most important lessons Atticus teaches his children is that it is not moral to take advantage of someone because of their race. He tells them, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter

Read More
592 Words | 3 Pages

The issue of prejudice and power has dramatically changed over time, it has gotten better, but it’s still not good. This past year we have read and looked at many different articles and books about prejudice and power. In Killing a Mockingbird they talk about racial power and how being of a certain race can give you advantages in life or can hurt you a lot. In Maus they talk about the prejudice and power of the Jews and Germans during World War 2, and how the Jews were mistreated and abused by the Germans and the Nazis. In our lives now there is still prejudice and power with race and religion and gender.

Read More
621 Words | 3 Pages

Pyper Stowe Ms. Andrews English 1 April 20, 2023 Have you ever judged a book by its cover? I'm pretty sure we all have at one time or another. In our novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a story about Scout and Jem who navigate through a harsh world of significant coming-of-age moments. It all happens in the southern state of Alabama, inside the fictional town of Maycomb. At this time of the Great Depression, stock markets crashed, racism was rampant, and people had to live off of their land to survive.

Read More
738 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the book people talk about how wrong it is for Atticus, one of the main characters, to defend an African American in court. The children in the book are told that their father is a disgrace and that he is ruining other people’s lives. For example, “‘...now he’s turned out a nigger-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’.’” (Lee 110).

Read More
1146 Words | 5 Pages

He says, “As you grow older, you 'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don 't you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash." (Lee 250) Atticus explains the harshness of the way white men treat and act around black people. He tells them that there is not excuse for behavior like that, and so the children choose not to act that way. This method of combating prejudice can be very effective on the children being taught,

Read More
663 Words | 3 Pages

The people in Atticus’s community believe Tom is guilty because he is black. Atticus Finch chooses to defend Tom Robinson, because of his beliefs and he wants to set a good example for his children, despite not having any support from his community,

Read More
1088 Words | 5 Pages

Final Essay Outline: Thesis Statement/opening paragraph: In the story To Kill A Mockingbird, discrimination and the act of being prejudice is common among the main characters, on both the receiving and serving end. Certain characters, like Scout and Jeremy Finch, Bob Ewell, and the town folk truly create the main problem and set the theme of the story. For example, when Bob Ewell accuses Atticus Finch of being an african-american lover, because he is defending Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, according to Bob. Boo Radley is accused of being dead by Scout, Jem and Dill.

Read More
544 Words | 3 Pages

The act of offering disrespect based on one’s skin color is a form of racial prejudice. Have you ever heard the phrase “never judge a book by its cover?” In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the people of Maycomb are shown to judge fellow citizens based on their skin tone. Prejudice in this book is represented by the acts of hatred and ignorance due to someone's color. The lives of the characters are transformed surrounding the issue of racism.

Read More
1202 Words | 5 Pages

Because Tom is African American, Atticus and his family are tormented by the town. Even through all the racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, un-prejudice acts of courage are shown throughout the book. Like how Martin Luther King peacefully started the movement to end segregation, characters Walter Cunningham, who

Read More
970 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates a story surrounding the prejudice of the time and its impact on the innocence of the children in the town. The narrative takes place in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. An old, suffocating town, home to aimlessly fueled hatred and bias. “Maycombs Disease” describes the behaviors portrayed by the residents, which embrace the racist and classist behaviors of the time. 1930, a period of depression, was infested with discrimination among many minorities.

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird: The Physical Effects Of Prejudice The consequences of prejudice can be to the biggest or to the smallest extent as seen in the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Although prejudice effects all people differently, the characters throughout the novel experience the uniting commonality of being considered outcasts in their society. This is depicted through Harper’s writing when Dolphus Raymond is victimized due to his actions, Boo Radley’s reputation becomes forever tarnished and Atticus is besmirched by the citizens of Maycomb.

Read More
1157 Words | 5 Pages

How did prejudice happen in this world that God made? Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. In this world, there are a lot of prejudice. Prejudice doesn´t happen suddenly but it happens from a root. Everything happens from a root and that causes to be or do something.

Read More

More about Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Related Topics

Open Document