ipl-logo

Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1188 Words5 Pages

Peter Alexopoulos Tue Apr 9 G block. Mayella Ewell & Tom Robinson are not who people believe they are on the inside. Firstly, Atticus cross-examines Mayella Ewell, a young white woman who is accusing Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping her, Atticus then points out the self-contradiction of the situation. Mayella's White Privilege protects her but makes whatever she says more believable because this novel takes place post-slavery in Alabama. During Tom Robinson trial, Atticus points out "She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance but I cannot pity her because she is white. pg 207)". This quote shines on the complicated idea of race and poverty and how people view each other depending on status in the town of Maycomb in the 1930s. This connects back to the topic sentence …show more content…

Has the effect of altering someone's thinking, causing them to make mistakes thinking-wise. Secondly, during Tom Robinson's trial, Atticus highlights the misleading information and racial prejudice in Mayella Ewelles's statement against Tom Robinson, showing the social pressure and how it can affect the thoughts of someone. again during the Tom Robinson trial, Atticus caused attention to "She was a white, and she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. not an old uncle, but a strong young man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterward. (pg 207)" This quote shows the social pressure and how people act towards each other and how Mayella Ewell broke the unsaid Rules and made them when she was accused of kissing a black man Tom Robinson. This connects to the idea that both Mayella and Tom Robinson are seen as something on the outside, but in reality, both of them are different on the inside. Lastly, Atticus explains to Jem the harsh reality of the case. Atticus talks about how Tom will probably be guilty because of the racist bias. One of the things Atticus

Show More
Related
674 Words | 3 Pages

During the 1930’s in the poor town of Maycomb, Alabama, segregation was a way of life. This becomes an even bigger issue when Tom Robinson, and African-American man, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman. During this part of the novel, Mayella gains and shows her power. Her accusation of rape draws support from most of Maycomb County based on race, class and gender, allowing her to stand stronger and free. Mayella Ewell is indeed powerful when it comes to class, race and gender.

Read More
885 Words | 4 Pages

Then some people thought that Tom was innocent but the judge decided to make Tom go to prison. In the book it said that Mayella hugged and kissed Tom on the cheek. From this I can infer that Mayella is desperate and can get away with this because Tom Robinson is a black person. This reminds me of a couple southern movies I’ve watched where black people are always the first to suspect because of their color. Tom Robinson on trial for his life said Bob Ewell yelled “whore I’ll kill you” when he saw Mayella kiss Tom from the window.

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.

Read More
1082 Words | 5 Pages

Atticus took the Tom Robinson case, which prosecuted Tom for the raping of a young white female. Atticus knew that the case would be very difficult to prove he is not guilty but took it anyways. Many people questioned his actions and many disapproved of the example he was setting. But when his children asked, Atticus said “ The main one is, if I don’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem to do something again”(Lee 73).

Read More
1132 Words | 5 Pages

Another quote shows how wrong Mr. Ewell acts:”I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” Mr. Ewell (Lee, 92) In the novel he accuses an innocent man of raping and hitting his child Mayella however that is not the true story he because is lying, he hit her. While Atticus chooses the right moral dilemma and he also has humanity: "Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson's skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white.

Read More
531 Words | 3 Pages

This book pushes the thought of prejudice and shows the life of townsfolk coping with a society of racism in the 1930’s. Lee uses techniques such as imagery and characterization to push these themes. In ‘to kill a mocking bird’, Lee emphasises the social prejudices of Maycomb through Scout’s own experiences of different classes in the playground. While at school Scout has to justify the fact that the Cunningham family is poor and that they can’t afford anything.

Read More
1299 Words | 6 Pages

Within this community, numerous individuals face extreme racial preconceptions. Tom Robinson- an african american husband and father to three children- faces severe racial prejudice when he is accused of raping a young, white girl, Mayella Ewell. He and Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, face racial prejudice as the jury refuses to "decide in favor of a colored man over a white man” (279), notwithstanding evidence of Tom's obvious innocence in the matter. Harper Lee portrays the appalling racist community as Atticus states that racism is “Maycomb’s usual disease” (117); everyone in the society has succumbed to the ubiquitous racism while Atticus desperately attempts to raise Jem and Scout with the hope of protecting them from this societal disease.

Read More
166 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird prejudice is a theme constantly seen throughout the novel as shown by Atticus when he says “most people are, Scout, when you finally see them” (Lee). Tom Robinson, Aunt Alexandra and Boo Radley all demonstrate this by how they are first mistaken as someone they are not, but as the novel proceeds everyone begins to see who they really are. Tom Robinson is a black man that has been accuse of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. In the beginning of the novel the people in the town of Maycomb believe that Tom has raped Mayella. During the court case against Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell everyone in the court room “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin on my Mayella”(Lee 231).

Read More
891 Words | 4 Pages

He takes the pity that the jury has for Mayella and shifts the focus of pity to Tom for he is, in Atticus’ own words, “a quiet, respectable, humble Negro,” (page 207) Atticus provides the courtroom with a mind blowing speech about the innocence of Tom Robinson and the freedom or black men and women. B.Cases that always are racist can indeed change a whole community, which already has, and it births a new form of racism that permits people not to accept people who are not like them, and that includes blacks as well. Blacks are racist against whites. Whites are racist towards blacks.

Read More
1440 Words | 6 Pages

Even though Tom Robinson was not guilty and Atticus had strongly proven him as an innocent who was falsely accused of rape, but because discrimination was a factor in the final judgement, the consequences in society’s prejudice consequently led to the suffering of innocent individuals like Tom Robinson who received discriminatory treatment and trial due to their race. Descriptions of southern beliefs during the time period throughout the book develop and clarify the major theme of the

Read More
898 Words | 4 Pages

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)

Read More
693 Words | 3 Pages

This is shown in the case against Tom Robinson, which reveals the society's unjust beliefs and attitudes. Lee conveys the idea that true justice is impossible to achieve in a community that denies the truth as demonstrated by the Jury’s initial acceptance of Mr. Ewell's claims that Tom Robinson was responsible for Mayella's injuries. “A lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin” Atticus uses a simile to show that the colour of a person’s skin can convey the message of their whole character. As the trial progresses, Atticus presents evidence that reveals Mr. Ewell to be an abuser and the source of Mayella's bruises.

Read More
850 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus refutes the following statement by saying, “She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with” (Lee 231). “She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white” (Lee 231). Atticus makes use of descriptive emotional responses for the jury and the audience to pity Mayella's situation of being unable to control her situation of poverty and lonesomeness. Atticus then reverted the audience's emotions toward indignation of blatant injustice in such a way that Mayella framed Tom Robinson. Assuming that Atticus is correct, Tom Robinson would have been the victim of Mayella to such an extent that when Tom Robinson ran away, Mayella decided to condemn Tom for her mistake of tempting a Negro and sexually assaulting him.

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "... In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony.

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

When discovered she covers her guilt and shame by accusing him of rape. In this era and in this community, Mayella’s accusation is seen as reasonable and unfortunately believable, which leaves Tom beaten before he enters the trial. However, Atticus expresses a powerful message in his closing argument to create a move for change in his society. The argument is expressed subliminally, by communicating that in the 1930’s society disregarded that all were equal, and categorised men and women based on the colour of their skin.

Read More

More about Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Open Document