Racism And Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

In her best-selling book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts the 1930s in the southern United States by delving into an abundance of different issues. Lee tells a tale about a girl named Scout Finch as she experiences her early years in the Alabama village of Maycomb. The book explores the sensitive topics of racism and injustice with the significant impacts they have on the residents of Maycomb. Events like the Tom Robinson trial, Boo Radley's treatment by society, and the different socioeconomic classes shown in the town all contribute to Lee's exploration of this issue throughout the duration of the story.

To begin, the Tom Robinson trial demonstrates the racism and iniquity that permeate Maycomb, as Robinson gets charged with raping

Even though Boo seldom speaks and has white skin, Boo nonetheless encounters several instances of unfair treatment. When Jem Finch asserts: "I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time...it's because he wants to stay inside" (Lee 233), he is arguing about this specific issue. This quote is noteworthy because Jem implies that Boo Radley became reclusive as a result of the stories and chatter in the town, demonstrating to the reader that he has now recognized the unfairness of the community concerning Boo. There is also an instance in the story where Scout says: "Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad" (Lee 373). Even though Boo has done so much for the community, what Scout says demonstrates how the town has taken advantage of him and has not reciprocated in any way. The treatment of Boo Radley by society is a clear example of the unfairness in Maycomb, and the numerous rumours that have advanced around the community may also contribute to the town's social

In this story, characters are treated differently based on their skin tone and the prejudices that have been attached to them, which affects how different social strata see them. According to Jem, he mentions that: "four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes" (Lee 302). The observation by Jem is significant given that it demonstrates how divided Maycomb is along racial, economic, and social lines. In addition, it illustrates how people of colour and those who live in poverty are perceived as inferior to those who live in white neighbourhoods. Scout also mentions that:" The Cunninghams never took anything they can't pay back-no church baskets and no scrips stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don't have much, but they get along on it"(Lee 26). The statement made by Scout indicates that the Cunninghams are a low-income family who are judged according to their social standing. It highlights the extent to which folks who are privileged look down on others who are less fortunate. As a result, the reader is made aware of the importance of racism and injustices in the novel through the story's social class