Social Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Some people do not accept things as they are, but as they should be. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, three characters exemplify this. These characters willingly pay the price in order to stand against the dark issue of racism. From the pages of this book, their voices teach us that when culture displays hostility towards minorities, each individual has a choice: to follow or to stand up for truth. Although the time period in this story occurrs long ago, the lessons remain. These characters, Atticus, Dill, and Tom, portray forward thinking about social injustice.

To begin, Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, portrays forward thinking by his feelings and actions towards people of different races. Throughout the book, Atticus stands up for his beliefs to the utter dismay of his family, friends and community. While defending Tom, an innocent black man, to the court and hearers, Atticus proclaims, "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…But there is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has

When asked why he had the inclination to assist a poor, white girl, Tom replies, ““I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em—” “You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her? Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.” (264). Although Mr. Gilmer sees Tom’s pity as disgusting, those who look more closely at Tom’s action see a rare beauty. Tom, a Negro man, whom whites have likely mistreated and “spat” upon his whole life, looked at a white girl with pity and mercy. Although Tom has more reason than most to let resentment grow in his heart, he chooses kindness. Remarkably, Tom displays forward thinking by his sensitivity towards members of the race who have mistreated