Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Dolphus Raymond could not be more different, yet in a way, they are all seen as the same. To people of Maycomb, they were all seen as unorthodox eccentrics. People who were different and therefore must live away from society, away from the “normal” townspeople. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if the people of Maycomb weren’t prejudiced against them? If that were the case, they may have been able to live in harmony with the rest of society. Unfortunately, that is only a fantasy. Residents of Maycomb create rumors about these eccentrics out of prejudice, reflecting their inability to view things from other perspectives, ignorance, and fear.

Rumors and prejudices are directly formed by the inability to view things from other perspectives. Throughout the story, Atticus commits to educate Scout about the importance of the ability to “crawl in one’s skin and walk around in it. As Scout gets older, she becomes an expert in the field and is able to understand Mr.

Arthur Radley is a quiet recluse that means no harm, despite that, rumors about him fly like fireworks on the fourth of July. At the age of four, Scout is exposed to the derogatory rumors about him, “Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work,” (Lee 10). The townspeople have never seen Arthur, so once in awhile, a negative idea regarding him comes to their mind. Arthur still doesn’t come out, so the thoughts are not denied. Eventually, the people start to fear the negative thoughts hold truth. The cycle keeps repeating, until people start to become genuinely scared of Arthur’s intentions. However, the feelings are silly and childish. Furthermore, Maycomb is a society that is very conscious of class and family tradition, so they cannot seem like a child. As a result, the residents attempt to validate their fear by engaging in prejudice to the now “Boo”