Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. The world uses it as a blanket to cover up the fact that some people are afraid of other people or organizations that don’t look, act, talk, or pray like they do. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird displays prejudice towards innocent people through hateful words and actions. Prejudice is underestimating the innocence or strength in people such as Scout’s abilities as a young female, Tom Robinson’s rape accusation, and Nathan Radley’s mysterious brother, Arthur. With Scout being a girl, that makes it easy for people to have prejudice towards her. Scout already knows how to read when she gets to school. Her teacher, Miss Caroline, assumes everyone …show more content…
Prejudice has always and will always be a huge part of Tom’s life because of the color of his skin. In 1933 Maycomb, Alabama, equality between races is far from the finish line. Lula, a black woman, questions Calpurnia for bringing Scout and Jem to First Purchase African M.E. Church by saying, “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n” (Lee 158). The color of Tom’s skin is what makes him an easy target for Bob Ewell to accuse him of a crime. Bob Ewell needs someone to cover up him beating his daughter and who better than a black man. Tom’s trial is set up to fail from the beginning, having an all-white jury and a black man’s words going up against a white man’s. Atticus simply puts it, “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” (Lee 295). The justice system of Maycomb is one built on racism and prejudice. Whatever Atticus proves means nothing to eleven of those twelve jurors. Even with Atticus’ strong defense Tom is found guilty. The trial resonates deep within Scout, Jem, and Dill. They get to witness the unfairness in race and prejudice. The trial sticks with them as they mature as they continue to fond over Boo