Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

2 April 2013
Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird The objective of this thesis paper is to delve into the work of Harper Lee and examine her uses of prejudice. This research defines the different uses of prejudice the novel and in the world. The research reflects upon the racism, sexism, and social classing of the 1930s through the primary sources of articles and books. Throughout the research, it has been found that the prejudices mentioned in Lee’s book have extensive histories that date back hundreds of years. Through showing the history of prejudice, this research pinpoints the political and social aspects of Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

2 April 2013
Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird The subject
To be prejudice is to take away those rights as if to denounce someone as a human. Most people who are prejudice are that way because, naturally, they are afraid of the things they do not understand. Consequently, people tend to cringe away from and alienate anything that may seem like a foreign concept and it shows in every aspect of the matter of prejudice. For example, in racism the Caucasian race alienated and excluded themselves from the minor races because at one point they never knew those races existed. When such races were discovered they were not accepted or viewed as fellow human beings. Resultantly, the Caucasian race mistreated the other races because they did not understand them. All they understood was that they were to be the only existing race in America. In the novel, Atticus says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” This shows that to truly understand someone you have to give them a chance and try to know their way of life before making judgments. The Caucasian race avoided that all together, made their assumptions, and brutally pushed the other races away, leaving no room for
It is a belief that some races are by nature superior to others (Merriam-Webster 603). This type of prejudice has been the most acknowledged for centuries. Naturally, modern popular understanding of racism originated in slavery, with blacks and whites as the fundamental and opposing categories (Mankiller 2). Hundreds of years ago, when African-Americans were first brought to America, they were treated like animals. They were worked, starved, beaten, and slaughtered to no avail. Even when they were finally freed from their slavery, their acknowledgment as human beings would take years to come. Their freedom was just a small step towards progress. The African-Americans kept feeling the full force of racism, which consisted of many tremendous cruelties including hate groups, lynching, segregation and so much more. In the novel, racism is most evident when Scout talks about Tom Robinson. He is a black man that has been falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell’s daughter. Mr. Ewell accuses Tom knowing that none of his accusations are true and that he is actually the one who raped Mayella. Bob accuses Tom because Tom was the closest black man there and the perfect scapegoat. At the trial Bob says, “I see that black Negro ruttin’ on my Mayella” (Lee 173). When Tom goes up to the stand at the trial, Atticus, Scout’s dad, questions him and finds significance proof of Tom’s