Racial Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Any good parent wants to protect their children, but how can Atticus Finch protect his own from “Maycomb’s usual disease” (Lee 117; ch. 9)? The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb, a small Alabama town, during the Great Depression era. Amidst the frenzy surrounding the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem and Scout Finch grow up and learn some uncomfortable truths about their beloved hometown and its residents. Prejudice is an unavoidable fact of life in Maycomb, no matter how well it is hidden away. This prejudice hurts both those who hate and the hated, and is motivated by race, gender, and socio-economic status. The most glaringly obvious example of racial prejudice is the trial and conviction of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Although Atticus proved to the jury that Tom was innocent, there was no chance of a fair trial “in the secret courts of men’s hearts” (Lee 323; ch. 25). Tom was unanimously deemed guilty by the completely white jury. It was a black man’s word against a white woman’s, and the jury made their decision based solely off this fact. This disgraceful act of injustice happened because racist beliefs were acted upon. Racial prejudice not only destroyed the life of an innocent man, but put a stain on
Maycomb’s conscience as well. Prejudice towards women is another one of Maycomb’s dark undercurrents. Sadly, these beliefs start to form at a young age. Even Jem is prone to this way of thinking, such as when he told Scout she’s “gettin’ [sic] more like a girl every day” (Lee 69; ch. 6). This incident occurred when Scout was trying to talk Jem out of spying on Boo Radley, a needlessly reckless act. Jem’s declaration implies that women are too fragile to handle risky, dangerous situations. This unfounded claim is even endorsed by people in power: to protect their femininity, women in Alabama aren’t allowed to serve on juries. This kind of thinking limits women and men to a life of someone else’s choosing, limiting everyone’s possibilities. The social inequality created by prejudice against women is toxic and―sadly―socially acceptable. Maycomb operates on a distinct class system, where each social level holds a prejudice against the one below it.
When Scout asks Aunt Alexandra is she can play with Walter Cunningham, who comes from a poor family, Alexandra denies the request “[b]ecause―he―is―trash” (Lee 301, ch. 23). The Cunninghams have good character, and Alexandra knows this. The only reason why she forbids Scout from playing with him is because he is of a lower class. These social rules are rigid and limit the mixing of social classes, to no one’s benefit. Moving up in society is unthinkable, making the “American Dream” impossible. The divisions in society created by the class system do nothing but tear people
apart.