To Kill a Mockingbird Discrimination Essay

Discrimination today is often done by accident and is commonly unnoticed; done without knowing the possible consequences that can arise. Whether it be a simple remark on the soccer field such as “stop playing like a girl”, which seems to be an insult towards girls, or using ʻgayʼ as an insult, discrimination & prejudice can often be subconscious and unnoticed. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, set in the 1930ʼs during the depression era aims to challenge the notion of discrimination in general, whether it be based on race, class or gender. Through the use of various literary techniques, such as symbolism, foreshadowing and characterisation, Lee portrays her opinion of discrimination throughout the novel.
Racial discrimination is easily the most prominent type of discrimination within the novel. The reader mostly sees this through the character of Tom Robinson, who is wrongly accused on charges of rape and assault. Through the use of this character, in combination with various literary techniques, Harper Lee holds up a mirror and makes us assess our own beliefs of discrimination and prejudice. Techniques such as symbolism are used by Lee to portray the possible dangers of discrimination and prejudice. Symbolism within the novel is mainly used to portray Tomʼs innocence. The main example of symbolism is the mockingbird. Mockingbirds first appear in the novel when Jem and Scout are learning to use their new air rifles, where Atticus gives them one rule to follow - “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Miss Maudie also noted “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” From this, we can gather that mockingbirds are harmless, innocent creatures, and killing them is wrong as they donʼt hurt anyone. This is symbolic of Tom