Scouting Out Prejudice By Harper Lee

Discrimination and prejudice were very common acts in the early and middle 1900’s. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck prejudice is displayed by the acts of hate towards someone’s color of skin. People of color were the majority, that were treated unfairly. During this time in the southern states, black people had to use separate drinking fountains, bathrooms, churches, and even go to separate schools. Even though much of discrimination was driven towards blacks, there were plenty of accounts towards poor families by those that had money.

Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the difficult times of the Great Depression in the early 1930’s. The novel surrounds the life of a young girl named Scout Finch, along with her brother Jem, and their friend, Dill. Who are forced at a young age to watch the people of their small town of Maycomb not only receive, but also give prejudice to numerous, harmless people. Whether it be Boo Radley, a shut in who falls victim to the town’s gossip, even though he is constantly showing acts of kindness towards the Finch children. Or it be Tom Robinson an innocent man that Atticus, Scout’s father must defend be accused rape, and be convicted of a crime he did not to just because of the color of his skin. Throughout the novel, the people of Maycomb deal with prejudice in the forms of sexism, intolerance of differences, and in racism.

“‘...There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes,’” (Lee 302). In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem argues for the act that the poorer people in town were different because of how much money they had. Many people agreed and held a predetermined idea that people were different because of their social class. Class issues such as social prejudice occur in both To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. A person’s social class can largely affect how they are treated in society and what they can or cannot do.

The prejudice seen in the fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee corresponds with the real narrow-mindedness during this time period. A fair trial would be unlikely during this time period between a white and a black man. Tom Robinson was presumed guilty because of his race.

The entire world views and is affected by many immoral and cruel behaviours. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, the citizens of Maycomb County are harmed or troubled by vices that are seen throughout the text, such as racism, sexism and prejudice. It is obvious that throughout the work of To Kill a Mockingbird, the vices of racism, sexism and prejudice harm and negatively affect the community and it’s people.

The text “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee presents a large number of challenges, prompting the reader to respond to central ideas or events in the text. Segregation, the courthouse scene, and the trial outcome are all key events that provoke the reader to respond with strong negative reactions. Segregation is a common theme throughout the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" and is used by Harper Lee to highlight the social, racial, and economic divides within the society of Maycomb, Alabama. Through vivid descriptions and character interactions, Harper Lee paints a picture of a society in the 1930s, deeply divided along racial lines. The levels of racism in the 1930s versus the lower levels of racism in the present correspond with the decline

How far do you think Harper Lee has effectively shown social class and family groups to be important at that time? The rigid class structure and social stratification of Maycomb County had a profound effect on the events in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The impact of this class structure was especially evident in the trial of Tom Robins on, a Maycomb Negro. The extreme prejudice of the town eventually led to the unjust conviction of Robinson for a crime he did not commit.

The characters in, To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, often use prejudice against people of controversial issues. Many of the townspeople of Maycomb use prejudice on the families who are on the less wealthy end of the spectrum. Issues are still displayed because of the racial prejudice used against African Americans and those of other races. Lastly, gender is a clear issue in Maycomb because of women’s and girl’s rights and lack of respect towards them because they are female. All of the types of prejudice show that Maycomb has many problems all throughout the town between other families and townspeople.

During the Great Depression, racism was a common practice in the southern states of the US. Negros and those who opposed the intolerance were often discriminated by the rest of the bias and ignorant society, who believed in white supremacy and superiority over the other races. Maycomb, a racist town, exemplify this discrimination, imperiously judging others they view as being dissimilar from themselves. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, the author, weaves a brilliant story of prejudice, discrimination, and racism shown through the novel’s several characters and events, producing a mirror reflection of America’s racist society in the 1930’s.

He has put himself, and his family at the top, and black people at the bottom. Throughout the book, Harper Lee there introduces the Cunninghams, who are more poor than Finch’s, and then the Ewells, who are the poorest, living behind the dump. On the other hand, Miss Caroline, an outsider from northern Alabama, does not understand the social ranks in Maycomb. Scout tries to explain to her, ‘“That’s okay, ma’am, you'll get to know all the county folks after a while”’ (Lee 22).

In today’s world, one can easily recognize the diverse population of people in America. Individuals are divided into different groups of social class based on economic success and race. Throughout To Kill A Mocking Bird, the author, Harper Lee, clearly depicts the social classes and the importance of them during that time. One defining factor that decided a character’s social class included race, followed by their occupation and attitude. The class structures of Maycomb significantly effected many of the events that occurred in the novel.

In society, judging people and determining ranks/statuses of people is practiced frequently. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the small town of Maycomb is heavily divided. There are evident boundaries between the townspeople, they are all subject to different treatment and ways of life. At the start of the novel the people of Maycomb are separated on the basis of socioeconomic status. Lee also conveys a dramatic line of demarcation regarding the race of the fellow townspeople, the division between the two colors.

In the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, racism and social inequality are two central themes. Many different forms of social inequality coexist in the society depicted in the book, as the people of Maycomb are very rigid in their ways. This is because the book takes place in a time at which there was much racism and social inequality. In Maycomb, firstly there is discrimination between rich and poor white people, who do not often interact with each other. There is also racism against blacks by all white people in society, both rich and poor. Black people are denied basic rights and discriminated against in this town. Lastly, there is racism between the lowest classes of the community: poor white people and

Atticus said, “They’ve done it befor and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep”(Lee 285). To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. It is about two siblings , Jem and Scout, who live in a small town called Maycomb. Their father Atticus, is a well known lawyer, who is defending an African American that was accused of raping a white women. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout are introduced to discrimination and learn that it’s an everlasting problem. Prejudice and discrimination are important themes in To Kill a Mockingbird because of racism, sexism, and ageism.

Scout 's perception of prejudice is evolved through countless experiences in Harper Lee 's, To Kill a Mockingbird. Written in the nineteen thirties, To Kill a Mockingbird promotes the understanding of self-discovery through Scout, an intelligent and outspoken child living with respectable family in Maycomb County, Alabama. Throughout various encounters in the novel, Harper Lee causes Scout 's perspective to change and develop from innocence to awareness and eventually towards understanding.