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Stereotyping And Racism In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

Decent Essays

Right From Wrong Is Stereotyping and racism truly wrong? In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee six year old Scout Finch, and her older brother Jem, live with their father in cozy Maycomb, Alabama. They love to spend time with their close friend Dill, and also spy on their mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Later Atticus, there widowed father, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges from the Ewell family, exposing the children to the evil of stereotyping and racism in the South. Throughout the trial Atticus taught his children to respect others, no matter what action they were accused of committing. Atticus lived by the theme respect others, protect the innocent, and always take a moral stance. …show more content…

Even though this was an almost impossible task for one man, Atticus thrived at the challenge. For example, during the intense trial that pushed the limits of racism in Maycomb, Alabama Atticus always showed his respect towards others. Although in Scouts mind it was not well deserved because there was an ample amount of evidence that should have cleared Tom’s name. But, Atticus stuck to his morals and repeatedly considered things from other people’s perspectives. As he expressed one day while talking to Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (30). Scout and Jem both thought Atticus’ statement was correct. “Atticus was right. You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them”. During the trial when Atticus would interrogate Mayella he always used the word Miss when referring to her. Even though this was an act of respect towards Mayella, she thought to it as an insult because she was an uneducated young southern woman. These lessons ended up being very useful to particularly Scout when she tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it so that she could see things from his point of

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