Dangers Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

The Dangers of Prejudice

To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel that transcends time, and holds its relevance today. Throughout the trial and conviction of Tom Robinson, you see how racial prejudice skewed the judgement of people, and caused turmoil. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee emphasizes the blatant issues of sexism, racism, and social class and how these issues can manifest in a community and affect their judgment. Throughout the novel, sexism is shown through the eyes of Scout and the women of Maycomb. Early on in the novel, there is a sense that women are not respected in the community. As Dill is living in Maycomb in the summer, Scout says, “He staked me out, marked as his property, said I was the only girl he would ever

During the novel, Scout goes to church with Calpurnia. Calpurnia attends an African Americans church, and Scout and Jem are the only white people there. They are not completely welcomed and when Lula sees them, she exclaims to Cal, "You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?” (Lee 136). The racism in this community causes a divide between people. Even though Scout and Jem are not doing anything to Lula, Lula is still cold and unwelcoming. Society is causing Lula to think white people should not go to church with black people. Similarly, during the trial of Tom Robinson, racism played a huge part. As Bob Ewell testifies against Tom, he says, "I seen that black ni**** yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!” (Lee 196). During the trial of Tom Robinson, Tom is belittled and accused of a crime he did not commit. Bob Ewell, perhaps the most blatant racist in the novel, is disrespecting Tom constantly. He is not using Tom’s name, instead he is using a derogatory term, and amplifying Tom’s race. It shows that Tom’s race is insulting to Bob. He also uses the term “ruttin” , which is commonly used with animals. He is demeaning Tom, and the community let’s Bob get away with it. This event shows how corrupted the community

When Scout wants to play with Walter Cunningham, her aunt denies Scout and says, 'I'll tell you why' she said. 'Because-he-is-trash, that's why you can't play with him,” (Lee 256). This idea of social class divides the town of Maycomb. It causes the Cunninghams to be isolated and marginalized. The community does not want anything to do their family. They are seen as “trash”, and Scout is not allowed to play with Walter. The fact that Scout is unable to associate with Walter shows the social divide. Her aunt thinks that their family was better than the Cunninghams, and therefore should not be seen with them. Jem also has a sense of the social classes and states, “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 258). Jem illustrates that Maycomb is divided by social class. The “ordinary” people like Jem’s family are seen as superior. The worst thing is that African Americans are at the bottom of the social classes. The people who are not at the top of the social class are excluded and marginalized. They are judged and often ridiculed. This prejudice is causing the community to separate, and there is a lack of empathy and