Examples Of Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird, a book that sold over 30 million copies (Flynt), made its way into Americans lives in 1960. This novel was criticized and acclaimed by many Americans when it was released, with themes that remain relevant fifty-six years later. A significant theme throughout the book is social discrimination. Social discrimination is the act of discriminating against a person based on religion, race, sex, wealth, or age. Discrimination against African Americans, women, and people with little to no status and/or money makes up this book. Discrimination against these three demographics are still found today. The discrimination against African Americans has gradually declined since To Kill a Mockingbird was released (Tone),

The biggest discrimination against African Americans that is still around today is also found in law enforcement. Many people are suspected of crimes only for the color of their skin (Perz). A study revealed that there are “more than 2,000 innocents who were falsely convicted of serious crimes since 1989. A closer look demonstrates that half of those exonerated were African American” (Biles). Tom Robinson was also a victim of being falsely convicted due to the color of his skin. A big issue that is consistently seen on the news is the killings of black men and women by police officers. An investigation done by the Guardian, states that in 2015, officers killed almost 600 African Americans, and that black men and women are twice as likely to get killed by police than a white person. (Laughland). “A Justice Department civil rights investigation has concluded that the Ferguson Police Department and the city's municipal court engaged in a "pattern and practice" of discrimination against African-Americans, targeting them disproportionately for traffic stops, use of force, and

In the first chapter of the book it states that, “it is a shame to some members of the family we had no recorded ancestors on either sides of the Battle Hastings” (Lee 4). The Finches were seen as shameful to some people because they didn’t have any family members who fought in the battle, unlike most of the people who makeup Maycomb, Alabama. The only reason the Finch family was respected was because of Simon Finch, an ancestor of the family who was a rich, fur trapping apothecary. Today status is just as important as it was in the 1960s. Someone’s social status can affect the jobs they get, how they feel about themselves and how other people treat them (Chan). Many people today do not associate themselves with people who are seen as people with less status than them, this is seen in the novel when Aunt Alexander forbids Scout to invite Walter Cunningham over for dinner because he is trash and has less status then the Finches. There are four kinds of people in Maycomb; the Finches, Cunninghams, Ewells, and the African Americans. The Finches and people like them are seen as high class because they have the most status and/or money. People like the Cunninghams are below the Finches because they live in the woods with little to no money, but they are still a respected working family. Below the Cunninghams are the Ewells. They are poor and are not respected by anyone in town. Although