Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice affects the entirety of the world today. Hundreds of thousands of people flee prejudiced governments all around the world. A current example of this inhumanity is the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. According to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, “Today, there are an estimated 720,000 Rohingya children in Bangladesh and Myanmar, in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection – and looking to the outside world for help.” (United Nations Children's Emergency Fund). As reported by the New York Post, the Myanmar military is committing crimes against humanity. Children are being murdered and women are being raped. (NY Post). The military of Myanmar has been dehumanized because of their prejudice

toward the Rohingya people.

Their loss of morals has helped them commit horrible acts, like the rape and murder of children. This is demonstrated on a much smaller scale in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. An innocent black man, Tom Robinson, is killed because of the prejudice he faces. He is taken to court with no chance of success, because he’s black. Lee demonstrates that when the soul of a person is stained by the darkness of prejudice, they lose their humanity.
Walter Cunningham’s prejudice led to his loss of humanity. The day before the trial of Tom Robinson, a mob contaminated by racial prejudice attempts to lynch Tom Robinson and Atticus. Atticus was highly unpopular for his decision to defend Tom Robinson. When Walter Cunningham and his mob came to lynch Tom Robinson, he stood in their way. If Scout hadn’t come to talk some sense into Walter Cunningham, Atticus would have been beaten or killed, and

Tom would have been lynched. When Scout convinces Walter Cunningham to yield he says, “‘I’ll tell him you said hey, little lady,’ he said. Then he straightened up and waved a big paw. ‘Let’s clear out,’ he called. ‘Let’s get going, boys,’” (154). In the prejudiced ways of the 1930’s, a lynching wouldn’t be uncommon. Mr. Cunningham, who had a great relationship with the Finch’s, let prejudice control his actions. Scout was there to save the day, but his humanity was already lost. Scout compares him to an animal “waving his big paw.” His prejudice had driven him to attempt killing two innocent men, and if the children hadn’t arrived, would have succeeded. After the incident, Atticus maintained the belief Mr. Cunningham was still a good person. He explained to the children, ’”So it took an eight-year old child to bring ‘em to their senses, didn’t it?’ said Atticus. ‘That proves something -- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped,”’ (157). Atticus, being a much older man, had wisdom that the children hadn’t learned yet. He demonstrates that the men in the mob were transformed by their prejudice, into wild animals. They lost their ability to reason, empathize, love, and were left with hatred and injustice.
The prejudice of Bob Ewell shows his animalistic traits.. He, along with his daughter, Mayella Ewell, make the claim that Mr. Robinson raped her. It becomes clear after Bob Ewell and Mayella Ewell’s testimonies that Tom is innocent. The Ewell’s are notorious for being trashy, lazy people. After sneaking into the courthouse, Scout watches Bob Ewell’s testimony. She illustrates, ’”. . . Robert E. Lee Ewell!’ In answer to the clerk’s booming voice, a little bantam cock of a man rose and strutted to the stand, the back of his neck reddening at the sound of his name,” (169-170). The Ewell’s decision to take Tom Robinson to court essentially condemned him to death. A black person’s position was precarious in the 1930’s. The courts were biased and justice couldn’t be rightly served. Before walking into the courthouse, Robinson’s trial was over. Bob Ewell was prejudiced to the core. He accused Tom Robinson to save his family’s reputation. He lost his humanity the instant he decided to put Tom Robinson to trial. Scout described, ”The little man seemed to have forgotten his previous humiliation from the bench. It was becoming evident that he thought Atticus an easy match. He seemed to grow ruddy again; his chest swelled, and once more he was a red little rooster. I thought he’d burst his shirt at Atticus’s next question,” (176). Before the incident, Bob Ewell was a bad man. He was an alcoholic and beat his children, but after the trial, his lack of empathy and other emotions that define humans animalized him. Even someone as young as Scout could see his lack of morals. His prejudice against black people made him lose his humanity.
Mayella Ewell is another person who loses her humanity when accusing Tom Robinson.

Her testimony showed her lying ways. Several times she contradicted herself a or faltered when giving evidence. The Ewell’s were not a respected family and had the lowest status a white family could get. However, they were still above all black people. Mayella’s testimony caused her to lose her humanity. Scout described, ”Apparently Mayella’s recital had given her confidence, but it was not her father’s brash kind: there was something stealthy about hers, like a steady-eyed cat with a twitchy tail,” (181). When Mayella Ewell went to the stand, the court gained an understanding of what her life was like. Atticus showed to the court that she was a lonely person with an abusive father. None of her siblings helped her, and she finally met someone who was kind to her, Tom Robinson. Her story was easy to empathize with, but when she tried to fix her mistakes by killing Tom, she lost her humanity. Scout revealed, ”Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to her. But she said he took advantage of her, and when she stood up she looked at him as if he were dirt beneath her feet,” (192). Mayella Ewell was a conflicted person. She was extremely lonely, but she was also afraid to do the right thing. In fear of her father, she killed the only person who had ever done anything for her, and lost her

humanity.
In a racist Maycomb, inhumanity against black people is hardly noticed. That’s part of white privilege. However, there are a few that can’t help but notice. Atticus shows his opposal to this inhumanity by defending Tom Robinson in a court case that rattles the town. It’s a sorry thing that today the same unfaltering prejudice is faced today, all over the world. Unlike racist Maycomb, I do not hate on people because of their skin color, race, ethnicity, or social class. However, I have never faced persecution for the color of my skin or what I believe. I can choose to ignore all animalistic acts of people. I don’t have to worry about my next home. I don’t have a mandated curfew. Yet, as a unified people, we can also be a voice for change. We can help support the displaced children from Myanmar and the Middle East. We can donate or send aid instead of sitting idly and thinking about the news. We can make the Rohingyan voices heard. We can help victims of inhumanity, like Atticus. We can defend those who can’t defend themselves.