More handpicked essays just for you.
Racial and symbolism in to kill a mockingbird
Social class and society
Racial and symbolism in to kill a mockingbird
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Isabella Mincevska
ENG2D7
Ms. Whittaker
September 27 2015
Poor Judgment
Everyone will experience prejudice at least once in their lives. Whether someone is responsible for being prejudice towards another, or is a target of prejudice, it is always based off ignorance. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, and the use of one's own ideas rather than cold, hard facts. In Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the prejudice towards others caused by a character's difference from societal norms, is simply based on ignorance. This is shown through racist, classist and gender biased assumptions.
Racism is easily found in Maycomb. After Atticus makes it clear he is going to actually try to prove Tom Robinson's innocence,
…show more content…
it causes the racism in Maycomb to rise even more. As Christmas time arrives, Atticus takes Jem and Scout to the Finch's landing where their cousin Francis is later dropped off. One night Francis tells Scout that, "Grandma says it's bad enough he [Atticus] let's you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'. " (110). Racism is clearly not seen as unacceptable. The fact that Francis' grandmother says these racist comments, and uses such harsh language towards black people, especially in front of a child, shows that racism is taught. Francis' grandmother also makes remarks based completely off of her own judgment, generalizing black people as dangerous, claiming the streets will not be safe to walk around in, and says Atticus is ruining the family by defending an innocent black man. This only exemplifies the prejudice mindset in Maycomb that is not based off of any actual facts. Not only is prejudice racism seen between families, but it is seen within the neighbors and common folk. As Atticus sits outside of the Maycomb jail, he is confronted by a group of men who begin to ask him about Tom, "'He in there, Mr. Finch?' a man said. 'He is' we heard Atticus answer, 'and he's asleep, don't wake him up'…'You know what we want' another man said. 'Get aside from the door Mr. Finch'" (202). The group of men are using their own racist reasoning to come to the conclusion that Tom is guilty, and they go to lynch Tom. They assume he is guilty just because he is a black man; the trial has not even taken place yet, and no evidence has been given to show Tom is guilty. This emphasizes the cruelty level of their racism and also the absurdity that people in Maycomb are willing to lynch a man based off their own conclusions. Lastly, Atticus states that the Tom Robinson's case is a difficult one when Uncle Jack asks Atticus about the evidence he has for the case, Atticus states, "'The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells...The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells'" (117). Atticus expresses that the town of Maycomb is a racist one, as they will not believe Tom Robinson simply because he is black, but will believe the Ewells simply because they're white. They are persuaded by their ignorance to deem Tom guilty because of his colour. The people of Maycomb choose not to focus on the proof that shows Tom is innocent, but on their own mindset that black people are to blame and that coloured folks are below white people. In all, the absurd racism is seen through families speaking openly with racism, ordinary citizens wanting to lynch Tom and the unfair ruling system of Tom Robinson's case. Treating people differently because of their class rather than who they are as a person is not uncommon in Maycomb.
Miss Caroline has a variety of students in her class, from the Ewells to the Finches to the Cunninghams, therefore it is no surprise that a teacher of a relatively higher class would not understand those of the lower class. Walter Cunningham can easily be described as poor and a child from the lower class, since he never has any lunch and has no shoes on. However, Miss Caroline, being the new teacher and not being used to the country folk, does not seem to understand. After she finds out Walter does not have a lunch she says to him, "'Here's a quarter'...'Go and eat downtown today, you can pay me back tomorrow'"(25). Miss Caroline does not realize that Walter cannot afford to pay her back, to which Scout says, "'Miss Caroline, He's a Cunningham' I sat back down, 'What, Jean Louise?'…'The Cunninghams never took anything they can't pay back'" (26). Miss Caroline just assumes that everyone in class is able to afford the different luxuries that the higher class is used to having, proving the difference in classes and the ignorance the higher class have towards the lower class. In addition to the classism found in a school setting, Aunt Alexandra is someone who is clearly classist, even towards children. Scout asks Alexandra if she can play with Walter Cunningham, Alexandra denies her. Scout does not understand why she is not allowed to play with him and tells her aunt, "'But I want to play with Walter, aunty, why can't I?' she took off her glasses and stared at me. 'I'll tell you why' She said, 'Because-he-is-trash, that's why you can't play with him'" (301). Aunt Alexandra is an obvious classist and feels no shame to say such comments about an innocent child in front of another child. She assumes that Walter as a person is trash just because he is of the lower class, nothing else. Alexandra judges people based on wealth, and her own personal ideas,
rather than focusing on who someone is as a person. In addition to Aunt Alexandra's commentary, it is fairly expected that talking freely about classist ideas would affect a child's way of thinking. After talking to Aunt Alexandra about Walter, Scout comes to a realization about Maycomb and says, "There's four kinds of folks in the world. There's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors. There's the kinds like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the negros" (302). Scout now finally understands that the people of Maycomb belong to different class levels, and that people focus on someone's social level more than who they are and their mindset. Altogether, ignorant classism is evident in teacher's misunderstanding of a student, a family member's words of hatred towards the poor and the understanding of how Maycomb and the world works. Underestimating and judging women based on their gender is found in many situations throughout the novel. Jem is often seen calling Scout a girl in the context of it being a bad thing. When Jem, Scout and Dill were playing a game mimicking Boo Radley's life, Scout and Jem argue after Atticus questions their game. Scout states that, "Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that's why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one, I could just go off and find some to play with."(54). Jem generalizes girls as feeble minded, with their head in the clouds. This remark is based off both his thoughts and society norms and not any actual data. Not only is Jem showing poor judgment towards women and underestimating them, but the society of Maycomb is also doing so. When talking to Atticus about the verdict of Tom's case, Scout wonders why people like Miss Maudie are not on the jury (296) to which Atticus tell her: "'For one thing, Miss Maudie can't serve on a jury because she is a woman-' ' You mean women in Alabama can't-?'…'I do. I guess it's to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom's besides, I doubt we'd ever get a complete case tried- the ladies'd be interrupting to ask questions', Jem and I laughed" (296) Not only are women not allowed to do something a man is allowed to do, in this case be on the jury, but the reasoning behind it is based purely on ignorant prejudice towards women and girls. Women in society are not treated equally and are seen as weak and fragile, as if they cannot handle the same things men can. Lastly, in the novel many people, such as Jem, implement ideas into Scout's head, such as that women have no skills and are very incapable of doing regular tasks men do. As Scout realizes that Jem is growing, she enters the kitchen and observes, "[Calpurnia] seemed glad to see me when I appeared in the kitchen, and by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl" (154). Maycomb's society is very sexist and gender biased. The ideas that women are not as skillful as men are in a way taught to Scout because they are freely spoken about and are repeated constantly around her. This causes Scout to start thinking the same way, not based off of any proof, but simply because of the ignorant and prejudice comments she hears. As she watches Calpurnia who is like a mother figure to her, she sees how well she works. Observing Calpurnia's work contradicts the gender biased comments she is hearing and Scout now begins to think that women do in fact have skill. In all, Maycomb treat women very differently because of their gender. This prejudice judgment towards women is seen through Jem's commentary, the society's norms, and through Scout's thoughts. Altogether, it is evident that prejudice is based of off ignorance. This is shown through racist, classist and gender biased assumptions seen throughout the novel. Prejudice judgment is not only an issue in Maycomb, but it is also an issue today. False accusations are founded on illiteracy and are still seen in our everyday society. This is an issue that circulates all around us and should to be worked towards solving in the near future.
Three students kicked out of a high school for threatening to bring a gun to school. Why would they? Because people were prejudice against them because other students thought they were “losers”. Moral: You shouldn’t not like a person because they aren’t like you. Prejudice was far much worse in the time period of To Kill A Mockingbird. But, Prejudice is the reason for much social injustice. Three characters named Nathan Radley, Atticus Finch, and Aunt Alexandria show us this in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird.
Harper Lee wrote, “when Atticus turned away from Mayella he looked like his stomach hurt.” during the trial. (chapter 18) People tried to force their way into prison and kill Tom Robinson. A group of white men including Mr Cunningham really wanted him killed as the town believed the white family’. They chose the Ewells over Tom Robinson because he is black. There were two churches in Maycomb, one for the blacks and one for the whites. This is another example of racism. They also had separate seating arrangements in the courthouse for white and black
Growing up in a prejudiced environment can cause individuals to develop biased views in regard to both gender and class. This is true in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, where such prejudices are prevalent in the way of life of 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. The novel is centered around the trial of a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. The narrator, a young girl named Scout, is able to get a close up view of the trial because her father is defending Tom Robinson, the defendant. The aura of the town divided by the trial reveals certain people's’ prejudices to Scout, giving her a better perspective of her world. Throughout the story, Aunt Alexandra’s behaviors indirectly teach Scout that prejudice is a disease with deep and far reaching roots.
How would you like it if someone walked up to you and berated you based on the color of your skin? A characteristic like that isn’t even something you can control, so an insult of that nature can leave one furious and oppressed. Discrimination is inevitable in any culture, throughout history, in modern times, and even in ancient times. For example, the oppression and murder of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust, the African Slave Trade which occurred for multiple centuries, and more recently, the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya people in Myanmar, brought on by the government of the Asian nation, all of which are tragedies doomed to happen when history repeats itself and people do not learn
racism in the society is not as strong as it used to be but it is
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a world where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (“Quotes About”). Dr. King fought against prejudice for a number of years and was victorious in bringing awareness to the issue. However, there are many forms of prejudice and racism is only one of those forms. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, brings an abundance of social injustices to light, such as racism, gender rights, and lacking respect to others based on their family history and background. Lee uses her book to illustrate that prejudice and racism are constantly harming society and have done so for a seemingly endless amount
In the world people are always preconceived based on who they are or what they look like. Even though it isn’t as big of a problem in some areas as in others, we need to fight it. If we don’t then it will continue to get more serious and at times lead to death. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Alexandra tells her niece that she can’t play with a schoolmate simply because of his class. “‘You can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem…Because—he—is—trash.’” (224). This prejudiced state of mind is the foundation for the plot events of the novel. By way of experiences, a young girl, Scout Finch, must learn about the part prejudice plays in the everyday life of Maycomb County. Through settlement patterns, justice, and social stratification Harper Lee reveals the ways of prejudice.
Prejudice is arguably the most prominent theme of the novel. It is directed towards groups and individuals in the Maycomb community. Prejudice is linked with ideas of fear superstition and injustice.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, many different themes come into view. One major theme that played a big role in the character’s lives is racial prejudice. Racism is an unending problem throughout the book. The song “Message from a Black Man” by The Temptations has many similarities to the theme of racial discrimination. Therefore, both the novel and the song prove that racism was a great obstacle for some people at a point.
Prejudice is a real life problem in the world. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes the prejudices found in a small American town in the 1930's. Race, social class, and gender are examples of prejudice.
Prejudice, the act of judging someone based on outward appearance or social standing. In the 1960’s Harper Lee wrote a book called To Kill a Mockingbird, about prejudice and how hard the times were. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many examples of prejudice showing how morally wrong it was. There are several examples of prejudice in the book: Tom Robinson because he is African American, Boo Radley because of his standing in their society, and the Cunningham Family because of how poor they were. The following paragraphs will discuss these examples.
Racism. racism is the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race, based on the belief that one's own race is superior. This belief has been around for many years, ever since the beginning of humanity. Many experts say that racism started in the colonial era and is know starting to diminish. Nonetheless there are still people who believe in the supremacy of their race and think someone's ethnicity makes up their personality. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the people of Maycomb treat African Americans like they're second class citizens. In this Novel, Lee expresses one’s appearance doesn't change people of other ethnicities character and opinions. In which Lee means your appearance can’t change
As a white man advocating for the rights of a black man in the Jim Crow South, Atticus challenges the societal norms and expectations of his peers. His decision to defend Tom Robinson stems from his unwavering commitment to justice and equality, regardless of race. However, even Atticus, with his moral integrity and legal acumen, cannot single-handedly dismantle the entrenched racism of Maycomb. His noble efforts are met with hostility and disdain from many in the community, illustrating the formidable obstacles faced by those who dare to challenge the status quo of
In the town of Maycomb, there is a big case about a black man who is accused of rape. Scout's father Atticus is the black man's lawyer. While talking to scout about his case, Atticus says, "'Simply because we were licked a hundred years ago before it started is no reason for us to try to win'"(Lee 87). Even Atticus a fair and right man admits there's racism in the town of Maycomb and that he will not win the case because of it. The town of Maycomb has some good people, but many people have racist and unfair
Prejudice is a strong word. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, a black man, Tom Robinson, was accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, and was brought to trial. There were distinct views concerning Tom Robinson's innocence – views influenced by prejudice. The townspeople of Maycomb believed in Tom's guilt while Atticus and the children believed in Tom's innocence.