How many lives could have been saved had we not allowed stories to tell us? Societal narratives regarding race are detrimental to both individuals and the collective conscience, reaping catastrophic consequences. In Shakespeare’s play, the character Othello is a tragic representation of a lifetime of conformity in a community that could never fully respect a black man, viewing their whiteness as inherently superior. Othello’s continuous and somewhat effective attempts to be honoured within Venetian society led to a loss of sanity and a devastating death. A similar representation is Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Tom is another black man surrounded by a white community, although this fictitious character exists 390 …show more content…
Shakespeare’s purpose is to convey the profound negative impact of prejudice on individuals and communities through Othello’s tragic downfall by expressing his internalised racism as his hamartia. In Act 1, Othello is referred to as “Far more fair than black”- Shakespeare is utilising juxtaposition to contrast between "fair"- goodness and "black"- which connotates with negativity and otherness in Elizabethan society, highlighting the conflicting perceptions of Othello. He is respected for his virtues, however "more" implies his acceptance is still conditional, underscoring the inherent racial prejudice. Throughout the play, Othello’s inferiority complex intensifies, encouraged by Iago’s manipulation, particularly in Act 3 when Othello states "Haply, for I am black / And have not those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have." "Soft parts of conversation" metaphorically represents the refined social graces and eloquence expected in Venetian society, which Othello feels he lacks as an immigrant, reflecting his internalised racism and insecurity. Othello admits to viewing his blackness as a viable reason for Desdemona to cheat on him. This is part of his peripeteia, leading to his suicide. …show more content…
Harper Lee uses the community's perceptions of superiority over Tom’s character to display how harmful criminalistic stereotypes of blackness were in the 1960s in America. Atticus Finch and his family are insulted and ostracized from their town, “Your father’s no better than the n****** and trash he works for!” Mrs. Dubose's derogatory remark used in dialogue regarding Atticus for defending Tom characterises her as a representation of the entrenched racist and supremacist attitudes held by many in the community of Maycomb. Her use of the term “n****** and trash” reflects the dehumanisation of black people that underpins the town's racial prejudices. Before Tom can speak for himself, the stories regarding him are already derogatory and dismiss his individuality. Tom does not fit the preconceived notions of ‘trash’ that entrap him, he is empathetic and honourable, as shown by how he speaks about Mayella Ewell, the woman who placed him in front of the jury. “Looks like she didn't have anyone to help her. I felt right sorry for her.” There is situational irony in Tom Robinson's feeling sorry for Mayella Ewell. Despite her being a white woman in a position of societal power over him, Tom, a black man with far fewer societal privileges, feels empathy for her. This irony contrasts Tom’s compassionate character with the bigoted Ewell family. Harper Lee uses this contrast to enhance the reader’s
Why are different races and social classes treated so differently? Why was education so horrible at some points in time? Two of the characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are Jem and Scout. When Jem and Scout are growing up, they find out that many things are not as they seem. Certain people are not treated as well as others just because of the color of their skin, how they live, educational status, or even on just urban legend. At courthouses back then, blacks had to sit in a balcony. Many people in this time were so uneducated that they couldn’t read out of hymn books at church, if they had any. Harper Lee wrote a story to express the different kinds of prejudice and educational problems in the 1930’s in Maycomb County, Alabama.
Scout's perception of prejudice is evolved through countless experiences in Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird. Written in the nineteen thirties, To Kill a Mockingbird promotes the understanding of self-discovery through Scout, an intelligent and outspoken child living with respectable family in Maycomb County, Alabama. Throughout various encounters in the novel, Harper Lee causes Scout's perspective to change and develop from innocence to awareness and eventually towards understanding.
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.
“Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudice; you’re taught it” –Charles R Swindoll. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a young girl named Scout who lives in a world filled with prejudice. There are many instances and types of prejudice in the novel. A man named Tom Robinson was convicted for doing a crime he never did because of the color of his skin. To this day, Tom would have never been tried because the evidence assuredly shows he is not guilty. One only becomes prejudice if you are taught it from other prejudice people. Harper Lee shows this idea throughout her novel through her characters, dialogue and theme.
Prejudice is defined as an "opinion formed without taking the time and care to judge fairly".In the novel 'To kill a mocking bird' there are several themes present like growing up, bravery and prejudice, but the main theme in this book is prejudice.
racism in the society is not as strong as it used to be but it is
“Agape means understanding, redeeming good will for all men… Therefore, agape makes no distinction between friends and enemy.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s “An Experiment in Love” emphasizes the importance of understanding and compassion, and the equality of all men on earth, for “all men are brothers.” To Kill a Mockingbird, set in the 1930’s, similarly examines these ideas during the time of the Great Depression, when many families were unable to find work and therefore became impoverished. It was also a time when racism was largely present. In many situations, racism was taught to one’s children, and then to the next generation. When ignorance is taught to children by their own parents, it is not uncommon that those children will continue
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.
Prejudice as defined by the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is, “a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something especially when it is not reasonable or logical.”prejudice is prevalent through many of the characters in the book. Scout, is the book’s narrator and is 7 at the beginning of the book. Her father, Atticus is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb, where the story takes place. Tom Robinson, a black character, is also very important throughout the plot of the book. Tom was accused of raping a white girl, Mayella and was sentenced to a trial which the book centers around. Throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that prejudice, whether it be social
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird portrayed an era of extreme prejudice and ignorance. Throughout the novel, these specific characteristics were noticed in the behavior of Maycomb’s residents, especially during the trial of Tom Robinson – a highly publicized court case involving a black man convicted of raping a white girl from a despicable family. Although it became obvious throughout the trial that Robinson was innocent, and the girl’s father was the real culprit, Tom Robinson was convicted mainly due to social prejudice toward his race. The unjust result of this trial deeply disturbed the main characters of the novel: Scout and Jem, the children of the defense attorney of the trial, Atticus Finch. Since the story took place in the 1930s, racism was still widely accepted in society, and most of the residents in Maycomb openly professed their derogatory views on people of a different race or social standard. Growing up in a family that believed in egalitarianism, Scout and Jem faced backlash from the community since their father was fighting for a black man in the Tom Robinson trial. Amid these two highly conflicting environments, Scout and Jem had many unanswered questions and no support in the community during these tough times. Additionally, the Maycomb community was plagued with injustice due to discrimination and racism. However, there was one character in the novel who remained open-minded and unprejudiced even in the face of tradition and communal ignorance. A close neighbor of the Finch’s, who shared the same moral views as Atticus, Miss Maudie served as a mother figure to young Scout and Jem, who were going through a tough time in the community. Although Miss Maudie may not have had enough power to change the prejudice...
The novel How to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee contains one overbearing theme: extreme prejudice. Throughout the novel “Scout” and her brother “Jem”; their real names being Jean Louise Finch and Jeremy Atticus Finch respectively, are victims and perpetrators of prejudice. In the novel, the children’s father Atticus Finch is the defense attorney for Mr. Tom Robinson, a black man convicted of raping white women with only circumstantial evidence. This evidence only pointing to Mayella Ewell being assaulted not by him; but by her father, Mr. Bob Ewell. Tom Robinson is only a victim of prejudice, alongside a multitude of people, all because of gender, socioeconomic, and/or racial aspects of their lives.
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee describes the theme of prejudice throughout the novel by a series of events. The story follows the young protagonist and narrator Jean Louise "Scout" Finch and her elder brother Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch. Prejudice is evident in the book at many different times. From Jem and Scouts first encounter with Boo Radley to the court trial of Tom Robinson. During both of these cases the characters represented are prejudiced to a point, whether it be socially or racially. The two described here come face to face with prejudice when they try to break free from the rules of Maycomb counties society, resulting in negative consequences. Stereotypes and misjudgment also play a key role in the prejudice that the characters have to face. It shows how people are bent and shaped to fit and adhere to societies standards and expectations.
Why do people these days tend to make fun of other people based on that person’s clothing and their skin color? Why don’t people realize that these assumptions can lead to violence? It could also end up killing innocent citizens who don’t have anything to do with this. In another way you can put it is that, prejudice ruins and sometimes even destroys humans. It also causes people to lose the way they look at their fellow human. . In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how prejudice causes people to believe in rumors, judge others by their skin color, and the beliefs of others.
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.
By not even recognizing the black population as human beings, society is instilling long-term psychological effects on a person. Racism creates feelings of inferiority, destroys self-identity, and damages mental health. Studies of discrimination and mental health indicate effects of “depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychological disorder” (Ruma 35). Othello’s deterioration from a rational, peaceful, and calm man to an irrational, violent, and impulsive man was driven by the color prejudice and racism. The negative images associated with the black color has long-lasting effects on the self-esteem of the victims. It is imperative that racism is minimized in society to save any more innocent lives from being physically, mentally, and emotionally destroyed by racism, as the lives of Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo serve truth to this fact. Psychological effects of racism is not temporary, it has affected the lives of the black population in the past and continue to do in the present. The injustice of racism is a prevalent problem, as the forms of racism has taken different forms in accordance with the changing times, but the long-lasting psychological effects of racism is painful and