Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

The prejudices present in the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, display the views of the Old South. Defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a prejudice is an adverse opinion formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. A significant prejudice present is sexism against women. The segregation of social classes is also exhibited in the novel. Most importantly, racism plays a dominant role in To Kill a Mockingbird. Although very common in the South, the prejudices displayed are morally wrong. One important prejudice present is sexism against women. For example, Scout is criticized for her tom-boy ways. Aunt Alexandra is always nagging Scout about her beloved overalls. Scout finds the dresses she is expected to wear ugly and uncomfortable. She would rather hang out with Jem and Dill than stay inside with her aunt. Another example of sexism is the mistreatment

In Maycomb, there are four distinct social classes. First are the regular Maycomb neighbors like the Finches. Next are the hard-working Cunningham’s, who make the best with what they have. Following the Cunningham’s is the Ewell’s, who Atticus describes as the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. Finally is the class of Negroes, who live in a shanty town near Maycomb. Aunt Alexandra forbids Scout to play with Walter Cunningham, a poor boy whom attends school with Scout. She sees them as too poor to associate with the likes of Scout and Jem. Aunt Alexandra states that, “…they’re good folks. But not our kind of folks” (224). Although disrespectful and vain, the Ewell’s are still mistreated. The Ewell children are only expected to go school for one day a year. Burris Ewell is conceived as a troublemaker before he even causes a problem. He turns out to be a terrible child, but he never had a chance to prove otherwise. Far worse off than the Ewell’s, the black population in Maycomb were persecuted as