Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible” (Angelou). Maya Angelou illustrates the destructive nature of prejudice, and the effects that it may have on society. Her childhood took place primarily in the 1930’s, a time also known as the Depression Era where racism dictated the lives of many African-Americans that Harper Lee details in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Martin Luther King Jr., an advocate of black rights during the depression era, details in his essay “An Experiment in Love” how Christian love, or “agape” had sparked the African-American nonviolence movement. The novel is told through the perspective of a 6-year old girl, Scout and centralizes on two innocent figures, Arthur Radley, a social outcast, and Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape, who are persecuted due to the prejudiced view of the town. As she matures and learns about the town, she begins to develop ideas and pass judgment on individuals that are in the town. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, takes up the court trial to defend Tom Robinson, who is wrongly accused and sentenced of the rape of a white woman and eventually runs, only to be shot by the prison guards. Despite the open communication present in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, there is deficiency of love, as the author illustrates that societal prejudice is inevitable and leads to discrimination.
The value of communication is often stifled by the obstinance that society exhibits, which leads to rejection and devaluing of its benefits. Martin Luther King details the power that communication can have in his essay, “An Experiment in Love”:“A second basic fact that characterizes nonviolence is that it does not seek to defeat or h...

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...an easily transform into a society that is driven by hatred.
In conclusion, despite the communication that Despite the open communication present in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, there is deficiency of love, as the author illustrates that societal prejudice is inevitable and leads to discrimination. The communication that is present in society is smothered by the closed-minded nature of prejudiced societies, ultimately ending in discrimination. The author conveys that a closed, biased mindset can easily spread and destroy communities. Lee emphasizes the traits of open-mindedness and tolerance, two traits that “create beloved community”. Communicating with others can create tolerance amongst a community, and prevent the creation of prejudice in society. We can see this concept take place in real life REAL LIFE EXAMPLE AND STUFF LATER k.

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