The Great Depression

It is a foggy window located in the soul through gained experiences that sees prejudice. It does not only influence and revolute sight, rather affects thought and actions. Everyone is given the opportunity to look out the window, but not all can see beyond the fogginess. The fog may be a mixture of race, gender, beliefs or behaviours. The major themes in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird relates back to presumptions and biases; the rich rejecting the poor because of their economic level of life in the Great Depression, whites discriminating against blacks, and people gossiping innocents which result a weak foundation and an unpleasing relation among the Maycomb’s society causing undeveloped individuals to live in an unsafe environment.

The Great Depression caused the poor to become poorer while the rich were not affected as much. Some of the rich, such as Aunt Alexandra, misunderstood people because of their economic life. Her different point of view is clearly displayed when she rejects Walter Cunningham, a poor boy, saying, “...they're good folks. But they're not our kind of folks" (Lee 224). Aunt Alexandra, believing that the Cunninghams are beneath the Finches’ economic level, ignores Scout’s aspect of friendship toward Walter disliking him "because-he-is-trash" (Lee 224). She is regardless of the Cunninghams’ hard work to pay back Atticus in “the only way [they could]” (Lee 21). Aunt Alexandra results negatively on Walter making him dislike of being a Cunningham, on Scout by decreasing from her relations with her classmates and friends, and on Maycomb by developing an unsafe society for country folks to leave because they have to deal with unnecessary factors like money to avoid the rich prejudices.

Maycomb is known guilty for its racist atmosphere where blacks are lower than the whites. However, not all of the white community discriminated black. For example, Atticus stands up for Tom Robinson regardless of Mrs. Dubose’s hurtful words saying Atticus is “no better than the n*ggers and trash he works for!” (Lee 102) It is obvious that Atticus is one of the most reliable and honourable citizens of Maycomb. Mrs. Dubose’s evaluation on Atticus results negatively on other neighbours and clearly hurts Calpurnia’s feelings. An example of this racial prejudice is found Scout’s words saying that “[Tom is] just a Negro” (Lee 199). Scout’s words are evidences to the unsafe society for kids to develop. Another example is found while Aunt Alexandra is convincing Atticus to dismiss Calpurnia, although Atticus tells her that “Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to” (Lee 137).