Theme Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is an unreasonable opinion formed without enough prior knowledge to be reasonable and completely accurate. In To Kill A Mockingbird, a fascinating novel by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout learn a myriad of lessons through their father, Atticus, and experience. Promently, the children become aware of how prejudice their once innocent town of Maycomb Alabama really is. Throughout the book, the Jem and Scout encounter a theme that reoccurs countless times: prejudice. And most specifically racial prejudice. Woven into the book, prejudice, especially racial prejudice, is a common theme, which is discovered by Jem, Scout, and the reader through Tom Robinson and his trial, Dolphus Raymond, and the overall actions of the inhabitants of Maycomb

County.
Because of racial prejudice, Tom Robinson’s life is changed and stopped short. Being convicted for a crime he did not commit, Tom already shows that he is suffering from racial prejudice. Obviously, he did not do anything wrong, and if he had been white he would have been thanked for helping the sad Ewell. What were the consequences of a black man feeling pity for a white person? Well, he had to spend a while in jail, had to go up in court to defend his life, became desist too early for his age, and his family, also, suffered. Not being able to help his wife, Helen Robinson, brings up trouble at home: now Helen has to work and look after the children. Not only that but since the trial was such a big deal, Helen had trouble to find a job to support her remaining family members. Atticus Finch, who defends Tom in court, teaches Jem and Scout many important lessons about racism. After Tom is convicted and the children are disconsolate, Atticus wisely remarks, “I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it--- seems that only children weep”(Lee 285). The children are appalled at the newly discovered fact that their town, indeed, had flaws. Probably Atticus explains that only children weep when something this terrible happens because adults in Maycomb have become so accustom to it that they do not really care as much as they should. Tom Robinson is shot a successive amount of times by police people ending his life. Tom is afflicted by racial prejudice, which changes his entire life.
When the black and white communities mix, it is viewed by many in Maycomb as bizarre and unright. Dolphus Raymond is an example of this feat. He is oppressed by most of the community. Jem, Scout, and Dill may be some of the least racist people in Maycomb, however, they even have biased misconceptions. Before the trial when people are just finishing their picnics, the children are talking about Dolphus Raymond and his strange ways. After Jem tells Dill and Scout everything he know about Dolphus Raymond, Scout proclaims “but he doesn’t look like trash!” Seeing that Mr. Raymond does not match up with the stereotype set for white people who enjoy a black person’s company more than a white person’s, Scout shows what Maycomb has incorrectly taught her. Latter when Dill and Scout have a conversation with Mr. Raymond, they learn that he is oppressed for a ridiculous reason. Scout is unenthusiastic about going over and talking to Dolphus Raymond thinking to herself “Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man” and contemplating whether to go over to him or not. Even though Scout has her suspicions of the strange man at first, she soon learns that that is how he wants to live and he has to pretend he is always drunk around most white people for them to think him even a little sane. Dolphus Raymond was very contente with his style of living and that is why he lived like he did. Jem felt sympathy for this man and his children because of who Mr. Raymond lived around: “They don’t belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have em’ because they’re colored, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere”(Lee 215). Dolphus Raymond happily lived with the folks whose company he enjoyed but has to pretend he is always drunk for Maycomb county to leave him alone about it.
It is not only individuals who suffer from racial inequality, but the town of Maycomb as a whole.

The black community in Maycomb was badly oppressed. Very few of the black people could read, Calpurnia, her son Zeebo, and about two more being the exceptions. Scout and Jem, when visiting Calpurnia’s church were thunderstruck. They had taken reading for granted, everyone they encountered regularly could read as far as they knew. Not only does the black community of Maycomb suffer but, the town working like dominoes (when one is affected everyone is), so does everyone else. After Bob Ewell is dubbed a hero by the jury because of racial prejudice, he becomes overconfident and begins to freak everyone out. Therefore Bob Ewell becomes a threat to the lives of all the folks nearby because of the biased jury. The trial affects Tom’s wife and people whose lives are intertwined with his, “Reverend Sykes hesitated. ‘To tell you the truth, Miss Jean Louise, Helen’s finding it hard to get work these days… when it’s picking time, I think Mr. Link Deas’ll take her”(Lee 164). Knowing that Tom and Helen are in trouble, Link Deas will probably help her. This affects everyone who is concerned about the Robinsons. When food arrives at the Finch’s doorstep after the devastating results of the trial, we see many people of Maycomb are mourning about the decision of the jury and feeling grateful and sorry for Atticus’ hopeless attempts to fight racism and thus defend a man’s life. Everyone in Maycomb county is affected by acts of injustice towards a fellow citizen, whether they support them or

not.