Theme Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird Final Paper Draft Evelyn Finch

The theme of prejudice appears many times throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. A prejudice is a biased opinion that is created without reason or actual experience. The theme of prejudice is first introduced in Chapter One when the readers learn about the social classes of Maycomb and how people are judged. The theme progresses throughout the story as we learn more about the characters and their biases and racism-- and not just in Maycomb, in all of the south. The theme of prejudice propels the story greatly; the Tom Robinson case is solely based on the south’s prejudice against anyone who was not “normal”. This theme is so central to the novel because it guides the lessons that Scout and Jem learn throughout the book.

By analyzing Chapter 23, the theme of prejudice is further developed through dialogue. The theme is emphasized through the quote, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life (295).” This quote shows how the prejudices in Maycomb are even carried into the court, which is supposed to be unbiased. While the main prejudice displayed in the book is racism, there are many other forms present in the novel, such as sexism and social class discrimination.

But they’re not our kind of folks (300).”This quote shows that the social classes of Maycomb are not perceived equally and are judged based on preconceived notions. This quote is Aunt Alexandra’s reply to Scout when Scout asks if she can have Walter Cunningham over sometime, but Aunt Alexandra says no because she believes the Cunninghams are not on the Finch’s ‘level’ and aren’t worthy of socializing with them. By learning this, Maycomb’s classism becomes