To Kill A Mockingbird Cultural Analysis

The idea that your daily routine inside your society is normal, and that any other form of living would be somehow wrong; this ethnocentric view is not that uncommon. US American literature, as well as different media forms depict such cultural norms. In the movie adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, young tomboy Scout slowly enters adolescents and begins to see the social dynamics that are prevalent inside her small community. The small towns social hierarchy allows for prejudicial acts, which are seen as norms; as well as acts of ethnic discrimination against the lower class black community. Although for the film’s set time these racial interactions are seen as normal events, as a current US American, these relationships are predominantly

bad. The analysis of the movie shows that the multicultural society inside the film offers up a view of social class. It’s values, beliefs, as well as its norms; depict a system where race and gender are used to form the social hierarchy. Though accepted then, these acts in todays society are not seen as good, but rather bad and unacceptable.
Background Review of the Move
To Kill a Mockingbird Film
The film centers around Jean Lousie “Scout” Finch, her brother Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch and their father Atticus Finch. Together they live in the small fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. One of the films main themes is the treatment of black individuals. The most notable event is when a black male’s word is put against that of a white female’s in the court of law. Atticus Finch, a lawyer who represents the black man, Tom Robinson, shows a character that believes in equality of all beings regardless of race. Is moral fiber is a direct contrast against the towns affluent white cast. Throughout the film acts of segregation and division against the black community are a constant norm. The trial of Tom highlights such events. What is shown is that a mere accusation against a black man is enough for a trial, regardless of evidence. Another notable distinction is where the black community is placed during the trial. The towns white population sits at the bottom while the black community sits up stairs, a showing of class segregation because of race. What sums up these events and others of like is when Mr. Finch stands in front of the all white jury and proclaims the town’s as well as the nations current misconstrued perceptions of black individuals; “all negro men lie, are immoral beings, are not to be trusted around the women. An assumption associated with the minds of their caliber.” These events and acts, as well as Atticus’ quote sums up the films depiction of a social hierarchy where people of colored are at the bottom.
Elements of Culture
Culture and its Components
Culture at its most basic understanding is the beliefs, values, norms, and social interactions that people in a set group share.

Such societies are based on things such as ethnicity or religions beliefs. Even common nations are bases for culture. Culture can exist any setting where a set group of people share commonalities. The town of Maycomb is no exception, and practices its own traditions and customs. Inside a culture, “people have a tendency to (a) create and rank cultures one above the other, and (b) distribute resources inequitably to populations in different strata. In doing so, people cultivate both cultural diversity and cultural inequality” (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2008, p. 10). For Maycomb the social hierarchy is divided by race into two groups, where whites are at the top and blacks at the bottom. Even the whites seem to exhibit a more complex system where farmers are below individuals who are more educated. The meaning here is that the towns organization is built upon an accepted social hierarchy where race determines one’s social status. Because such acts are accepted and practice as a culture they have allowed the division to become a norm. “Cultural habits, perceptions, and inventions mild “human nature” in many directions” (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2008, p. 15); for the town their habits and perceptions took them in the direction of racial

segregation.
The town, though, is a mass of different cultres.
“People use culture (shared experience, knowledge, and values) to organize society into multiple groups with political, economic, educational, and moral goals. The coexistence of these cultural defined groups whining a nation –state constructs a multicultural society” (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2008, p. 47).
What makes Maycomb a multicultural society is that its inhabitants are made up of different groups. Groups of economic classes, and educated individuals, as well as organized religious groups represent the various cultures inside the town’s society.
Prejudice of an Individual
What makes the town truly unique is its reliance on a system where race- a political tool built upon like phenotypes and biological likeness- is distinctive, in that ones color dictates how they are treated. Individuals of black color are placed at the lower strata of the hierarchy and are treated by prejudice and discrimination. Color is not the only way the town differentiates. It uses gender as a biases, and rank is dependent on skin. For example during Tom’s trial where he is questioned why he helped Mayella V. Ewell (the supposed rape victim of Tom), his response is that he felt sorry for her. The town shares the reaction of the prosecutor; a black man who feels sorry for a white woman is unheard of and unacceptable. This shows that even white women are placed above black individuals. This scene in the film is an example of prejudices, defined as “means devaluating a group because of its assumed behavior, values, capabilities, or attributes” (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2008, p. 79). Tom is a black man and there fore everything about him is below any white individual.
Discrimination by the Town
Because the social practice of viewing people of color as inferior is accepted by the town; Maycomb is said, then, to practice attitudinal discrimination “people discriminate against members of a group because they are prejudiced toward that group” as well as institutional discrimination, “programs, polices, and institutional arrangements that deny equal rights and opportunities to, or differentially harm, members of particular groups” (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2008, p. 79-80). The people have biased attitudes against Tom because he is a black man. They instinctively believe he is guilty only due to the fact of skin color. Because of this the small town’s judicial system is warped and denies due process to Tom. They accept Mayella’s claim as proof enough, and deny that any other evidence is needed. Tom’s only advocate is Atticus, who starts the trial off by asking for medical evidence, of which is deemed as unimportant. These acts of discrimination stem for the towns social hierarchy, where the treatment of the lower class is not only accepted but also seen as a norm. Tom is guilty because of skin and the jury, as well as the town, knows that that is enough to convict the man. As stated above in Atticus quote, being black is sufficient to conclude that the individual and the community are lower and incorrect against the white public; and thus should be treated so, regardless of laws or other moral concepts.
Personal Analysis of the Film
Ethnocentric Concept of Good or Bad
As a US American during the current age, recognized as a millennial, I have grown up with certain viewpoints on race. At a young age I was taught that race did not matter and all individuals are to be viewed and treated equally. As a casual observer of the film the concepts of class status based on race is hard to grasp. Thought it should be noted that the concept of class distinction based on economic level is still prevalent today. The division and treatment of Tom, who represents the black population of that time is a bad concept. I understand that race by todays standards is purely a political tool that has no actual significance on one’s abilities mentally or rightness. With this in mind I understand that that film’s depiction of black inequality was because of the town and the time’s cultural traditions. They accepted this because the cultural developed the habits and beliefs, as well as the values, to view individuals of colored below those of European decent. Although a social norm that was accepted; it is no excuse that the treatment of any individual should be denied or viewed as less equal to others. The towns relationship to the black community was wrong because of this, they treated the black people as lower and inferior. That is not to say that certain individuals, notably Atticus Finch, had treated blacks equally. His actions alone were good.
Conclusion
The movie To Kill a Mockingbird, depicts various cultural elements.

The town of Maycomb exhibits a multicultural society that is structured on a hierarchy built upon race. The white prominent race uses prejudice and various discrimination techniques against the lower economic black community. The relationship of town to the black people is a bad one; such acts in today’s society are not acceptable. It is understood that these actions were social norms during the 1930’s and because of this the culture developed these habits. Regardless, it is still a bad

one.