To Kill A Mockingbird Social Inequality Analysis

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The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, takes place during the Great Depression in Southern Alabama. Throughout the story Scout (narrator and main character) and her older brother Jem try to understand what social inequality means and what causes it. Since their father Atticus Finch was a lawyer, with high moral standards, they were higher up in the social class. Atticus taught his children that everyone should be treated the same and with respect, no matter where they came from. People should not judge people based on their abilities or appearance because it does not define who they are. One example of social inequality is shown through the Cunningham family, who were not well educated. In chapter 23 Jem states, “Well then, how do you explain why the Cunninghams are different? Mr. Scout became frustrated because due to this issue, she was told by her aunt not to play with Walter Cunningham . Jem also felt upset and thought it was unfair how blacks were found guilty based on little evidence. The Cunninghams and black people most likely had lower self-esteem and felt low as people, because of how others judged and perceived them. Mr. Ewell on the other hand, still felt quite superior despite the fact that he lived farther away from other families, since he was a white man. Readers of the novel mostly feel shocked at how harsh people acted and were treated, especially comparing this time (1930s) to the century we live in now. During the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, social inequality was a major issue and was seen in examples such as the Cunningham family, the Tom Robinson case, and the Ewell family. Even today, many people who have good hearts and intentions are put down because of the way they look or how they live. In conclusion, people who judge others based on what they perceive are often wrong because they do not know the true characters of those

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