To Kill A Mockingbird Social Prejudice Analysis

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Recommended: Racism in literature

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee shows prejudice towards a young black man called Tom Robinson who was wrongly accused of raping a young white girl called Mayella Ewell. One of the main antagonists, Atticus Finch, defends Tom in court but due to how racist the white community are he is found guilty even though he is innocent. People’s social prejudice also spreads to other places in the town such as with the kids at primary school.

In To Kill A Mockingbird Lee emphasises the social prejudice of the town that the story is set in, which is Maycomb. The story is seen through Scout Finch as her own experiences of different social and racial prejudices. When Scout was at school she gets into trouble for explaining to the teacher why Walter Cunningham has no lunch money. “He didn’t forget his lunch money, he didn’t have any today nor would he have any tomorrow or the next day”. This statement by Scout shows that not everyone in the world is equal financially and that other people are not as well off as others. This also shows that not everyone respects that people aren’t all rich. …show more content…

This further shows people’s prejudice not just against the black community but also against anyone who doesn’t have the same views as them. “She is white and she temped a Negro. She did what in our society is unspeakable. This shows that the entire community has similar views about the black community and how when they don’t share the same views as them they are looked down on.

To Kill a Mockingbird overall explores the racial and social prejudices in the small town of Maycomb and shows that not everyone can be equal in a town where the white community gave themselves the title of being superior and explores how this is challenged by only very few people who decide that it is not up to them to decide who is

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