Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird
Prejudice is having a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. This is an action that is often used today. Society comes up with opinions about people they have heard from someone’s personal experiences. They choose to judge people or things without knowing anything themselves. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch defends a black man, Tom Robinson, when he is wrongly accused of raping a white girl. When he takes this job the Maycomb community instantly criticized Atticus for helping Robinson. Atticus’ two children, Scout and Jem, are also harassed by kids at school who had heard from their parents. A majority of Maycomb has preconceived judgements against Atticus and the blacks in the community. In
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They are treated poorly and humiliated. One day Jem, Scout, and Dill walk by a picnic where blacks are hanging out, when they start to talk about ‘mixed children’, “Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just inbetweens, don’t belong anywhere.” (215) This shows how the children who are half white and half black are rejected just because they aren’t one or the other. They’re neglected because of prejudice between blacks and whites. During the trial Atticus acknowledges the prejudice within the case, stating, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man.” (272) This displays how interactions with African Americans is interpreted in their society. They are expected to not have any romantic relationships that intermix. This thought that the two groups of people are different and one is worse or better has people passing their own ideas to others. The prejudice towards blacks is extreme in the book and is shown through many aspects. The way they are treated and talked about is all because people have predetermined opinions about them without their own background. In the end, the book To Kill A Mockingbird by author Harper Lee, demonstrates prejudice in the 1930’s and now by showing that it can be used against all different people. Prejudice happens
They are treated poorly and humiliated. One day Jem, Scout, and Dill walk by a picnic where blacks are hanging out, when they start to talk about ‘mixed children’, “Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just inbetweens, don’t belong anywhere.” (215) This shows how the children who are half white and half black are rejected just because they aren’t one or the other. They’re neglected because of prejudice between blacks and whites. During the trial Atticus acknowledges the prejudice within the case, stating, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man.” (272) This displays how interactions with African Americans is interpreted in their society. They are expected to not have any romantic relationships that intermix. This thought that the two groups of people are different and one is worse or better has people passing their own ideas to others. The prejudice towards blacks is extreme in the book and is shown through many aspects. The way they are treated and talked about is all because people have predetermined opinions about them without their own background. In the end, the book To Kill A Mockingbird by author Harper Lee, demonstrates prejudice in the 1930’s and now by showing that it can be used against all different people. Prejudice happens