Social Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee demonstrates family, growth, compassion, and a way of life. The citizens of Maycomb base their judgements on what they see and not the truth. Their blindness leads to the countless consequences in the novel, but prejudice is often the center of their conflicts. Their ignorance of the entire truth results in prejudice acts that severely affect the lives of Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur Radley.
Firstly, a character affected by social prejudice is Atticus Finch. The Finches stands high in the Maycomb society, shown when Atticus says to Jem, “You are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding […] and you should try to live up to your name.” (177) Afterwards, Atticus Finch
Racial prejudice is a normality in Maycomb. Consequently, this leads to a dead man, Tom Robinson. In Maycomb, African-Americans are the center of oppression. Tom Robinson is a black man accused of rape, he is convicted for a crime he did not commit. Before Tom Robinson’s trial, a lynch mob attempts to kill him because they believe he is guilty. This belief is brought into court as Mr. Gilmer minimizes the good Tom has done and his inability to injure Mayella while magnifying a thirty day disorderly conduct Tom once received, even though it was only a misdemeanor. Although Atticus’ defense clearly shows that Bob Ewell is the one who injured Mayella Ewell, in the eyes of Maycomb County, Negroes are always immoral. A child as young as Scout can say, “After all, he’s just a Negro.”(266) This line instantly put African-Americans below Americans, should anything happen to a Negro, that is what they deserved. Maycomb fails to see that African-Americans are no different than Americans, they are human beings like those of Maycomb and never had a say in their colour of skin. Therefore, Tom Robinson is a man who suffers racial prejudice as Maycomb County is ignorant to racial
For instance, in Maycomb County Boo Radley is no more than a malevolent phantom. Scout narrates, “ People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. ” (10) The people of Maycomb lack basic information and knowledge of Arthur Radley because he always stays inside The Radley Place. Out of their ignorance, Arthur Radley is transformed into a character of what Maycomb society believes of him. Their discrimination against him can be seen through his nickname, Boo Radley. Likewise, because Maycomb is ignorant of the reason why or if Arthur Radley stabbed his father with a pair of scissors, this results in Arthur Radley being portrayed as a madman who is over six feet tall and eats squirrels. It is natural for one to fear and discriminate those they don’t know or understand. Maycomb is protecting themselves from a man they cannot comprehend, but Maycomb chooses the worst way possible, prejudice. On the contrary, those who understand or possess knowledge of the truth are not prejudice. Atticus Finch says, “You never really understand a person […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."(39) Atticus may not know why Arthur stabbed his father, but Atticus recognizes that it is unjust to judge Arthur and asks Jem, Scout and Dill to treat Arthur like a proper man. Thus, Arthur Radley is a victim of Maycomb’s ignorance through