Theme Of Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, uses a young narrator, Scout, to explore the understanding of different topics through the plot of the novel. Scout is a keen listener, and learns about standardised racial inequality during the 1930s through the dialogue of her brother, Jem. Aunt Alexandra’s characterisation portrays to Scout how she is socially considered better than others because of her race, upbringing and her family. The author conveys gender oppression through Scout’s perspective as she is a female who lives in a society which consistently persecutes her because of gender. Throughout the novel, Scout deepens her knowledge of these different forms of inequality.
Scout gains an understanding of racial inequality from how Lee uses the changing mood of Jem’s dialogue in the short time from the end of the trial to the delivery of the guilty sentence.
Aunt Alexandra strongly believes that she is above the other characters in the novel who do not have her same ‘good-breeding’ or come from a well-off white Christian family. Lee demonstrates the social inequality when Aunt Alexandra explains to Scout that she cannot invite Walter Cunningham over to play or for dinner. Lee uses Aunt Alexandra to explain to Scout that, Walter “is trash” and that Scout should not overly associate herself with someone who was born a Cunningham simply because of the way they live. (P.248). Even though Aunt Alexandra believes that part of being a lady is to “be gracious to everybody” she explains that does not encompass being their friend, especially if they and their family do not live their life in a proper way; the way Aunt Alexandra perceives to be proper. (p.247). Aunt Alexandra’s stereotypical judgement of the Cunningham’s, particularly Walter, is presented by Lee to influence Scout into believing that she is considered higher than the Cunningham’s because of her last